From Drudge:
Sources tell Drudge that early this afternoon House Speaker Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Frist will announce a bicameral investigation into the leak of classified information to the WASHINGTON POST regarding the “black sites†where high value al Qaeda terrorists are being held and interrogated.
Said one Hill source: “Talk about a leak that damaged national security! How will we ever get our allies to cooperate if they fear that their people will be targeted by al Qaeda.â€Â
According to sources, the WASHINGTON POST story by Dana Priest (Wednesday November 2), revealed highly classified information that has already done significant damage to US efforts in the War on Terror.
Developing…
I agree with John Cole that this maneuver is in some ways cynical and highlights the fallout from the Plame investigation. But on the other hand, it is clear—(or rather, I believe it to be clear)—that the entire Wilson-Plame-Niger gambit was set into motion by those in the CIA who were trying to undermine the President’s foreign policy.
Leaks from the CIA or the State Department meant to damage Bush’s foreign policy should be treated with no less a degree of seriousness as those coming from White House aides and staffers.
And once you set the bar so low, as was the case with the Libby indictments, you are bound to find yourself in a war over who controls the narrative by way of controlling how information is disseminated to the press.
Good for the goose, good for the gander . . .
Perhaps the net effect of both investigations will be to remind people in the CIA that they are in the intelligence business. Loose lips, and all that . . .
The difference is that there was specific damage to our operational capability, security and foreign relations by the prison leak. I have yet to see anyone show specific damage done by “outing” Plame.
It is a political move, but its is one that I think is a good move as well.
The investigation is a welcome development, and it will be morbidly entertaining to watch the left explain why this is much, MUCH less serious than the Cheney/Libby non-outing. Plamegate may yet wind up being a major assbite for these yo-yos.
On a more substantive note, I can’t quite believe that Leif Garrett’s birthday is slipping by without any PW comment at all. Drunken, non-dancing armadillos and forgotten celebrities. The standards at this blog are slipping straight to hell.
Just from the title, I was going to ask what good, ol’ AnnNicole had to say about this. But, I think utron’s right.
What do Leif and AnnNicole have to say about this?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Its about time. I was starting to wonder if the ROVE machine had lost it’s wheels….
Uh, JG, you may want to watch CNN.
Apparently it was a Republican who leaked the information.
It’s pretty sad when you get Pwn3d by your own side.
I am laughing so hard right now!!!
What could be better than seeing the CIA’s petty, vindictive anti-Bush Plamegate witch hunt tactic turn on its designers and devour them?
Why is this so amusing? Anyone? Bueller?
PLEASE TELL ME IT’S MCCAIN OR HAGEL, Geek!
TallDave:
Read my post.
Your side really can’t do anything right nowadays.
Trent Lott is definitely aiming for his old job back.
Geek,
Don’t believe everything CNN tells you.
We don’t know who it is–just that it was a Republican Senator or one of their aides.
It’s about time the Republicans started investigating themselves.
My “own side”? You don’t know my side. There are certainly Republicans with whom I have enormous problems.
Geek,
According to who? How do they know this?
It’s Trent Lott speaking, Tall Dave.
Of course, he’s a Republican Senator, so he very well could be a liar.
Seriously, when are you guys going to dump Frist? He’s a walking disaster.
Hey, I don’t care who leaked this. I’m just as happy to see any GOPer who did this indicted as a Dem. It’s the selective leaking of things that actually harm national security in order to hurt Bush that irks me, esp. when they go to such lengths to investigate the outing a of a non-secret CIA agent who sent her husband on a trip to Niger.
Why does this annoy me? Class? Anyone?
How would Trent Lott know who leaked it? Did he already perform an investigation? Did someone already admit to it? Seems odd. Are you sure you didn’t misinterpret what he said?
Cheney apparently told a group of Republican Senators about the prisons shortly before the story was published.
Oh, well THAT proves everything.
Geek, did you even read the story? Dana INTERVIEWS CIA officials about the prisons.
Meanwhile, the debate over the wisdom of the program continues among CIA officers, some of whom also argue that the secrecy surrounding the program is not sustainable.
“It’s just a horrible burden,” said the intelligence official.
Hmmm, they don’t seem very committed to keeping national secrets. It’s a “horrible burden”—which they’ve now lifted. I wonder why they didn’t just thank Novak for lifting the “horrible burden” of keeping Valerie Plame’s identity secret while she openly drove to Langley every day while recommending her husband for a trip to Niger which he then wrote op-eds and a book about, and talked about on every TV show he could get onto.
By mid-2002, the CIA had worked out secret black-site deals with two countries, including Thailand and one Eastern European nation, current and former officials said
Gee, I wonder if those “black-site” deals were classified, or something CIA officials are supposed to blab about whenever the press asks.
This is the same agency that had a guy writing a Bush-bashing book on company time—in an election year, no less. Then he left a week after the election. Tell me there’s not a problem there.
But the story quoted CIA officials. Not a senator or a senator’s aide. So was the reporter intentionally “sexing up” her sources to make the story sound more believable?
I think it’s likely that Lott has said, “Yes, the administration briefed us on this story”, and Geek (and prob. CNN) have tried to turn that into “THE LEAK CAME FROM A RETHUGLICAN!!!!”
Why don’t we wait and see? And if the leak did come from a Republican, well, he/she deserves their nice long prison stay.
The story quoted:
By the way, if you guys want to take McCain out for 2008, we won’t get in your way.
Would love a quote or a transcript link, Geek.
Even a quote from your memory would be nice…..
This&That
Best I can do right now.
Reuters
At least that way the press will pay attention to the story.
If the meeting Lott about which Lott is talking was called by Cheney to lobby on behalf of his torture policy, you can bet that it wasn’t Hagel or McCain who leaked, since they probably weren’t invited.
If only because of the rich irony. I imagine Trent Lott gave a similar message to Bill Frist.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Can’t we just kill everyone involved in this freakshow of an unserious pseudo-government and start the hell over? This continual parade of jackassery makes me puke bile.
Gosh, I hope they haven’t flushed the Koran down the toilet at any of those sites. Has anyone contacted Isikoff?
“May have” is a long way from “apparently was.” But let the chips fall where they may regarding loose-lipped Republicans.
What I really want to know why CIA officials are giving interviews on national security secrets, and why this isn’t being taken seriously by them when, as I’ve pointed out, they referred a totally unserious charge to DOJ.
Ooh, ooh! Pick me, pick me!
Would that be for being a senator or a Pubbie, teacher?
So we caught Geek Esq sexing up the intel again, didn’t we?
I am just stunned that it seems impossible to underestimate Trent Lott’s stupidity. After all these years he continues to amaze.
Even without the Plame crap, this was long due.
This “investigation” is really weak tea. Let me know when they start nailing people upside down to posts in tidal pools…
My ass would be grass if I started handing out classified stuff to every ink stained wretch in DC. But then I’m just some dumb field grade officer in the Armed Forces – not a demi-god in the CIA.
CHICKENTORTURER!!!!!!
seriously, Major John is onto something. Get medieval on these M*****F&*&ERS. Any harm to national security should demand capital punishment. So there goes trent lott, some idiot rep staffers, lots of rino staffers, and most dem senators, representatives, and staffers. good day all around.
I’m just wondering what the CIA might be able to get done if someone negotiated a cease-fire between them and the White House–even for a few months.
They do a little spot-checking on enemy activities. Perhaps even fight terrorism a bit. You know: to keep their hand in.
“Seriously, when are you guys going to dump Frist? He’s a walking disaster.”
Geek, this is the first time I’ve agreed with something you’ve written in a while.
But when you’re right, you’re right.
His foreign policy SHOULD be undermined. He is a disaster .. and that is the only good thing I am going to say about him.
Anyway … talking about leaks … who freakin leaked the identity of the CIA agent in the first place? Libby or Dick? What sort of traitorous fuckwit would do that to his own country. They deserve a bullet in the kneecap or higher.
Waddo, if I had wanted to hear from you I would have eaten six Taco Bell burritos and followed them with a case of sliders.
Could you explain the logic behind a republican disclosing the “top secret” “black prisons”? Honestly, whats the motive ? Further humiliate the president ? Undermine the war on terror ? Further the US’s international reputation as torturers and murderers ?
The effect of the disclosure seems much more in keeping with democratic MO. With the Libby issue, dems could at least toss around a viable motive (whether true or not) that the administration was trying to undermine Wilson’s cred. Again, whats the point of a republican revealing this type of information – how would that republican benefit (unless it was McCain).
As to the reuters story, I take it with a grain of salt. Most of the news stories I’ve seen indicate the leak came from an intelligence official.
Too early to tell yet, of course, and like many here, if it WAS a republican (however unlikely I find that possibility to be), he/she should be prosecuted. Maybe I’ve missed it but I don’t see Geek saying the same thing if its a dem.
There really isn’t any logic, unless it is a maverick! trying to undermine the powers that be in a intra-party squabble, which doesn’t seem likely to me now. However since the Honorable Idiot from Mississippi declared it was probably a Rethuglican leak the press is going to run with it.
Heh, now that the CIA has referred the case I wonder if Lott said that just so the CIA would respond with “Eh? Republicans? WE MUST PROSECUTE!!!”
I think I see what happened. From the Corner:
In other words, Lott was talking about A DIFFERENT LEAK. Geek decided to interpret that as talking about THE SAME ONE.
Robert- I had literally arrived here just now to post that. Good find.
What a surprise, Republican comments asserted without any context.
Doubt- As in, I doubt Geek can tell the truth.
“But on the other hand, it is clearâ€â€(or rather, I believe it to be clear)â€â€that the entire Wilson-Plame-Niger gambit was set into motion by those in the CIA who were trying to undermine the President’s foreign policy.”
His foreign policy SHOULD be undermined. He is a disaster .. and that is the only good thing I am going to say about him.
Another lefty CIA fan comes out of the closet. Where were you when the CIA really needed your support during Carter’s massacre? Probably suckling a dingo’s teat. Or planning to skip American civics class. Oh wait, you weren’t required to take American civics, were you, Wadard? So you definitely missed the part about elected officials making policy and government employees carrying them out without, you know, engaging in black ops against their own bosses in a craven bid to influence policy. Sheesh.
Hmmm.
If you’re unwise enough to eat 6 Taco Bell burritos then you will have a case of sliders.
Hey wait, shouldn’t they be called “secret African-American sites?”
The press will run with it if it is alleged it was a Republican leak? They will insist on an investigation?
Excccellennnt. *tent fingers*