THE VICE PRESIDENT'S DECLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY

[acmejack]

from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy

"Is it your view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify
information?" Vice President Cheney was asked yesterday by Fox News'
Brit Hume.

"There is an executive order to that effect," replied the Vice
President.

This was a simple answer to a straightforward question, but the matter
is actually a bit more complicated.

The executive order in question is E.O. 13292 on classified national
security information, issued by President Bush in March 2003:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/bush/eoamend.html

[stop the bleeding]

1. good post on this in the GD by leveymg

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x441331

[acmejack]

2. Thanx

[DELUSIONAL]

3. This may be Cheney's defense -- but it is after the fact

There are two of many reasons for the leak -- (1) to get back at Ambassador Wilson and discussed in detail by the DU Plame/Wilson study group; or, (2) to shut down CIA agent's Plame and her group -- because they were getting in the way of Halliburton business.

We don't know how serious the leak actually was -- how much was compromised. We do know that a CIA's career was ended and her life put at risk as well as untold others who have been terminated (some with prejudice -- like the spy novels like to put it.)

(b) Classified information shall not be declassified automatically as a result of any unauthorized disclosure of identical or similar information.

(c) The unauthorized disclosure of foreign government information is presumed to cause damage to the national security.

[suston96]

4. ex post facto

Read through the part in that EO regarding declassifying material.

Just because classified information is leaked to the media, or anywhere, doesn't mean that that material is automatically declassified.

" (b) Classified information shall not be declassified automatically as a result of any unauthorized disclosure of identical or similar information."

This is all a butt covering that the special prosecutor will not buy.

[classysassy]

5. The King & Vice King

can America survive three more years of Dick & Bush?.