Security Leaks

Michelle Malkin is discussing classified leaks to the press. She suggests that the Whitehouse:

1. Strengthen collective spine.
2. Subpoena reporters.
3. Find the leakers.
4. Prosecute the lawbreakers.

Ditto. Ditto to this response from one of her readers:

My fiancee and I both work in the defense industry and hold security clearances of varying degrees. What strikes us both, and anyone else in our sphere of professional acquaintances, is the seeming double standard in place where the protection of classified information is concerned. While it seems that senior managers (and I use "manager" as a term of derision) and policymakers are cozy enough with the oversight committees and agencies that they feel at liberty to divulge carefully selected pieces of classified information whenever it suits their purpose, I *KNOW* that anyone at my level would be swiftly and thoroughly wrung out following anything but the most benign security violation.

I also have a security clearance and the actions of people like Sandy Berger burns me up. The man smuggled classified data from the national archives, then he unlawfully stored it, failed to report what he did, and illegally disposed of it. If I did that I would be in jail. But he is a former Secretary of Defense so he got a slap on the wrist.

I think we need strengthen the law in this area, especially with regards to elected officials who drop classified tidbits for political gain. Right now Congressmen have claimed separation of powers privileges with regards to their access to classified information. Senior managers should also be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If the upper echelons aren't held to task, then how can you do so with the lower ranks?

I also think Bush and Co. should start creating some really heinous programs. Awful things that would be completely unconstitutional. Create these programs on paper and only on paper. Make sure you have an ironclad trail that proves this. Then filter them down through the intelligence ranks to find out where the leaks are (hint: start with the CIA). Then prosecute with extreme prejudice.