Regardless of Russell Tice’s media attention efforts, the probe continues in earnest for who tipped of the terrorists on what we were doing to monitor their communications and stop their attacks.

The National Security Agency’s inspector general has opened an investigation into eavesdropping without warrants in the United States by the agency authorized by President Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to a letter released late yesterday.

The Pentagon’s acting inspector general, Thomas F. Gimble, wrote that his counterpart at the NSA “is already actively reviewing aspects of that program” and has “considerable expertise in the oversight of electronic surveillance,” according to the letter sent to House Democrats who have requested official investigations of the NSA program.
…
The Justice Department has opened a separate criminal investigation into the leak of the highly classified program’s existence.

Officials in NSA Inspector General Joel Brenner’s office could not be reached for comment last night.

A group of 39 House Democrats wrote Gimble and other officials last month requesting investigations into the legality of the NSA program. Gimble responded that his office would decline to launch its own investigation because of the ongoing NSA probe.

Another inspector general, Glenn A. Fine of the Justice Department, told the same group of lawmakers in a recent letter that his office does not have jurisdiction. The Democrats responded with a letter to Fine on Monday, arguing that both the inspector general statute and the USA Patriot Act require Fine’s office to get involved.

It is always stunning how some lawmakers have no clue how the government rules they put into law works. Why not call on the IG of the Department of Education to investigate as well. Seems any ‘ol IG will do.