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
Okay, smartass.
Enjoy being in moderation today.
“Blacklisting”, you are Tailgunner Joe Deux!
This is your 47th threat w/ no consequences. You would be a horrible parent. You and one or 2 others have a problem w/ me. Buck up, buttercup!
As someone stated above, some leakers are more equal than others. The hacking the FBI has accused this man of has already been claimed by another, this man just publisized the extistant materials passed on to him by a reporter. From a BoingBoing link:
“Exclusive: Leader of Anonymous Steubenville Op on Being Raided by the FBI – If convicted of hacking-related charges, Deric Lostutter could get more jail time than the rapists he went after.”
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/kyanonymous-fbi-steubenville-raid-anonymous
Arthur Randolph Erb: This is such a stretch it is funny! He was giving out awards for crying out loud and thought every person there was cleared.”
———
The problem with his presumption is that clearance level does not govern suitability for recieving classified information, “need to know” does.
But this points up an interesting dynamic regarding classified information. People that have clearances are phycologicly part of a phychological club, they’re exclusive, special. They value that exclusivity. Having so many people with clerances, and so much information classified is a phychological job perk.
A promotion is classicaly an increase in status or wages or responsibility/authority and/or some combination thereof. Having a lot of classified information under your command demands more cleared personell and more cleared personnell and information means a bigger budget in the government. There are very personal reasons for the explosion of security agencies and information since 911. The Patriot Act and the host of laws and regulations it spawned has monitized the security state.
didnt he also out the pakistani doctor who had helped CIA?
It’s really cute you think you’re intimidating when in reality you’re just another wanker who can’t follow the rules. And please. Do blame it on a lack of self-control on your part. That only illustrates further that your bad behavior is pathological.
You’re adorable when you go all tough guy.
Just remember this: While Elaine is correct that you are free comment on any subject of discussion on this blog that you are not free to attack other posters in an ad hominem manner. You’ve been told to stop. You’ve had the futility of your tactic exposed at every turn. You’ve even been told by our host to stop. Yet you continue and admit you have no self-control. If you mistake our patience for bad behavior as infinite, that would be your mistake. Another poster once thought she could make infinite gratuitous ad hominem attacks on other posters. After failing to heed numerous warnings, she’s been banned a long time now. If you’d like to join her in exile, just keep on as you have. Our patience with bad behavior may be long and enduring, but it is not infinite.
Stick to issues and arguments and you’ll avoid trouble.
Keep up the personal attacks? Against anyone? We’ll eventually make you stop. No more asking. No more telling. You’ll just be in moderation, your every post awaiting editorial approval, or simply blacklisted.
And it will entirely be your own doing.
Enjoy.
nick,
You are the master of yourself. You can control your dark side–just as the rest of us can. I admit to having a snarky and sarcastic sense of humor–which I do my best to keep under wraps when making comments on this blog.
No one has asked you–or expects you–to refrain from commenting on any subject of discussion on this blog. If the topic of school vouchers should come up, I have no problem with proponents of vouchers stating their position on the subject.
Size 8 1/2 hat size. Filled w/ life experiences that most appreciate, and that some find intimidating. C’est la vie.
Elaine, We are in agreement. The problem I have is the two people in question just bring out my dark side. We all have a dark side. I’m pretty good @ controlling it. And, although I do poke the hornet’s nest @ times w/ my two fellow commenters, I don’t get profane, or bring family into the discussion. I don’t call or intimate people are lying about their work experience or life experiences. I consider that over the line and classless. As long as we’re cool then I feel good. There is a big expansion of school vouchers being proposed in Wisconsin. If the topic comes up I will refrain from comment, a positive gesture of goodwill. My tongue may bleed from biting it, but I’ll pay that price.That, as you know, brings out my dark side. I look forward to your positive poetry posts, a breath of fresh air in the often sea of negativity here.
nick,
I made a comment to Mike stating that I felt that you had no problem with Mespo–but had had a problem with me in the past. That’s a fact. I do my best to argue about the content of of a discussion/topic of a post. Sometimes, we go astray in our discussions–for good reasons; sometimes we deviate from the subject at hand because someone does her/his best to hijack a discussion…or to poke at a hornets’ nest.
Constructive criticism is good. Criticizing individuals just to get a rise out of them is not done with the best intentions.
I like the experiments with alliteration, Gene. Keep at it. Poems often begin with just such free-form experimentation with sound and symbol. A few years ago, my wife and I went gargoyle hunting with a camera in New York City. Afterwards, I found myself gazing at the haunting images while thinking — as I do for awhile every day — of lying Army generals and their lying Commander-in-Brief. Then this happened:
I can remember back the day when US military briefings in Saigon went by the name of “The Five O’Clock Follies.” No one in their right mind took anything that the US military said at face value. Their lying, bungling, incompetence, and career ass-covering had reached such awesome levels that not even superlative descriptions like “Olympian” could do their professional prevaricating the justice it deserved.
Credibility Gap
And given the utter drivel that pours from between their lying lips today, I don’t see any reason to grant the US military — and certainly America’s current Commander-In-Brief — the benefit of even the smallest doubt. They don’t deserve it.
Credibility Chasm
“The Ship of State leaks from the top” — U.S. President John F. Kennedy
“Kill the chicken, scare the monkey” — Ancient Chinese proverb
Bron, Just two, averaged sized ones.
Bron,
Wrong location, it’s his head that’s big.
nick:
you got some balls. that is all I can say.
josh brings up a good point. what exactly is necessary for national security? Honestly not too much, any possible enemy if they have an intelligence community, can find out all sorts of things by reading Jane’s.
We should know most of the stuff which are government is doing in our name. We dont need to know the names and identities of our intelligence operatives working in foreign lands but we certainly have a right to any intelligence also known by an unfriendly government.
my guess is that if we really knew what the hell our government is doing in the name of our “national security” we would be appalled.
And the sad thing is, they couldnt even stop the Boston bombings when the perps were handed to these bozos on a silver platter by the Russians.
Gino, Whether you’re smart enough to know it or not, you threw a batting practice fastball w/ your inane “sucking” comment. But, I have class and will let it go.
“But, I have class…….
LOL
Ooo. More bluster. How . . . utterly predictable.
I see Tailgunner Joe McCarthy is back to his “alleged” and “possible” mode of cowardly accusations. I thought we got past that. My teaching experience can be verified by the Wi. Dept. of Public Instruction. My PI license[still current] through the Dept of Regulation and Licensing. I knew you would never take me up on the 1k bet being a tightwad and one who likes to talk, but not walk.