Ranking Democrat Wants NY Times Prosecuted
Jim Kouri, CPP
February 15, 2006
In a shocking departure from the usual rhetoric of her party, Representative Jane Harmon (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee told NBC's Tim Russert on Sunday that the New York Times should be prosecuted for revealing the National Security Agency (NSA) terrorist surveillance program.
She alleges that the NY Times willingly revealed top secret information after the Bush White House urged them to not print their story due to national security concerns.
Rep. Harmon, while a Democrat, has been a solid proponent of covert operations in the war on terrorism.
"This is a very valuable foreign collection program. I think it is tragic that a lot of our capabilities are now spread across the pages of the newspapers," she told newsman Tim Russert on "Meet the Press."
Many intelligence experts believe the revelation of the NSA program in the news media delivered a serious blow to the American intelligence and law enforcement community.
However, during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the program, Sen. Patrick Leahy "praised the Times leak, saying it revealed an abuse of power by the Bush administration."
Leahy had to step down from his position on the Senate Intelligence Committee in 1987 following allegations and proof that he leaked classified information to a reporter. He's been accused several times of being a "leaker" and in fact is known in Washington intelligence and law enforcement circles as "Leaky Leahy."
She alleges that the NY Times willingly revealed top secret information after the Bush White House urged them to not print their story due to national security concerns.
Rep. Harmon, while a Democrat, has been a solid proponent of covert operations in the war on terrorism.
"This is a very valuable foreign collection program. I think it is tragic that a lot of our capabilities are now spread across the pages of the newspapers," she told newsman Tim Russert on "Meet the Press."
Many intelligence experts believe the revelation of the NSA program in the news media delivered a serious blow to the American intelligence and law enforcement community.
However, during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the program, Sen. Patrick Leahy "praised the Times leak, saying it revealed an abuse of power by the Bush administration."
Leahy had to step down from his position on the Senate Intelligence Committee in 1987 following allegations and proof that he leaked classified information to a reporter. He's been accused several times of being a "leaker" and in fact is known in Washington intelligence and law enforcement circles as "Leaky Leahy."
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