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White House Leaked Aq Informant Name To Press - Blew Cover Off A Pak Sting Operation

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  • White House Leaked Aq Informant Name To Press - Blew Cover Off A Pak Sting Operation

    http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/au...main/main7.htm

    US senator seeks White House explanation

    WASHINGTON: Democrat Senator Charles Schumer from New York has asked the White House to explain how and why the name of an al-Qaeda informant was leaked to the press.

    In his letter, copy of which was obtained by Reuters on Monday, Senator Charles Schumer expressed that the leakage hurt the war on terror. He pointed out that confirming the name of captured al-Qaeda suspect Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, while he was still cooperating with Pakistani authorities as part of a sting operation against al-Qaeda network, the US authorities compromised his cover. Unmasking Khan’s name triggered criticism and speculation about the motives behind the leak.

    Senator Charles Schumer, in his letter to White House domestic security adviser Frances Townsend on Aug 8, said, "I respectfully request an explanation to me and any other member of Congress who might wish one of who leaked this Mr Khan’s name, for what reason it was leaked. The leak compromised future intelligence activity.

    Information from computer expert Khan led the United States to issue a high alert at financial institutions against a possible al-Qaeda attack, and led Britain to to arrest 12 al-Qaeda suspects.

    Republican Senator George Allen of Virginia, said on television on Sunday: "In this situation, in my view, they should have kept their mouth shut." Terrorism experts said the reasons for the release of Khan’s name was a judgment error.

    A former senior US intelligence official, suspecting the leakage a political motive, said, "I don’t think that the US intelligence community has shown enough creativity over the last few years for anyone to think of anything as smart as misdirection, or trying to send signals to al Qaeda."

    National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, when asked about the release of Khan’s name, said it was a hard line to draw between giving the public too much or too little information about terrorist threats. "We did not publicly disclose his name," she said, adding that it had been given "on background" but did not say when or by whom the name was first revealed.

  • #2
    http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/10/top10.htm

    US lawmaker wants Khan leak explained

    WASHINGTON, Aug 9: A US senator asked the White House to explain how and why the name of an Al Qaeda informant was leaked to the press, amid concerns it had hurt the war on terror, a letter from the lawmaker showed on Monday.

    A Pakistani intelligence source said on Friday that US officials confirmed the name of captured Al Qaeda suspect Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan while he was still cooperating with Pakistani authorities as part of a sting operation against Al Qaeda network, thereby compromising his cover.

    It is not clear who was the first to disclose Khan's name, but his unmasking triggered criticism on both sides of the political spectrum, as well as speculation about the motives behind the leak. Security and terrorism are top issues for both parties in this year's US presidential elections.

    "I respectfully request an explanation to me and any other member of Congress who might wish one of who leaked this Mr Khan's name, for what reason it was leaked, and whether ... reports that this leak compromised future intelligence activity are accurate," Sen Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, wrote in a letter to White House domestic security adviser Frances Town send on Aug 8.

    A copy of the letter was obtained by Reuters on Monday. Information from computer expert Khan led the US to issue a high alert at financial institutions against a possible Al Qaeda attack recetly. -Reuters

    Comment


    • #3
      They said it was a "judgement error", that's an understatement.
      No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
      I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
      even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
      He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

      Comment


      • #4
        http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/au...main/main5.htm

        Naeem’s arrest ‘Exposure jeopardised plan to nab suspects’

        ISLAMABAD: The disclosure of the arrest of, Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, an alleged al-Qaeda computer expert jeopardised Pakistani efforts to capture more members of Osama bin Laden’s network, government and security officials said on Tuesday.

        Two senior Pakistani officials said initial reports in Western media last week of the capture of 25-year-old Pakistani computer engineer had enabled other al-Qaeda suspects to get away, but declined to say whether the US officials were to blame for the leak. "Let me say that this intelligence leak jeopardised our plan and some al-Qaeda suspects ran away," one of the officials said on condition of anonymity.

        "The exposure of Naeem’s name proved a blow to the investigations," a senior government official said, on condition of anonymity. The arrests also prompted a series of raids in Britain and uncovered past al-Qaeda surveillance in the United States. Reports said on Tuesday Naeem Noor Khan was trying to get into Canada when he was arrested. His application for a visitor’s visa that would have allowed him to stay in Canada for six months was pending at the time of his arrest, the Globe and Mail and National Post newspapers reported on Tuesday.

        The two Pakistani officials said that after Khan’s arrest, other al-Qaeda suspects abruptly changed their hideouts and moved to unknown places. The first official described the initial publication of the news of Khan’s arrest as "very disturbing." He said no Pakistani official had leaked the information.

        Separately, military spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan on Tuesday said Pakistan was bracing for a backlash from militants after its most successful crackdown on al-Qaeda and local allies to date.

        A senior government official said, on condition of anonymity that, several ministers, including Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, were on alert for possible attacks. "They have been advised to limit their movements," he said.

        Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani intelligence official told AFP on Tuesday that al-Qaeda operatives captured in Pakistan were plotting terrorist attacks aimed at influencing the US presidential elections in November.

        Comment


        • #5
          Schumer is a weasel of the highest order. I view anything he says with the utmost suspicion.

          Comment


          • #6
            Shumer is playing both sides. He's one of the ones that cries the loudest that the Bush Administration is playing politics, they know things but don't tell us, now he's saying they shouldn't have said anything at all. Granted the Adminstration and Ridge bungled this annoucement, but they are in a catch 22. Shumer is one of the ones that put them is this predicament of having to justify everything to the public.

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