Recent revelations about drone strikes, kill lists and cyber attacks have led some in Congress to call foul and demand investigation about who leaked this information. It also raises questions about the propriety of such leaks, are they necessarily bad?
I'll try to catch up with recent stories so we can follow this as it plays out. Here's a chronology based on newspaper stories going back to April:
- April 30, 2012: Top U.S. Security Official Says 'Rigorous Standards' Are Used for Drone Strikes.
- May 29, 2012: Secret 'Kill List' Proves a Test of Obama's Principles and Will.
- June 1, 2012: Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyber Attacks Against Iran.
- June 7, 2012: Bipartisan congressional group calls for legislative action on leaks.
- June 8, 2012: Holder Directs U.S. Attorneys to Track Down Paths of Leaks.
- June 8, 2012: Obama: 'Zero tolerance' for leaking classified information.
- June 9, 2012: For U.S. Inquiries on Leaks, a Difficult Road to Prosecution.
- June 10, 2012: New York Times journalist defends national security leaks.
- June 12, 2012: Attorney General Grilled over Security Leaks.
- June 12, 2012: Republicans say special counsel - not US Attorneys - should run leak probes; Holder resists.
Stay tuned for more. A couple related items: What does a 'kill list' tell us about the current state of executive power? Does leaking security secrets damage national security?
