Firm Says Administration's Handling of Video Ruined Its Spying Efforts On Al Qaeda

[Andre II]

"A small private intelligence company that monitors Islamic terrorist groups obtained a new Osama bin Laden video ahead of its official release last month, and around 10 a.m. on Sept. 7, it notified the Bush administration of its secret acquisition. It gave two senior officials access on the condition that the officials not reveal they had it until the al-Qaeda release.

Within 20 minutes, a range of intelligence agencies had begun downloading it from the company's Web site. By midafternoon that day, the video and a transcript of its audio track had been leaked from within the Bush administration to cable television news and broadcast worldwide.

The founder of the company, the SITE Intelligence Group, says this premature disclosure tipped al-Qaeda to a security breach and destroyed a years-long surveillance operation that the company has used to intercept and pass along secret messages, videos and advance warnings of suicide bombings from the terrorist group's communications network.

"Techniques that took years to develop are now ineffective and worthless," said Rita Katz, the firm's 44-year-old founder, who has garnered wide attention by publicizing statements and videos from extremist chat rooms and Web sites, while attracting controversy over the secrecy of SITE's methodology. Her firm provides intelligence about terrorist groups to a wide range of paying clients, including private firms and military and intelligence agencies from the United States and several other countries.
The precise source of the leak remains unknown"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/08/AR2007100801817.html


Hm, I'd say an investigation is needed here ......?

[Kagemusha]

1. Investigation? Why? Leaking isn't a crime if the 'right people' do it.

The Plame case still irks me and I remember its lessons well.

They should try enforcing the Hariett Miers and Condi Rice subpoenas before even thinking of more toothless investigations.

[Andre II]

2. I'm not sure if you can compare these cases

Plame's life was in danger.
Here somebody from the inside seems to protect al Qaeda ...

[greenman3610]

4. they're not "protecting Al Qaeda"

they were trying to protect secret sources and
methods.

[JHB]

3. What did they expect?

Blowing the cover of covert surveillance for quickie political points is a specialty of His Squandership's (mal)administration.