White House Not Curious about Classified Leak

“You know you are a political junkie when,” on a beautiful Friday morning off work, my excitement is found watching the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform explore whether or not the White House followed its own procedures mandated when there is disclosure of classified information. The first panel consisted of Valerie Plame establishing, under oath, that she had been a covert agent until Robert Novak published her identity and her CIA connections, but it was the second panel that had me riveted.
Dr. James Knodell, Director of Office of Security to the White House testified that there was no investigation by his office following the Valerie Plame classified disclosure, claiming that there was a criminal investigation ongoing. It was pointed out that this investigation has taken years to end and had a very narrow focus. The questioning brought to light that even through President Bush had said there would be an investigation there was none. Importantly, Executive Order 12958 signed by President Bush in March 2003, required officials “take appropriate and prompt corrective action,” whenever there is a leak of classified information.

This Executive Order has been used in many cases such as against an officer who leaked information about Abu Ghraib prison. The shocking implication is that someone leaked classified information in the White House, for political reasons, which destroyed an information gathering network consisting of, not just Valerie Plame, but all her carefully built contacts that may have been providing information on proliferation of nuclear weapons in Iran and Iraq. Bottom line is that someone has remained in the White House for 4 years with access to classified information that has violated the code, put national security at risk and may have caused deaths of covert agents. There has been no investigation or corrective action taken to prevent additional violations as per Executive Order 12958. The AP wire was quick to headline that there was nothing new in the Plame testimony. There was information in the Fitzgerald transcripts that she verified.

The mainstream press, as I write this Saturday morning, is simply not addressing the non-compliance and lack of curiosity about the act of treason which occurred within their ranks at the White House. As a last point, Dr. Knodell was asked if an investigation was planned since the criminal investigation focused on Libby had ended. He indicated that none was planned. These actions are a strange way to show that national security is a priority with the Bush Administration.