Security

Intel Director Launches Qaeda Leak Probe

The revelations about a leak of an intercepted Osama bin Laden video have sparked an official inquiry," according to the National Journal. Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for the director of national intelligence, said in a Washington Post article today that officials will look into the leak allegation, but he doesn’t think the leak came from […]

Windowsintoal_mn The revelations about a leak of an intercepted Osama bin Laden video have sparked an official inquiry," according to the National Journal.

*Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for the director of national intelligence, said in a *Washington Post article today that officials will look into the leak allegation, but he doesn't think the leak came from the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence or the National Counterterrorism Center.

Frances Fragos Townsend, a White House homeland security adviser, emphasized during a news conference yesterday that the video was released to the whole intelligence community, not just the White House, but she didn't deny responsibility for the leak.

"We here at the White House are unable to conduct an investigation, and I leave this to the Director of National
Intelligence to ascertain what's the appropriate way of dealing with this and understanding what happened, so we can ensure it doesn't happen again," she said.

Also, just to re-emphasize something I said yesterday: This pretty obviously wasn't the intelligence community's only window in Al-Qaeda's online activities; as Cassandra notes, ABC had a transcript of the video before the alleged leak. But, like the former spies are saying, that still doesn't make the leak right.

(High five: BB)