GOP Leaders Seek New Leak Probe
As Republicans are getting hammered in the case of the White House leaking the identity of a CIA agent for political reasons, the Republican leaders of Congress now want an investigation into a leak disclosing the existence of secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe and Asia, CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports.
The Washington Post broke the story over the weekend and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have each asked the chairs of their respective intelligence committees to look into it, suggesting the disclosure of the secret prisons could have "long term dangerous consequences."
The Bush administration has neither confirmed nor denied that the prisons exist.
"If accurate, such an egregious disclosure could have long-term and far-reaching damaging and dangerous consequences, and will imperil our efforts to protect the American people and our homeland from terrorist attacks," stated a draft letter, which Hastert's office said the House speaker had signed. There was no immediate word on whether Frist had given it his signature.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the draft request to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas and his House counterpart, Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra of Michigan.
Hoekstra's spokesman, Jamal Ware, declined to comment because the office had not yet received the letter.
The letter said a joint probe by the House and Senate intelligence committees should determine who leaked the information and under what authority.
"What is the actual and potential damage done to the national security of the United States and our partners in the global war on terror?" the letter asked. "We will consider other changes to this mandate based on your recommendations."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Republican leaders should also investigate possible manipulation of prewar intelligence on Iraq and the disclosure of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity.
"If Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Frist are finally ready to join Democrats' demands for an investigation of possible abuses of classified information, they must direct the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to investigate all aspects of that issue," said Pelosi.
Senate Democratic leaders, meanwhile, urged President Bush to commit in advance not to pardon any White House officials who may be convicted in the Plame investigation.
Former vice presidential chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted for lying to federal investigators and the grand jury looking into the leak.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and other top Democrats called on the president "to pledge that if Mr. Libby or anyone else is found guilty of a crime in connection with [special prosecutor] Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation, you will not exercise your authority to issue a Presidential pardon."
In their letter, Frist and Hastert said the leaking of classified information by employees of the U.S. government appears to have increased in recent years, "establishing a dangerous trend that, if not addressed swiftly and firmly, likely will worsen."
"We are hopeful that you will be able to accomplish this task in a bipartisan manner given general agreement that intelligence matters should not be politicized," it added.