Attorney General Eric Holder recently told intelligence community lawyers that he wants them to continue the Administration’s crackdown on leakers and media sources despite calls for his termination and the controversy on the attack on the free press. The message is clear: there will be no quarter given those who disclose classified information. Well not everyone. This week it was revealed that former CIA Director Leon Panetta disclosed classified information to “Zero Dark Thirty” filmmaker Mark Boal. According to an inspector general report, the disclosure of the name of the Navy SEAL unit that carried out the Osama bin Laden raid and the unit’s ground commander at a 2011 ceremony. Some of the information was marked as “top secret.”
The wonderful thing for Holder is that this leaker is known and there are witnesses. He made the disclosure in front of 1,300 people in a tent at the CIA complex on June 24, 2011. So Panetta is now being housed next to Bradley Manning, right? Not quite. The Administration leaks classified information on a regular basis. On Obama Farm, all leakers are equal but some leakers are more equal than others.
Notably, this disclosure helped a filmmaker who was developing a controversial film that seemed to herald the value of torture by CIA employees. Like many, I was surprised by the degree to which the movie made it look like it was torture that led to the killing of Obama in direct contradiction to what we know about the various sources used in the operation. Giving top secret information to a filmmaker for such a film does not appear to be a matter for prosecution. Now, the Associated Press or Fox News? That is an entirely different question. In that case, the reporters are viewed by the Administration as an possible criminal co-conspirator. In the case, of Boal, he was not a co-conspirator . . . just part of the creative enterprise.
Source: Politico
(Ed. Note: Insert loud sucking noise here.)
I wasn’t aware criticism was bad. Elaine, we have made our peace..at least I thought we did. You see your friends looking for support and you give it to them. For the most part that’s admirable. What I see in the difference between how you and I have evolved centers on the woman man relationship. I’ve said to you, and others, I do much better w/ women in many respects. The marking territory alpha horseshit is tedious @ best, destructive @ worst. I hate it and avoid it whenever possible We still battle about teacher’s unions and I consider that healthy. You cite “the school marm” being used several times in the past. We also had a very heated exchange on rape wherein you acknowledged I had much more experience on the issue, which happens to be a passion of mine. You can’t know how much that angered me, having sat down w/ many rape victims and helped them get through the prosecution of the felons who destroyed their sense of self. However, I thought that was water under the bridge. I let that go, and continue to. I am willing to invest time and effort to make sure we are ok. I am not a political animal. In politics, people stick together because of the team jersey they wear. I don’t give a shit what team a person is on, I just care about who they are. I treat them the way they treat me. If two people are going @ it, it’s between them. I’m not a manipulator or bullshitter. I again apologize for any bad feelings I’ve caused for you in the past. I will effort to make sure it doesn’t happen again and I KNOW I’ve been doing that for several months.I promise to do that on the souls of my dead parents. My prayer is that the peace I thought we have both worked on will continue and not be effected by my clashes w/ your two friends. I have made a connection w/ your love of poetry and my sisters equal love. That is real and nothing will change that..NOTHING.
Gene,
I have been on worse lists!
Mike S.,
Nick likes Mespo…but he’s criticized and ridiculed me–the little ole school marm–a number of times in the past.
Elaine,
You are right about his getting into a dust up with you and it seemed he is condescending when it comes to women. didn’t it start with him pontificating about his alleged teaching experience? Yes he has been critical of you in particular, join the club. As for Mark, I sort of remember an angry exchange between them (or at least angry on his part), but then he has started so many disruptive exchanges it is hard to keep track, especially because he denies they ever happened.
“Leon Panther”…
http://on.aol.com/video/cnn-accidentally-labels-leon-panetta-as-leon-panther-517645701
So many ways that one could go with that.
It still shocks me that people think Bradley Manning is some sort of here. Governments must be able to keep secrets, especially military ones. We can argue about what should be classified if we want, but the fact is that someone in Bradley Manning’s position is not permitted to decide, for themselves, what should be declassified on a whim.
“but the fact is that someone in Bradley Manning’s position is not permitted to decide, for themselves, what should be declassified on a whim.”
Joshprentice,
In the Nuremburg Trials we established that being complicit in war crimes was not excused by “following orders”. Manning saw evidence of war crimes being committed and was duty bound to blow the whistle.
When I first read the title of this article, I could only think of Bradley Manning and the hipocracy of it all.
One part of me feels he, and others like him, who disclose classified information should be held accountable, and the other part of me admires what he did because the federal gov’t is becoming more and more contemptable and abusive each day.
Given also how Manning was reportedly treated since his arrest, if there ever was a case for jury nullification this would be it.
AY,
Dick Taters and Common Taters … on the rise.
The theme song of NDP:
There are leakers and then there are golden showers….. Still feeling that warm glow upon the US…..
Now, back to Manning and Julian Assange…. What will happen to them….
Oh my no one has come out in defense of the National Dictator Party yet….
I really just dislike you and your alliterative buddy. Professor Tony and I are getting better, but we still have a way to go. Other than that I kind of like, to really like, everyone else. That’s why I’m here. I’m here in spite of you. So, there’s that. I’ll cease calling you on your pomposity, dishonesty, sanctimony and blatant partisanship when you cease being pompous, dishonest, sanctimonious, and partisan. And, I strongly encourage you to adhere to your self imposed one paragraph rule for the sake of all here.
“I really just dislike you and your alliterative buddy.”
I just pity you and have sympathy for those who know you personally.
So much for leading and setting an example.
Mike,
😉
SwM,
Then we should play a topic game … only words that have to do with spies and spying
I like mespo a lot and it’s well established in the record. Be honest, Mikey.
“Blouise, They read facebook all day. They know how many scrabble games we have won.”
SwM,
Blouise keeps beating me because I get “bad” letters all the time. Yes that’s the ticket. 🙂
Four paragraphs.
A few NSA guys might be into Find the Kitteh. But many more are “monitoring” the blogs involving the other cat term, “Pussy” and “Beaver” blogs.
Blouise, They read facebook all day. They know how many scrabble games we have won. 🙂
“I wonder if the NSA is reading this blog right now??” (raf)
They’re probably as hooked on the Find the Kitteh threads as the rest of us are.
Prosecutor: Objection, your honor, not responsive.
Court: Objection sustained. The witness has been asked twice about why the constant double teams and has not responded. You are to respond to that question, now.