Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, tells National Review Online that the WikiLeaks controversy shows how the White House is keeping Congress in the dark on foreign policy.
On January 1 of this year, Hoekstra was in Yemen on a fact-finding mission. The U.S. ambassador and intelligence officials refused to share certain information with the congressman. “I was angry,” he says. “I flew half way around the world and they wouldn’t share the information with me. . . . Then I read in this cable that the ambassador sent back to the U.S. a day or two later all the stuff that they supposedly weren’t going to tell me but they were willing to share with over 500,000 people on Siprnet,” the government’s online intelligence depository.
Still, Hoekstra’s main concern is the leak’s implications for our national security. “Our government created a database that was a honeypot of information. . . . What does a private need to see that information for?” To prevent further leaks, Hoekstra suggests the government keep the central database but limit access to it. “You just restrict access to certain parts of it. You do that in the business world all the time.”
Although he agrees with calls for the perpetrators’ prosecution, he’s not convinced that Rep. Pete King’s suggestion that the government label WikiLeaks a terrorist organization is feasible. “I wouldn’t get to the point of classifying WikiLeaks as a terrorist organization,” Hoekstra says. “I don’t think under our current framework you could do that. You may be able to get them under espionage, but it’s difficult.”
Whatever Congress decides to do, Hoekstra believes it must not make the same mistake twice. “We had dumb use of cyberspace,” he concludes.
Hoekstra needs to broaden his understanding and definition of terrorism. What WikiLeaks has done certainly qualifies in my mind as White Collar Terrorism.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr Hoekstra's comment "...What does a private need to see that information for?” reflects a lack of understanding of the intel business at Corps-and-below. The ones who do the work are privates and specialists and A1Cs and PO2s, not the NCOs or Officers (they're too busy trying to keep the HQ people happy).
Providing access to that kind of information is supposed to be on a need-to-know basis. Looks like that rule has fallen by the wayside. Possibly because someone wanted to spice up the daily briefing and convinced whomever allowing access was necessary. I'm guessing that some heads will roll once they determine who got the files and so forth. And the blame will be dropped on the lowest possible echelon and ranks. In keeping with tradition.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse[Wikileaks founder whose name triggered the "objectionable language" filter] is culpable of espionage at least. Why is there no arrest warrant out for him? No worldwide manhunt? No demands he be detained and delivered to the USA by whatever country is harboring him?
All these countries depend on us - for military aid and protection, for economic trade and benefits, for medical research their socialist systems cannot support. The chit needs to be called in now.
Not that I'm holding my breath waiting on our prissy, pissy, petty, prancing, preening peacock of a President to grow enough spine to anything about this or any other international problem.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDan In Georgia:
You are correct, I wonder how many Congress Critters understand any ranking in our American Forces. Maybe we should require them to take a test....perhaps from our wonderful Congress-elect Allen West? I note too that Rep. Pete Hoekstra flew half way around the world for facts? Why didn't he pick up the telephone and call the Obama Administration... He is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, good grief he would rather have the information from an Ambassador and Intelligence rather than the administration? And if the the administration refused....he should cry foul and publish their refusals by letting the American people know. Now he cries foul! What an absolute incompetent, he is just another Congress Critter that cares more about his position than America. What a government!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell, it looks like there will be hearings...and Hoekstra will be the CHAIRMAN of the House Intelligence Committee in January. That unfortunate Ambassador to Yemen is going to be grilled slowly, which is fine with me, since most State Department guys I know are: 1) Ivy League educated liberal twerps (high school classmate of mine---we went to the same high school Hillary did, and his facebook pages equated the Taliban and Conservative Christians---he's currently stationed in Kabul), and 2) not particularly patriotic. (See (1)). Read Keith Laumer's Retief series, based on his experiences in the State Department. Nothing has changed.
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