Leaks and leakers

When I was in the Navy, I recall with great precision the day I was required to sign a document stating that if I were to reveal certain pieces of classified information that I would be subject to penalties, "up to and including death."

That made a real impression on me, and of course, I understood that this was reasonable and fair because I was not in the position to determine what--if any--part of the information I had knowledge of was 'safe' to release.

I also understood that often, more important than the information itself, was the implication of 'sources and methods,' meaning that the exact information the United States posessed via certain intelligence-gathering processes was not necessarily as important as the sources and methods necessary to have the material.

I often ask people when discussing intelligence operations, "Which is more highly classified, the state of readiness of the Russian Ballistic Missile forces or what Vladimir Putin had for breakfast this morning?" Most people sense that it is a trick question, but dont' know why Pooty-Poot's breakfast is more highly classified.  [the answer is that while there are hundreds of people and multiple ways we could know about missile readiness, there are probably only about 5 people who know that Putin loves Lucky Charms with chocolate milk and pineapple juice, and therefore the mere knowledge of his menu implies that we got the information from one of those five people.]

Who the #ELL do Snowden and Manning think they are? What gives them the self-appointed right to leak information that has been classified by people way smarter and more experienced than them? I sincerly doubt where these two twenty-somethings had the experince or judgement to determine on their own that it was "right" in the grand scheme of Morality for them to leak this information without authorization.

Anyone with any time in the military understands that often information is over-classified, if for no other reason that the sheer volume of it precludes a more precise classification.

I also certainly understand that there are things that are Morally Wrong which are 'covered up' with differing degrees of malice in the classification system.  I'm not going to go into who has the right or obligation to reveal this information--especially given the fact that to do so may have other unintended conseqences that are Morally worse.

However, neither of these facts give any degree of authorization to these self-appointed leakers to release this information.

It's no surprise that I am generally in favor of most any information--that is true--that causes damage to a certain CinC's political reputation. However, I certainly would not condone, say, a member of the Secret Service detail leaking information about blind spots or weaknesses in his security plan--however true they may be with whatever intent they may be released. That is clearly across the line.

 

Snowden, Manning and their ilk should be put under the prison and left as an example to others.