CQ HOMELAND SECURITY
July 13, 2012 – 1:32 a.m.
Members Looking at Possible Action on Leaks
By Rob Margetta, CQ Staff
A few of the lawmakers who have expressed outrage over national security leaks began sketching out possible courses for congressional action this week.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman
Those officials are national security adviser Thomas E. Donilon; former White House Chief of Staff
“The American people deserve to know the facts about this pattern of leaks and how we can prevent similar leaks in the future,” Smith wrote. “The safety of Americans at home and abroad depends on the government’s ability to protect our nation’s secrets.”
He cited statements expressing concern about the leaks from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman
His letter said the committee wants to discuss topics including media reports on the U.S. role in the Stuxnet cyberattack that hit Iranian nuclear facilities, details of the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, the doctor who helped identify bin Laden and a plot by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to develop an advanced “underwear bomb.”
In the Senate, members are also saying they want to talk with officials about the leaks — but in public.
During a Wednesday hearing, Sen.
“If we can’t rely on the Justice Department — and I don’t believe we can — we have to rely on Congress,” he said.
Noting the infrequency of convictions for those who disclose sensitive information, Johnson said having Congress disgrace them might be a more prudent course.
Michael V. Hayden, former director of the CIA and National Security Agency, who was serving as a witness, said the consequences of leaks often affect politics and policy and that Congress might be a possible venue for examining them.
“We have not been successful going down a strictly judicial route for a variety of reasons, some of which I understand and appreciate,” he said.
Hayden and other national security experts on the witness panel said leaks are a problem that can weaken the faith of foreign intelligence agencies and the ability of potential informants in the U.S. intelligence community to control the information they receive. But, they said, any crackdown on leaks should be carefully orchestrated so it does not interfere with interagency information-sharing efforts made after Sept. 11, 2001. Hayden also noted that during his time at the CIA, he tried to make the agency more open in order to make the public more willing to give the agency its needed resources. Intelligence officials need a clearer idea about what they can and can’t disclose, he said.
Members Looking at Possible Action on Leaks
“There is the need to have this dialogue,” he said.
Rob Margetta can be reached at rmargetta@cq.com