Justice Department Opens NSA Leak Probe

Posted on December 30, 2005

Update: ACLU Asks For Investigation To Be Called Off

What can I say, besides “finally”?

Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak of classified information about President Bush’s secret domestic spying program, Justice officials said Friday. The officials, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the probe, said the inquiry will focus on disclosures to The New York Times about warrantless surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Times revealed the existence of the program two weeks ago in a front-page story that acknowledged the news had been withheld from publication for a year, partly at the request of the administration and partly because the newspaper wanted more time to confirm various aspects of the program.

Catherine Mathis, a spokeswoman for The Times, said the paper will not comment on the investigation.

Strata-Sphere gives us some updates:

Turns out the NY Times is not the only paper to have its leakers sources investigated. The Washington Post is reporting their CIA Prison story leaks are being investigated

The Justice Department has also opened a probe into whether classified information was illegally disclosed to The Washington Post, which reported on a network of secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe and elsewhere

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I am being told in private by someone with sources that there are multiple targets, Flopping Aces is right that the targets are known since the investigation is well along, and the Robertson resignation is linked. Now if all of this comes true I will be a very happy person!

The person who passed this along is free to brag if they want, and I will give credit where credit is due

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FOX

Officials have confirmed to FOX News that the FBI is involved in the investigation, but did not comment on whether other agencies were involved, or when the investigation began. One official has said the referral for the probe came from the NSA

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» Filed Under News, War On Terror


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Comments

7 Responses to “Justice Department Opens NSA Leak Probe”

  1. pete on December 30th, 2005 12:03 pm

    Well, hoo-rah! Finally!

  2. Kevin Mark Smith on December 30th, 2005 12:35 pm

    How long do you think the NY Times will restrain itself for the sake of national security? Not long, I suspect.

  3. Rosemary on December 30th, 2005 2:54 pm

    It sure is about time. Does anyone remember the story NYTimes ran with telling our enemies what type of airplane and the schedule of said plane we were using for the CIA? I want that investigated also! Great job, guys. Slow but necessary job, Mr. President!

  4. Gullspirit on December 30th, 2005 7:29 pm

    I’m waiting to see if MSM “headlines” this probe as often as they headlined the disclosure of the surveillance program — and I’m not holding my breath.

    Libs are already posturing the “breach” as non-criminal acts by whistle-blowers ….. Uhhh, would that be the same as in pursing lips and blowing out a Plame?

  5. P. Ingemi on December 30th, 2005 10:58 pm

    I see the ACLU is objecting to the probe.

    Can anyone remind me if they objected to the Plame probe?

  6. Reno316 on December 31st, 2005 4:25 pm

    I liked the part where the ACLU(less) statement reads “President Bush broke the law and lied to the American people when he unilaterally authorized secret wiretaps of U.S. citizens.”

    Innocent until proven Republican? Nice strategy.

  7. Chris Ford on December 31st, 2005 5:27 pm

    Interesting NYTimes article written by James Risen in the 2002 pre-”precious sacred civil liberties of the enemy” era.

    Risen, James, and David Johnston. “Agency Is Under Scrutiny for Overlooked Messages.” New York Times, 20 Jun. 2002. [http://www.nytimes.com]

    According to U.S. intelligence officials on 19 June 2002, NSA “intercepted two cryptic communications [from Afghanistan] on the the day before the Sept. 11 attacks that referred to a major event scheduled for the next day.” NSA analysts “did not process, translate and review the intercepted Arabic communications until the day after the attacks.”

    So back before the Times joined the hysterical Left in the all-consuming crusade to defeat the illegally elected Chimpy McHitlerburton and restore noble Algore to his rightful rule, the Times was scandalized and shocked that we did not slap human analysists trained in Arabic fast enough on two intercepted phone calls from Afghanistan to two Muslims here, one American, one a resident alien also with full civil liberties!!!

    What about the 4th? Why did they dare intercept calls coming from terrorists in Afghanistan without probable cause? Impeach!!

    (I don’t think the NYTimes was whining that tune back in June, 2002. That was when we were demanding commissions to investigate why we weren’t snooping enough on enemy Islamoids and why Coleen Crowley was blocked by officials afraid for their careers to get a FISA warrant and why another FBI agent was rebuffed on investigating why Arabs were flocking to Flight school in Phoenix out of concern over the privacy rights of foreigners and lack of probable cause evidence that suspicious activity would translate into harm. Waiting for the “crime” to be committed, in order to have “probable cause” to investigate then solve the crime - was the ancient FBI mindset that the American public and Congress said ended on 9/11 - except for the Lefties and extreme civil libertarians, of course)