Betrayal Within

Cal Thomas opines very strongly on the developing Mary McCarthy leak story.

What do you call someone who, in violation of her oath, reveals government secrets to a reporter, who then prints them and exposes a clandestine operation designed to get information from suspected terrorists that could save American lives?

Here is what one dictionary says about that word: “One who betrays another’s trust or is false to an obligation or duty.” The word so defined is traitor.

Ah, the dreaded T-word.

All too often it has been bandied about, usually of late in the form of pre-emptive defensiveness much like unfounded claims of attacks on the patriotism of leftists and defeatists. Still, though facts may eventually show otherwise as much is yet to be known, it really is probably time for the T-word to at least enter into the media dialogue, as everything revealed so far seems to paint the picture of at least one rogue individual in our intelligence community, perhaps for personal or political reasons, deciding unilaterally and without legal authority what classified material should be exposed.

If the accusations are shown to be true, the T-word is accurate and the actions are criminal. Mr. Thomas presents the key question.

The Washington Post’s Dana Priest won the Pulitzer Prize for printing secrets allegedly leaked to her by Mrs. McCarthy. Miss Priest also won a George Polk Award and a prize from the Overseas Press Club. Leonard Downie Jr., The Post’s executive editor, said people who provide citizens the information they need to hold their government accountable should not “come to harm for that.”

Would Mr. Downie have felt the same if Americans were leaking information to the Nazis or the Japanese during World War II? Imagine this scenario: A terrorist has information that, if revealed, could save tens of thousands of American lives. But interrogators cannot question him because leaks to the media prevent them from engaging in practices that would pry loose the critical information. Would Mr. Downie be defending the “right” of government employees to undermine the security of his country in the aftermath of a preventable attack?

Former CIA operative Aldrich Ames went to prison for selling American secrets to the Soviet Union. Mrs. McCarthy allegedly gave hers away. If she is prosecuted and found guilty, her fate should be no less severe.

This isn’t a political game in which a Clinton administration official serves as a mole for the Democrats within a Republican administration and then leaks information that may benefit her party; this is potentially harmful to the nation.

Has politics come to this: that the national security of this country can be compromised for political gain?

In-freakin’-deed.

If you didn’t catch the McCarthy story at the beginning, feel free to go here for links to an intro and some advanced coverage.