Apr 21 2006

CIA Leaker Leaked Multiple Times

To avoid adding to an already cluttered post I will simply note the NY Times is reporting that Mary McCarthy, the CIA officer fired for leaking information on CIA secret prisons to the Washington Post, may have leaked more than once and on more than one subject:

Intelligence officials speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the dismissal resulted from “a pattern of conduct” and not from a single leak, but that the case involved in part information about secret C.I.A. detention centers that was given to The Washington Post.

This could mean she was implicated in other stories hitting the media. It seems at times a group of roque agents have been planting stories in the media to attempt to get Democrats elected. If Mary McCarthy is deep into this supposed group, she could be turned so dominos start falling one after the other.

The media seems tone death to the key aspects of the issue. Note the comment from the Washington Post:

Leonard Downie Jr., The Post’s executive editor, said on its Web site that he could not comment on the firing because he did not know the details. “As a general principle,” he said, “obviously I am opposed to criminalizing the dissemination of government information to the press.”

Downing seems incapable of discerning ‘government information’ from critical, classified, national security information that exposes Americans to terrorist attacks. The Post CIA prison story may not rise to that level – but the NY Times story on the NSA certainly does. And on the NSA the only parts of the story the NY Times got right were the parts useful to our terrorist enemies (see this topic for all my posts on that matter). And the NY Times seems to be praying there is a way out of this mess, giving me the impression they are trying to impeach the event we see unfolding:

The results of such exams are regarded as important indicators of deception among some intelligence officials. But they are not admissible as evidence in court — and the C.I.A.’s reliance on the polygraph in Ms. McCarthy’s case could make it more difficult for the government to prosecute her.

Er… well. Unless of course the person admits to the underlying crime detected by the polygraph. Then there is no problem whatsoever. And if there are collaborating phone records, well give it up. You can see the desperation in the attempts to minimalize what has happened here. This is not a normal action against a CIA officer.

And the fact she is a Kerry supporter is not going to help build the impression she is some innocent person be abused by a mean ‘ol Bush administration:

Public records show that Ms. McCarthy contributed $2,000 in 2004 to the presidential campaign of John Kerry, the Democratic nominee.

Her actions put people at risk. The duplicity of the media compared to their outcries on the Plame Game is obvious, crude and crass. There is no excuse for this, and to pretend otherwise is to truly be whistling past the grave. For this is serious, as some people appreciate;

But another official, whose experience was at headquarters, said most employees would approve Mr. Goss’s action. “I think for the vast majority of people this will be good for morale,” the official said. “People didn’t like some of their colleagues deciding for themselves what secrets should be in The Washington Post or The New York Times.”

Paul R. Pillar, who was the agency’s senior analyst for the Middle East until he retired late last year, said: “Classified information is classified information. It’s not to be leaked. It’s not to be divulged.”

If Ron Pillar is coming out against the leak, the media is not going to fair well in this debacle. The Washington Times is reporting that a criminal investigation is underway, but not on McCarthy:

However, a law-enforcement official confirmed there was a criminal leaks investigation under way, but it did not involve the fired CIA officer.

Well, is this investigation into people McCarthy relayed to authorities, or is it the NSA leak? There are supposedly dozens of investigations into leaks ongoing right now. My guess is there are a lot of nervous people in the DC metro area tonight.

Addendum: McCarthy apparently has links to Berger and Rand Beers – the Kerry campaign person who acknowledged knowing Joe Wilson was on the Kerry campaign AND his wife’s CIA position and role in the Niger trip.

National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger announced today the appointment of Mary O’Neil McCarthy as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Intelligence Programs. Mrs. McCarthy succeeds Rand Beers.

H/T Rick Ballard posting at JOM

10 responses so far

10 Responses to “CIA Leaker Leaked Multiple Times”

  1. Jlmadyson says:

    Per Drudge:

    BUSTED AT THE CIA

    Senior director for intelligence programs under Clinton [appointed by Sandy Berger

    TEXT: BERGER APPOINTS MCCARTHY SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR INTELLIGENCE

    http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/06/98061701_tpo.html

  2. "CIA Officer Fired for Leaking Classified Info to Media"…

    From FOXNews:A CIA officer has been relieved of his duty after being caught leaking classified information to the media. CIA officials will not reveal the officer's name, assignment, or the information that was leaked. The firing is a highly unusu…

  3. CIA officer fired over “secret CIA prisons in Europe” leak…

    Excellent. Via NBC:
    WASHINGTON – In a rare occurrence, the CIA fired an officer who acknowledged giving classified information to a reporter, NBC News learned Friday.
    The officer flunked a polygraph exam before being fired on Thursday and is now unde…

  4. LPBABY says:

    Dumb A$$ Condi kept on the Clinton people to be nice about the transition. All of them turned around and stabbed her and the admin. in the back(Clark, Cressy and now this Fing B#E$tch). Give her a smoke and Shoot her a$$ for treason. Bet we see alot of other Clinton appointees in the same position very quickly.

  5. M. Simon says:

    Interesting hit at the press if the Pulitzers are withdrawn because of this.

    I mean how lucky can you get in a sting operation.

  6. M. Simon says:

    A Pulitzer was won for this story.

    This is like whoever thought of this sting being brillant and lucky.

    Not too hard if you think about it: just go back and look at the kinds of fake stories that have won Pulitzers. Then frame it in a way that will attract the same crowd re: the war.

  7. Beto Ochoa says:

    When the Joe Wilson story first broke it was very suspicious. It was textbook bad spook stuff. I believed at the time that the entire affair was initiated, orchestrated and executed by the Wilsons. They had help from CIA elements that specialize in dirty tricks. Elements that found themselves out of favor in a Republican Administration. Elements that would do anything to discredit said administration. It now is becoming plain that those suspicions were correct. In the end, I believe we will see the Wilsons and several other of their cohorts convicted but not in prison. These people were doing this at the behest of the previous administration and Sandy Bergers’ case is an example of what justice will be mete out. Especially the “No Media Coverage” and questioning the “Timing”.

  8. lawhawk says:

    Think of this delicious possibility. Someone winning a Pulitzer award on the investigation into how and why Priest, Risen and his associate won their Pulitzers based on the leaks of classified information – or worse – bogus information meant to uncover rogue agents whose agendas sought to undermine US national security and the current Administration.

  9. jacgar says:

    About time!..Why did it take almost five years for the Bush Administration to wake up to the fact that it should have purged all of the Imbedded Clintonites from every Government Agency…CLINTON cleaned house in Justice,Treasury and Military…
    He purged the Military Generals that Hillary deemed to be non-loyalists…He castrated every Intel,Agency..In other words,if any person wasn’t a sworn believer in Hillarys’ Socialist Dogma,they were fired or sent to irrevalentcy…
    BUSH should use all means possible to expose and send to prison all the TRAITORS that are under mining every move Bush makes…
    There is only one thing Bush can do to improve his Poll ratings.
    Start prosecuting all of these Traitors for subversion..This includes the Press that gleefully reports anything that hurts America…
    He may not get many convictions,but it will put the press on defensive and get their attention off trying to destroy Bush..

  10. Rockefeller, Durbin To Take Polygraphs?…

    As investigations into the leaking of classified information nabbs Mary McCarthy, the far left are jumping to the leakers’ defense. Of course the NY Times wants to be included with those doing the defense. Wizbang notes how the media is circli…