Politicizing Intelligence
The Associated Press is reporting that: Bush declassifies bin Laden intelligence
President Bush, trying to defend his war strategy, declassified intelligence Tuesday asserting that Osama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist cell that would conduct attacks outside Iraq — and that the United States should be the top target.
[snip]
The Bush White House has intermittently declassified and made public sensitive intelligence information to help rebut critics or defend programs or actions against possibly adverse decisions in the Congress or the courts. On a few occasions, the declassified materials were intended as proof that terrorists see Iraq as a critical staging ground for global operations.
It’s proof that neither he, nor his staff have the slightest clue as to the purpose of intelligence. This isn’t political opposition research. People are put at risk gathering this data. Releasing information from a couple of years ago can provide the clues necessary to pin point the source of the information, and that source is lost.
They just don’t understand security. You don’t release classified information for political purposes. There are intelligence committees in both the House and Senate that are cleared to review classified information. If there is an issue that is dependent on Congressional agreement, that’s where you take classified reports. This is just outrageous behavior.
2 comments
If one were cynical, one might think the timing of this sudden declassification of information was to increase our fear level and provide justification for a blank check. They don’t even try to be subtle anymore.
I’m hoping this is based on what they found in a raid, and not part of an on-going program that involved human resources. These people really don’t care about security.