White House Trains Efforts on Media Leaks

WaPo reports The Bush administration, seeking to limit leaks of classified information, has launched initiatives targeting journalists and their possible government sources.

It's about time

The efforts include several FBI probes, a polygraph investigation inside the CIA and a warning from the Justice Department that reporters could be prosecuted under espionage laws.

I hope that some are. Also they should see about going after congressional staffers or even legislators that leak secret information.

In recent weeks, dozens of employees at the CIA, the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies have been interviewed by agents from the FBI's Washington field office, who are investigating possible leaks that led to reports about secret CIA prisons and the NSA's warrantless domestic surveillance program, according to law enforcement and intelligence officials familiar with the two cases.

The Jawa Report blogged Crackdown On Leakers Has MSM Panties All Bunched Up

Of coures. they are lazy, and would prefer people to leak them infiromation so they dont have to work for it.

Excellent news! It's past time for such a crackdown, as recent leaks of classified material to the New York Times amply demonstrate. And no doubt we can count on the Patriots of the Press to fully engage and help the government root out the traitors who disclose secret tactics and strategies to our enemies. Well, perhaps in an alternate universe

Perhaps if a few editors and reporters were in jail, they might change their tune

The unauthorized release of classified materials to the press is treason. And treason has never been an American value, except that is, among certain elements of the mainstream press, who value circulation and book sales over the security of their countrymen.

Kevin Drum blogged This is why I think we need a federal shield law for reporters. Unfortunately, it's also why we're not likely to get one.

One wonders whether Kevin would be equally in favor of a federal shield law if the Democrats held the White House and both houses of Congress.

Let me say this flatly: Leaks are good. They are the way we hold paranoid and secretive governments accountable.

And the way that "Hate America" Democrats can endanger American Security.

Historically, leaks have virtually never harmed national security in even a minor way, despite plenty of shrill commentary to the contrary. Reporters should be allowed to print them without fear of being tossed in jail.

I don't know about historically, but the NYT leak about the NSA listening in on interenational calls involving Al Qaeda certainly did hurt our security.

If the Bush administration succeeds in changing this tradition — and tradition is all it is at the moment — we will all have lost a very great deal.