U.S. Intelligence Officials Will Probe Leak Of Bin Laden Video
WAPO:
U.S. intelligence officials will investigate allegations that the government improperly leaked a secretly obtained Osama bin Laden video, alerting al-Qaeda to a security gap in the terrorist group’s internal communications network that it was able to shut, an intelligence spokesman said yesterday.
Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for the director of national intelligence, said officials are looking into the leak allegation by the SITE Intelligence Group, which passed the video on to the White House and the director of national intelligence’s office before its leak.
At this point, we don’t think there was a leak from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence or the National Counterterrorism Center,” Feinstein said.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, responding to a description of the leak in yesterday’s editions of The Washington Post, told reporters that “this was a cause of concern that the information was leaked. And I would have to refer to the DNI’s office in regards to any possible investigation into that leak.”
Frances Fragos Townsend, the White House homeland security adviser, expressed concern about the leak in a news conference, saying the government needs the cooperation of private individuals and companies in stopping terrorist groups.
SITE is one of several small, commercial intelligence firms that specialize in intercepting al-Qaeda’s internet communications, often by clandestine means. SITE founder Rita Katz told The Post that her company covertly obtained an early copy of a bin Laden video message in early September, then shared the video with senior administration officials on Sept. 7 on the condition that it not be distributed or made public before its official release.
Soon afterward, the video was downloaded by dozens of computers registered to government agencies. Within hours, SITE’s copy of the video was leaked to television news networks and broadcast worldwide.
SITE provides copies of videos and other al-Qaeda material to subscribers, which include intelligence agencies, private companies and news organizations. SITE has acknowledged alerting clients that it had obtained the bin Laden video and would release it when safe to do so. During this period, SITE also negotiated with at least two television networks that were interested in obtaining the video once cleared for release, but it reached no deal before the video was leaked.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
They have to make an example out of whoever is responsible
October 10th, 2007 at 1:26 amLeakers are a part of the Phantom Government of the US. It is devoted to its own power base, it is growing, it never leaves office and we don’t vote for it. We have a growing population of proto-socialists in government who only believe in more power for themselves so that they can control the rest of us. They hate George Bush and everything he stands for. They will do anything to undermine him and his policies. This is the real reason to oppose the democrat party… they add more people to this secret government by expanding the bureaucracy.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:03 amAll they gotta do is make one example out of one leaker. Put the fucker in prison…then this shit will stop.
October 10th, 2007 at 5:00 amSo, when the hell do they investigate the leaker of the NSA foreign surveillance program of the leaker of the SWIFT program that tracks financial transactions? Those leaks were more damaging than this one. And I say prison will not be a deterrent because they will get a cushy country club prison. Hang the bastards in the public square…on CNN, the Communist News Network and terrorist enabler/sympathizer, scum-sucking, sorry excuse for a news network.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:32 amSo, when will the justice dept. investigate, try, convict and hang the bastards who leaked the NSA foreign surveillance program and the SWIFT program to the NY Times? Don’t you guys think that’s a little more important?
October 10th, 2007 at 7:34 amThe hell with prison. I say we execute a few of these traitors by firing squad. That should teach those fuckers to keep their Damn mouth shut! Nothing worse than a G_d Damned traitor to your own country. More Americans will die because of them. I get so pissed because our Government doesn’t seem like they want to do much about them.
as hell!
October 10th, 2007 at 9:28 am