Yet Another Leak: CIA Probing Renditions
An anonymous intelligence official (probably with the CIA) leaked the following to the Associated Press's Katherine Shrader:
The CIA's inspector general, John Helgerson, is looking into fewer than 10 cases of potentially "erroneous renditions," according to a current intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigations are classified. Others in the agency believe it to be much fewer, the official added.
For instance, someone may be grabbed wrongly or, after further investigation, may not be as directly linked to terrorism as initially believed.
In general, I am of the opinion that renditions are bad business. The intelligence gathered from terrorists in the custody of the Egyptians, Syrians or Jordanians (for example) is inherently suspect. Syria, in particular, is a state sponsor of terrorism and cannot be trusted to accurately gather intelligence from terrorists on behalf of the U.S. For an eloquent argument against rendition see Reuel Marc Gerecht's piece in The Weekly Standard earlier this year.
However, this appears to be yet another leak coming out of Langley (or somewhere in the U.S. intelligence community anyway, but probably within the CIA). It is difficult to overstate the net negative effect on national security from all of these leaks. But there should be little doubt as to why these intelligence officials are leaking: it damages the Bush administration.
The CIA's inspector general, John Helgerson, is looking into fewer than 10 cases of potentially "erroneous renditions," according to a current intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigations are classified. Others in the agency believe it to be much fewer, the official added.
For instance, someone may be grabbed wrongly or, after further investigation, may not be as directly linked to terrorism as initially believed.
In general, I am of the opinion that renditions are bad business. The intelligence gathered from terrorists in the custody of the Egyptians, Syrians or Jordanians (for example) is inherently suspect. Syria, in particular, is a state sponsor of terrorism and cannot be trusted to accurately gather intelligence from terrorists on behalf of the U.S. For an eloquent argument against rendition see Reuel Marc Gerecht's piece in The Weekly Standard earlier this year.
However, this appears to be yet another leak coming out of Langley (or somewhere in the U.S. intelligence community anyway, but probably within the CIA). It is difficult to overstate the net negative effect on national security from all of these leaks. But there should be little doubt as to why these intelligence officials are leaking: it damages the Bush administration.
posted by Thomas Joscelyn at 12:12 AM
<< Home