Classified Information Leaked, But It's Not About Valerie Plame, So It's Okay

Once again classified information is leaked to the New York Times, and yet no calls yet for an investigation.

As Powerline notes:

[T]he administration specifically asked the Times not to publish this article, on the ground that such publication would damage the country's security:

The White House asked The New York Times not to publish this article, arguing that it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. After meeting with senior administration officials to hear their concerns, the newspaper delayed publication for a year to conduct additional reporting. Some information that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists has been omitted.

The Times believes that it should be the arbiter of what will and will not help the terrorists and thus impair our national security. I don't agree. Under the Plame precedent, this case is a no-brainer. The intelligence officials who leaked to the Times should be identified, criminally prosecuted, and sent to prison. Under the Pentagon Papers case, the reporters and editors at the Times who published the leaked story can't be criminally prosecuted. Perhaps the Supreme Court should revisit that precedent when the opportunity arises.

My emphasis on the word "some." I think Michelle Malkin hit that point as well.

Via Instapundit.

posted by Ace at 04:31 PM

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