Fox News Reporter Facing Criminal Charges For Reporting On CIA Leaks

Fox News chief Washington correspondent James Rosen had his emails read by the Obama DOJ, which accused him of being a co-conspirator in a criminal leak case. Photo: screen grab

Fox News Reporter May Face Criminal Charges for Reporting on the CIA -- Atlantic Wire

The government will use any and all information at its disposal to find journalist sources, as shown in The Washington Post's report this morning on a Department of Justice investigation into Fox News chief correspondent James Rosen, who may face criminal charges for reporting government secrets.

In June 2009, Rosen reported on CIA analysis suggesting that North Korea might respond to new UN sanctions with renewed nuclear tests. In order to determine how Rosen learned of the analysis, which had been issued by the CIA only a few hours prior, FBI investigators used every tool at their disposal: analyzing Rosen's security access card to determine when he entered and left the State Department building, studying his phone records, and subpoenaing his personal email.

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More News On US Government Monitoring Of Reporters

Obama DOJ formally accuses journalist in leak case of committing crimes -- Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian
A rare peek into a Justice Department leak probe -- Washington Post
Report: Obama Admin. spied on Fox News reporter James Rosen -- Yahoo News
Obama Administration’s War On Leakers Includes Reading Fox News’s E-mails -- New York Mag
DOJ's Targeting Of Fox News Reporter James Rosen Met With Outrage -- Huffington Post

Is The AP Probe "Embarrassing, Bad" For CIA?

Miller: Intel Leak In AP Probe "Embarrassing, Bad" For CIA -- CBS

(CBS News) Attorney General Eric Holder strongly defended the Justice Department's seizure of two-months-worth of Associated Press phone records on Tuesday, saying the leak of secret information to the AP created a national security threat.

The Justice Department obtained the phone records of the AP -- from April and May in 2012 -- in an effort to determine who leaked confidential information regarding a Saudi double agent who had infiltrated al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

In a letter to Holder, Associated Press CEO Gary Pruitt said there is "no possible justification" for the gathering of AP records and the AP has suggested the investigation was likely linked to a May 7, 2012 report about the CIA foiling an al Qaeda plot, similar to the so-called underwear bomb plot in 2009, to blow up an airliner heading for the U.S.

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My Comment: It may be "embarrassing bad" for the CIA, but it is a disaster for the White House. Leaks and issues of national security always come and go .... but using government power to seize the phone records of the world's number one wire news service is unprecedented, and sends a chill for anyone who makes their living on reporting the news and using confidential information for their leads.

Ex-CIA Officer John Kiriakou Sentenced To 30 Months In Leak Case

Former CIA Officer Gets 30 Months in Prison for Leak -- ABC News

A former CIA officer who pled guilty to revealing the identity of a covert officer was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, becoming the first person convicted under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act in three decades.

John Kiriakou has been called a whistleblower by defenders for revealing details of the CIA's use of torture on terror suspects, but federal prosecutors accused him in court papers of being a leaker who was motivated by fame and money and said his revelations were part of a "concerted campaign to raise his media profile."

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More News On Ex-CIA Officer John Kiriakou Sentenced To 30 Months In Leak Case

Ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou sentenced for leaking name on agency's use of torture -- CBS/AP
Former CIA officer sentenced to 30 months in prison for info leak -- L.A. Times
Ex-CIA Officer Gets 2½ Years for Leaking Name -- Wall Street Journal
Former CIA officer John Kiriakou sentenced to 30 months in prison for leaks -- Washington Post
Former spy sentenced for leaking another spy's identity -- CNN
Ex-CIA officer sentenced in leak case -- Politico
Ex-Officer for C.I.A. Sentenced to 30 Months in Leak Case -- New York Times
Ex-CIA Officer Given 30-Month Jail Sentence For Leaking Agent's Name -- Business Insider/AFP

The Political Blowback From Intellgience Leaks

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The White House Shows Fear About Leaks -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

Though the press largely dropped the story weeks ago, no controversy has the potential to do as much long-term damage to the Obama presidency as the White House leaks investigation. That’s why Mitt Romney’s ringing denunciation of the administration’s fast and loose approach to classified information in his address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars yesterday had to scare the administration silly. In response, they not only prompted Senator Dianne Feinstein, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to try to walk back her accusation that the White House was the source of the leaks about cyber warfare, targeted assassinations of terrorists, Iran and other national security topics that Romney cited in his speech. They also sent out campaign honcho David Axelrod to make the rounds of the morning news shows today to reassure the American people that President Obama played no role in the flow of secrets to the front page of the New York Times and other media outlets friendly to the president.

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My Comment: As we learned from the Valerie Plame case during the Bush administration .... there are consequences if intel and/or intelligence info is leaked. With this history, the Obama administration now has a big problem .... the recent leaks are many times more serious that the Valerie Plame case .... with some of it being actually used to target and imprison CIA assets. In the end someone has to be held accountable .... even if that someone so happens to reside on the President's staff.

More CIA Documents Found On The Bin laden Movie

Bigelow's 'Zero Dark Thirty' will detail the hunt for bin Laden. Screenrant

CIA Finds Stack Of 'Overlooked' Documents On Bin Laden Movie -- Politico

The Central Intelligence Agency recently discovered a "4 to 5 inch stack" of documents that relate to the spy agency's cooperation with the makers of a forthcoming Hollywood film on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, according to a new court filing.

The documents about CIA dealings with the film now titled "Zero Dark Thirty" were "inadvertently overlooked" in response to a Freedom of Information Act request and lawsuit filed by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, Justice Department attorneys said in a motion filed in federal court in Washington Tuesday afternoon (posted here).

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Update: CIA: Did you mean these documents? Update: Judicial Watch fights another delay -- Hot Air

My Comment: Is the White House using the intelligence community to enhance the President's image .... hmmm .... c'mon ....no way .... not at all .... who are you kidding ....etc. etc. etc.

CIA Being Investigated For Leaks

CIA Launches Massive Hunt For A Mole Within Its Ranks -- RT

It is the job of the CIA to keep secrets. Like many federal bureaus, though, the US Central Intelligence Agency isn’t all that up to snuff when it comes to doing what they are supposed to.

The United States’ top spy chief, retired Lieutenant General James Clapper, is asking for an internal investigation of the CIA. Clapper’s official title is the director of national intelligence — and he doesn’t take it lightly. Now the uncovering of a clandestine CIA operation involving the installation of double agents inside the ranks of al-Qaeda by the mainstream media over the weekend has left Lt. Gen. Clapper demanding answers about a possible mole within the ranks of America’s supposedly top-secret spy agency.

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Previous Post: U.S. Intelligence Director Orders An Internal Review On Leaks After The Latest Al Qaeda Bomb Plot Was Revealed

My Comment: They are only looking for one mole?

CIA Asks Justice To Probe Leaks Of Secrets

From The Washington Times:

A CIA spokesman, Paul Gimigliano, said "the agency does not, as a general practice, deny or confirm reports of leaks it may bring to the attention of the Department of Justice."

Richard Kolko, a Justice Department spokesman, told The Times, "Every referral to the Department of Justice is taken seriously; however, we do not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation."

The CIA request for a criminal investigation comes after a summer of leaks and other uncomfortable disclosures for the agency. The Obama administration last month released details of harsh interrogation procedures carried out against captured terrorists and terrorist suspects by CIA employees and contractors under the Bush administration - activities that many human rights activists say amounted to torture.

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My Comment: When President Bush was President .... and leaks from the CIA were happening on an almost weekly basis .... at that time I wrote that there is probably a political agenda at work against the current administration.

But with President Obama in office, the leaks have only increased.

Hmmmmm .... I guess I was wrong. Leaks from the CIA are occurring because it appears that a number of individuals feel very comfortable with the notion of releasing our nations secrets to the world. Ideology for some may be the motivation, but ego and "office politics" appears to be just as important.

This has to stop, and people will need to be reminded that there are consequences for their actions. Will this investigation be successful .... probably not. But something has to be done and this is a start.

CIA Furious Over New Secret Site Expose

From CQ Politics:

Already wrestling with a renewed controversy over contract killers, the CIA reacted angrily Thursday to a news organization's revelation of yet another secret interrogation center.

ABC News reported that the CIA had a secret site in Lithuania where interrogators grilled terrorist suspects, "one of eight facilities the CIA set-up after 9/11 to detain and interrogate top al Qaeda operatives captured around the world."

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My Comment: When President Bush was President, leaks from the CIA were always pointed at some form of "Democratic Party" cabal within the CIA who were determined to undermine the White House.

With President Obama now in the White House .... these leaks have actually started to increase.

The CIA's problems are more serious than what was originally thought of .... and it probably has more to do with ideology than political party affiliation.