E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSTwo congressional leaders vowed Tuesday to investigate how word of a successful operation to foil a bomb plot by a Yemen-based al-Qaida affiliate leaked to reporters for the Associated Press.
“This leak could have been … devastating and still could have significant long term damage,” Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said after a closed door briefing on the operation. “I believe it's absolutely essential a full investigation is carried out as to who was responsible for this leak.
“I can't emphasize how closed this was, how compartmentalized it was, and how secret it was, and yet the fact that it could have gotten out in any kind of detail at all, … that even a hint of it could have gotten out, is really, really shocking.”
King’s words were echoed by Rep Charles “Dutch” Ruppersberger III of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“When you have a leak it could cost American lives, your allies’ lives,” he told reporters at the Capitol. “It also deters people from giving information. So, it's very important that we make sure that we have a sensitive investigation, it has to be a classified, need-to-know type of situation.”
The Associated Press broke the story Monday of the foiled plot by members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to detonate on a U.S.-bound airliner a refined version of an “underwear bomb” used in two previous failed terror plots.
Insider thwarted underwear bomb plot, triggered drone strike, US officials say
The news service said it had learned about the plot last week but agreed to White House and CIA requests not to publish a story immediately because the sensitive intelligence operation was still under way. Once officials said those concerns were allayed, the AP said it decided to disclose the plot Monday despite requests from the Obama administration to wait for an official announcement Tuesday.
If word of the operation had leaked out prior to the weekend, it could have disrupted an attack in Yemen by a U.S. Predator drone that U.S. officials say killed Fahd al-Quso, whom they described as director of external operations at AQAP, who was “involved (in the bomb plot) in an intimate fashion.”
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Heathrow chaos: Travelers spend longer in line than on jets
- Leak hits Shell Nigeria pipeline at center of environmental case
- Story of vengeful jilted dentist WAS too good to be true
- Poll: Most Egyptians think US aid billions have 'negative effect'
- London jogger: Dustin Hoffman 'saved my life'
Leave a Comment:
It boggles my mind that any group would put lives at stake just to be the first to report a story. What troubles me even more is that anyone associated with this information would release any part of the story to the press. When did people lives become less valule then a news story or politics. Have we sunk to such a new low i life that our greed to be first or the need to make a dime makes lives expendable. I love capitalism but when we take it to this extreme we lose our humanity. I am scared how far the presses integrity has fallen and how unsafe politics has made this country.
Please put Barnie Fife the government goofball back in a locked closet who leaked this out. Take his one bullet too so he does not shoot himself in the dark.........the govt benefits would cost too much.
Freedom of the Press is fine up until it endangers public safety...these sophisticated bombs will continue to endanger us until we get their maker...and with respect to that this leak probably set us back! Watch... the press will refuse to identify the source of the leak...further they will refuse to withhold leaked security information in the future...endangering the mission and compromising those who cooperate with us!
Has the press even considered that the source of this leak may be a "terrorist sympathizer"? Even more disturbing is the possibility that the uncooperative attitude of the press betrays "terrorist sympathies" on their part...recall that many in the press have been openly critical of President Obama's expansive use of drone strikes...and this leak nearly aborted the drone strike that ended the reign of terror by Fahd al-Quso!
Freedom without limits is chaos! Demand that the A.P. "rat out" the leaker responsible for this!
Did the administration get caught with their pants down? Never let a politican get any details of a security operation in an election year! Especially with this administration!
Guarantee that if this would have happened four years ago, the headline would have included the words, " Bush Administration bomb plot leak."
I really think that freedom of the press should not protect journalists that knowingly receive and disseminate classified information.
The reporter that wrote this story should be called up in court, asked his source and if he did not reveal it, put in jail until he does.
I get so tired of this crap. If someone burglarizes a house and then gives me the stuff, and I know it is stolen, then I get sent to jail for possession of stolen property. Just because you are not the person who initially release the classified material should not shield you.
What a joke.....
This administration has more leaks than a swollen rain cloud. Seems almost everyday there is an article published which says the information was provided by an un-named, un-disclosed, or anonymous Senior White House official. Time to clean the White House closets, or.....as Mrs. Pelosi stated: "Clean out the [White House] Swamp".
Hint: more than likely a LOT of the LEAKED information is "LEAKED" on purpose. Wait a minute.....Mr. Obama....you wouldn't dare do it or have one of your staffers do it.....now would you ?
Maybe that same un-named, un-disclosed, anonymous Senior White House official is one of the 41 Obama White House staffers who haven't paid his/her back IRS taxes, or is leaking the information for $$$'s under the table for the "scoop". Or maybe it was released just for plain political reasons.
Wait another minute.....leaks about Israel's use of an air strip to be used for an Iranian air strike....as ONE example.
Yep, gotta get to the bottom of the leaks from this administration.
I cant help but wonder if this entire thing is something our gov is using to scare us into allowing reg strip searches.. Just yesterday we reading that terrorists, didnt pose any kind of threat. That all their main leaders were dead and today, we find out that supposedly they have the most advanced bombs yet? Something isnt right with this picture..
.
How can Obama get credit for this on the campaign if the public don’t know about it?
This leak is good press for Obama.
Yeah, administration folks release information when it's beneficial to them. Valerie Plame ring any bells. I wouldn't be surprised if this leak was planned and approved by the administration.
Sometimes when you 'Spike the Ball', it bounces back and hits you on the nose!
Information leaks and media publication of such leaks should be considered treason and punished as such.
Because people care more about furthering their careers and breaking the next big story than National Security and the lives of their fellow citizens!
I say charge them with treason!
Someone at the top told a confident and the confident most probably let the cat out of the bag. Generals use to be infamous for bragging.
Politicians are more apt to leak such information... especially in an election year!
"Politicians are more apt to leak such information... especially in an election year!"
Wait a minute....what about their WIFE ?
Oh no.....Media Matters with close ties to the White House might start ringing some bells with an investigative reporter.
This is yet another example of where the media puts their ratings in front of the lives of citizens. They pretend that they are breaking news because "the people have a right to know" but they aren't held accountable for the safety and security issues that result. It is also an example that we may need to follow some of Russia's policies with dealing with terrorists. They don't put up with them and, even though most of their strategies have resulted in a few civilian deaths, in the long term their message has been received and less people have died as a result.
Of course legislators will investigate. They can't pass any legislation because they hate the President so much. They have nothing else to do.
I agree with you. He is, after all, the worst 'pres isdent' in U.s. history. No one has done more to divide and conquer (and 'fundamentally transform') the U.S. of A. And, on such an impressive resume........wait for it.....of "community organizer." Come one November. It's time for the lesser of poi sons.
Thank you. I was going to say that it's all they know how to do. It would have been an issue, for some reason, prior to the weekend and the story came out Monday?Duh.
Wait a minute. Did not Obozo just announce that "the war on terrorism was won?"
Hey Bea O,
Where did you hear that one, Fox News? I heard the President say that the fight will continue for a long time. Maybe you have a news feed that would show that he said that. Or maybe you heard it from Rush Limbaugh (I know how RWNJs love to quote Rush's interpretation of the President's words).
Not that I recall. But Brietbart and the Washington Times said a senior administration official said it for whatever that's worth.
Bea O: To answer your question: no he didn't, the only people ridiculous enough to do such as that are in your party, but thanks for asking! :-D Muah!
My opinion-If we want to find the leak we should check out who's campaign it helped out the most. There sure were a lot of people patting themselves on their backs for their ingenuity-Peterus was one of them and we know where he got his job.
bob
Hey wasn't it floux news that has been complaining about the white house lying to them. Because a month ago. They asked them if they had info on any possible planned attacks and the white house told them no. You can't have it both was.
I insist you publicly disclose everything you know about this, so we can go after those despicable people who leaked some of this information.
Where was all this outrage at the media when the VP released Valerie Plame's information? We're incredulous about the lack of responsibility of the media, unless it fits our world view and nationalist tendencies.
@ Bea O'Problems
Before People start using there political party to answer questions why don't we do more research before talking out of our ass please. Please read then get back to me.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/05/mission-accomplished-speech/37226/
If past history is any guide, the place the lawmakers should start looking for the leaks is their own staffs.
I've been thinking about this all day - I'm pretty certain that most of the information being reported with regards to this case should be secret. It's a little disturbing to hear such details so quickly after this event, especially if they were in fact meant to remain secret.
People this is the 21st Century, forget about secrets, privacy, etc. Remember when a group of people at international level found and tracked the CIA flights with detained people? It started with simple plane watchers in airports and that led to a network of normal people doing surveillance on the ones that were doing "secret" operations.
This is a very different world now.
The media held the story at the request of the government until the critical elements of the drone strike were carried out. At that point, it is the role and obligation of a free press to report what they know, regardless of how they got the information. Government has and will classify and withhold all kinds of information under the guise of "national security." When the Pentagon Papers were released the argument was again that national security was compromised but in fact the only thing compromised was the lies told to the American people, and the release helped hasten the end of the war.
We may not like it, and not all journalists are admirable people, but a free press is critical to maintaining power in the hands of the governed. I am glad the media waited until the government was able to act on the intelligence it had and I am glad that they then disclosed what they learned so we are informed about what decisions our government makes, how they use our defense forces and what they spend our money on.
Good post Anita. I can go to bed now.
If Congress has time to call in celebreties and sports to testify on trivial matters, they should have time to call in a dozen or so administration officials and find out who leaked this and why this was leaked.
No, because the celebrities and sports stars took up all the available time....
GeoSapper: Yes, they should have time but because Republican, Romani Grandson-of-a-nazi-co-conspiritor, common theif and known liar Congressman Darrell Issa is the Chairman of the Oversight committee, "Congress's" (Read: the right-wing who is trying to take back power from The People) only concern right now is trying to take George Bush's "Operation Fast And Furious" and hang it around Barack Obama's neck before the election so they're kinda busy right now, and have been since 2009. I wonder what would happen if the People flooded Darrell Issa's Office with letters demanding he take up The People's business again and stop being a right-wing political operator?
Perhaps if the Republicans in Congress would stop filibustering Obama's Inspectors General Nominations he'd have more staff to Investigate with? Whay don't we all on this comment board contact him and ask?
Congressman Darrell Issa
Chairman of House Oversight Committee
2157 Rayburn House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515
First I've heard that Bush is responsible for "Operation Fast And Furious." Given the fact that Obama has blamed Bush for damn-near every bad thing to ever befall our country, if that were the case we certainly would have heard about it.
Psyops, anyone? Ever hear of it?
First they release info meant to sew distrust and confusion in the ranks of militants in Yemen (militants are supposed to be looking over their shoulders not knowing who among their compatriots to trust).
And thennnnnnn...before "al Qaida in Yemen" can say, "Hey! Telling us we had a traitor in our midst was purely a trick to sew distrust" the Psyoperation comes out and has the Congressperson say, "Heck, this was no trick, this was a mistake to let al Qaida know they had a traitor in their midst".
The government works for and reports to the citizens who elect its members. A government that is not transparent in ALL matters is not worthy of the privilege of serving the people. The press's job is to inform the public of news it needs to know. Without a free press unhampered by government agents, the public cannot gauge the efficiency of those who work for it.
Let the proper police organization investigate. Congress has its own job to do ... which they have not touched in two years. Enough red herrings, get off your butts and get people back to work. If they want to cut out the fat, they can start with their own budgets, salaries and benefits.
The DOJ is too busy suing Arizona..., Oklahoma and Alabama; and anyone else that doesn't agree with the President.
The way these fools in Congress have mess up this economy they shouldn't have nothing to investigate but those peoples who allowed AMERICA JOBS TO BE OUTSOURCED with a Tax incentives; Namely the last Administration in the White House..
" Oh it could have, it could have, it could have". But of course it didn't. Obama had another success, quick, lets turn it into a security leak.
What is it with this clown?
I want an investigation into how no cause law has created a nation wide infrastructure more powerful than overt Marshal law to suppress the destruction of United States citizens using a military grade satellite...
Its easy to be the coward that needs a purpose jumping up and down using the bad guys as cover but under cover of increasing America's security by the smallest percent (none) some of the worlds most sickening activity and shameful incompetence is being hidden behind these sorry @!$%#s's reputations and the bad guys...
Still no idea how a mushrooming investigation can be concealed with its only purpose being the dismantling of my life for no reason at all other than being touched by our global pile of @!$%# in the fist place...
what!? you are off your meds again...
Congress should investigate itself. Most leaks comes from them the moment they see a camera or a reporter with a microphone....
YOu can't squash monstrous actions anymore - the very tools Military are using to sew us up like mummies are also working against them. Hurt someone Else? You are really hurting yourself. Hate someone else, you are really hating yourself. Kill someone else, you are really killing yourself. Bye America - Heil Hitler!
said like a true liberal...