NY Times and intelligence leaks

scaeagles · 06-26-2006, 08:05 PM

The official outing of an active intelligence gathering program is problematic. It is common knowledge that US monitors domestic banking transactions and does so legally (which is why I find the outrage about the existance of the program laughable in talking about how it is a violaton of some sort of privacy to Americans when domestic banking has been ruled to not be protected by the 4th amendment). I am not sure how common the SWIFT monitoring was. Regardless of opinion about if it is "d'uh" or not, it is classifed.

The program has proven successful though the only announced apprehension in the wake of the story involved an Indonesian terrorist in 2002, I believe.

Hypothetical - I have intel on 15 subjects. If I arrest them all at the same time, the linkage is more easily made as to how i gathered the intelligence on them. If I monitor and space out such apprehensions, the methods of intelligence gathering can be more easily kept secret.

wendybeth · 06-26-2006, 10:18 PM

I find it a bit humorous that the very party that was behind the outting of an undercover CIA agent for political purposes is now crying "treason" in this situation. Truthfully, I don't know enough about the legalities involved here to really comment, but I can't help but note that my outrage has been somewhat lessoned due to what has transpired before.

Alex · 06-26-2006, 11:08 PM

So that would be the "two wrongs make a right" school of political thought?

06-26-2006, 08:05 PM	#1
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	The official outing of an active intelligence gathering program is problematic. It is common knowledge that US monitors domestic banking transactions and does so legally (which is why I find the outrage about the existance of the program laughable in talking about how it is a violaton of some sort of privacy to Americans when domestic banking has been ruled to not be protected by the 4th amendment). I am not sure how common the SWIFT monitoring was. Regardless of opinion about if it is "d'uh" or not, it is classifed. The program has proven successful though the only announced apprehension in the wake of the story involved an Indonesian terrorist in 2002, I believe. Hypothetical - I have intel on 15 subjects. If I arrest them all at the same time, the linkage is more easily made as to how i gathered the intelligence on them. If I monitor and space out such apprehensions, the methods of intelligence gathering can be more easily kept secret.
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06-26-2006, 10:18 PM	#2
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	I find it a bit humorous that the very party that was behind the outting of an undercover CIA agent for political purposes is now crying "treason" in this situation. Truthfully, I don't know enough about the legalities involved here to really comment, but I can't help but note that my outrage has been somewhat lessoned due to what has transpired before. __________________
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06-26-2006, 11:08 PM	#3
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	So that would be the "two wrongs make a right" school of political thought?
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