The War on Leaks

The CIA has announced the firing of a senior analyst accused of being the source of leaks about secret prisons where terrorist suspects were held. The C.I.A. would not identify the officer, but several government officials said it was Mary O. McCarthy, a veteran intelligence analyst who until 2001 was senior director for intelligence programs at the National Security Council, where she served under President Bill Clinton and into the Bush administration. At the time of her dismissal, Ms. McCarthy was working in the agency's inspector general's office, after a stint at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an organization in Washington that examines global security issues.

Leaking classified information that harms national security and that makes US citizens less safe, is a crime, (except of course if the Administration does it to further their political aims – see Scooter Libby). But how exactly does the release of this information harm our war on terrorism and make us less safe. The release of the information certainly embarrassed the Bush administration, serving as another example of how they disregard US morals and democratic values. Release of that information makes us look like our new hoped for best friend China – just another big country abusing human rights. But there has been no explanation forthcoming about how knowledge of these prisons has any bearing on how we counter terrorists or how they change their approaches knowing these exist. Does the administration believe that fear of these prisons make terrorists more careful than they would be otherwise?

Firing an experienced intelligence analyst, makes the point that only selected members of the administration can leak classified information and weakens our ability to pursue terrorism. It doesn’t strengthen it at all.