As I write this, Democratic and Republican senators are holding a press conference to denounce the “cascade” of security leaks that have compromised US intelligence, operations and assets worldwide. The leaks range from a detailed report about US cyber war against Iran, including the disclosure that the Stuxnet virus was a US operation, to disclosing classified information about the SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The leaks have, in every case, depicted President Obama as a hands-on, take charge national security leader, causing suspicion that the leaks are coming from the White House itself and are political efforts to help the president’s re-election campaign.
White House press spokesman Jay Carney has denounced such suspicion as “grossly irresponsible,” leading to suspicion that he might either be out of the loop on these leaks, or is lying about them.
Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, a Republican, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a Democrat, stood side by side in today’s press conference to denounce the leaks and vow to get to the bottom of them.
In my opinion, to get to the bottom of these leaks, the Senate investigations should start at the top. The SEAL team leak came from the undersecretary of defence for intelligence, Michael Vickers. That is not in dispute. Did Vickers act on his own or was he authorized to disclose classified information to help producers produce a movie that, like the other leaks, would have depicted Obama in a favorable light as he faces re-election? How about just getting Vickers to testify before Congress, and asking him about it?
Join the conversation as a VIP Member