Inquiry Into Security Leaks Is Casting Chill Over Coverage -- New York TimesWASHINGTON — F.B.I. agents on a hunt for leakers have interviewed current and former high-level government officials from multiple agencies in recent weeks, casting a distinct chill over press coverage of national security issues as agencies decline routine interview requests and refuse to provide background briefings.
The criminal investigation, which has reached into the White House, the Pentagon, the National Security Agency and the C.I.A., appears to be the most sweeping inquiry into intelligence disclosures in years. It coincides with Senate consideration of new legislation, designed to curb intelligence officials’ exchanges with reporters, that intelligence veterans and civil libertarians fear could be counterproductive and may raise constitutional issues.
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My Comment: I am not in complete agreement with this New York Times story. On national security issues, one big difference that I have noticed between the Obama administration versus the Bush administration has been in the quality of the intelligence leaks. Under the Bush administration the leaks were always embarrassing .... putting the President in a "bad light", and in the case of Scooter Libby, putting him in jail. Under the Obama administration .... the leaks have been very positive on how the administration has been handling itself .... and no one is going to go to jail. Case in point .... yesterday's leak on President Obama authorizing covert assistance to the Syrian rebels. There has been no calls on who leaked this story .... nor has there been any criticism or even a hint of a debate on the news and revelation that the US is now becoming actively involved in a major Middle Eastern civil war. Instead .... we have praise from Republicans, the media, pundits, etc.... and as to who leaked the story to Reuters .... no one cares.