FAS | Intelligence | News | 2003 ||||

September 2003 Intelligence News

• Remarks by the President on the White House Leak Investigation, September 30. "I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information."
• How Deep Is CIA Cover? by Ed Finn, Slate, September 30. "Because of their various roles, CIA employees require different levels of protective cover:"
• Dems seek CIA special counsel by Jonathan E. Kaplan and Geoff Earle, The Hill, September 30. "A phalanx of Democratic senators yesterday urged Attorney General John Ashcroft to name a special counsel to investigate whether Bush administration officials illegally leaked the identity of a CIA operative in an act of political payback."
• Leak Accusation Stirs White House by Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times, September 30 (free registration required). "The White House struggled Monday to fend off pressure for an external probe into whether administration officials deliberately -- and illegally -- 'outed' an undercover CIA agent."
• NIMA Awards 0.5 Meter Commercial Imagery Contract, NIMA press release, September 30. "The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) today announced that it is awarding a five-year contract to Longmont, CO-based DigitalGlobe, Inc., to assure the availability of high-resolution imagery from the next series of U.S. commercial imagery satellites."
• White House Press Briefing on Leak of CIA Officer's Name, September 29. "We don't have any information that's been brought to our attention beyond what we've seen in the media reports."
• CIA requests probe into leak of operative's identity by Mike Nartker, Global Security Newswire, September 29. "CIA Director George Tenet has requested a Justice Department investigation into charges that the White House leaked the name of the wife of former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson."
• Sen. Schumer Asks for Special Counsel to Investigate Leak of CIA Officer's Identity, letter to Attorney General Ashcroft, September 29. "Leaking the identity of an undercover CIA agent is a federal crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison."
• Second Interim Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, September 23. "Since our July report, Executive Branch agencies have significantly improved their performance in responding to our document requests."
• Condi Rice on Iraqi WMD, David Kay Report, White House press briefing, September 22. "David Kay is not going to be done with this for quite some time. And I would not count on reports."
• The Operator: George Tenet Undermines the CIA by John Judis and Spencer Ackerman, The New Republic, September 22. "At several key junctures, Tenet has failed at what he described in his May 1997 confirmation testimony as the CIA's main mission: to 'deliver intelligence that is clear and objective and does not pull punches.' In that respect, Tenet has seriously damaged the agency he sought to revive."
• White House Press Briefing, Excerpt on David Kay Report, September 16. "There was a story over the weekend that this report will be shelved, that it will be not released because they haven't found anything."
• Terrorist Screening Center Established, news release, September 16. "To consolidate terrorist watchlists and provide 24/7 operational support for thousands of federal screeners across the country and around the world."
• Secretary Powell Comment on Status of David Kay Report, press availability, September 14. "Dr. Kay will be putting out a report in the very near future, and I look forward to seeing it, as everyone else does."
• Senate Intel Committee Declines to Seek Further Declassification of 9/11 Joint Inquiry, SSCI letter to Sen. Bob Graham, September 9. "It is our view that release of additional information from Part Four could adversely affect ongoing counterterrorism efforts."
• Surge defect forced recall of 'secure' U.S. phones by John Shiffman, Philadelphia Inquirer, September 7. "More than 6,500 "secure" telephones designed to protect the classified conversations of U.S. soldiers, diplomats and spies were recalled in late 2001 because of a defect, according to a recent court filing."
• DOE labs will scale back polygraphs by Andrea Widener, Contra Costa Times, September 5. "Under mounting pressure, the Department of Energy will scale back its massive polygraph testing program to half its previous size."