AmSpec: NYT/LAT story jeopardized three ongoing investigations
posted at 9:27 am on July 5, 2006 by Allahpundit
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But how? Haven’t terrorists known about SWIFT since September 12, 2001?
The punchline:
“We didn’t give them specifics, just general information about regions where the investigations were ongoing, terrorist organizations that we believed were being assisted. These were off the record meetings set up to dissuade them from reporting on SWIFT, and we thought the pressing nature of the investigations might sway them, but they didn’t,” says a Treasury official.
In fact, according to a Justice Department official, one of the reporters involved with the story was caught attempting to gain more details about one of the investigations through different sources. “We believe it was to include it in their story,” says the official.
Read the whole thing; I could have done without the publication of the info about hawalas, myself, but it’s good to know they’re investigating the leak. “We think we’re looking at fairly high-ranking, former officials,” says the source, “who want to make life difficult for us and what we do for whatever reasons.” I can think of a few people who haven’t been shy about criticizing the administration since leaving it, but all of them would qualify as high-ranking, not “fairly” high.
Meanwhile, here’s Mackubin Thomas Owens on the Buffalo News’s decision to reject stories about Iraq written by Vets for Freedom founders Wade Zerkle and MOH-nominee David Bellavia. They’re biased, says BN, and too close for comfort to certain political groups. And if that sounds like an absurd double standard given whom the media normally consults for news over there, that’s because it is.
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I wonder if they are investigating that weasel Paul O’Niell. He was the Treasury Sec. when this whole thing started and he sure as heck did his best to make life tough for the administration.
thirteen28 on July 5, 2006 at 9:35 AM
I’m just mentally exhausted just trying to keep up with the amount of treasonous behavior going on in this country. Something needs to be done.
darwin on July 5, 2006 at 10:57 AM
Isn’t this the very definition of obstruction of Justice?
Romeo13 on July 5, 2006 at 12:40 PM
But don’t you DARE question their patriotism!
georgej on July 5, 2006 at 12:46 PM
Hey, let’s not forget that the media cannot be prosecuted for this…morally they are above reproach…and we’re just crazy neo-cons who want to hold down the press for our own giggle fit.
StoutRepublican on July 5, 2006 at 1:59 PM
Umm… actualy… they can be prosecuted for publishing classified information.
Key here is you don’t prosecute the paper… you prosecute the reporters and editors who knowingly published state secrets.
There is no PRIOR restraint on the press, there is however consequence for what they say.
Romeo13 on July 5, 2006 at 2:17 PM
People, these treasonous actions are not so much to do with the war as they have to do with the president. They, the press, the Dems, the lefties will say and do anything to bring discomfort to the Bush administration even to the point of sacrificing the security of the nation. In a sense we are in a civil war between the traditionalists who like the country as it is but with more conformaty to the way it is was defined in the US Constitution and socialistic revolutionists that want the country to become another secular state like those of Europe.
docdave on July 5, 2006 at 3:00 PM
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