Worse than Tokyo Rose or Berlin Betty? The NY Times

A letter I just sent off to my US Representative...

"I'm writing to urge you to ask for hearings, a full investigation and criminal prosecution where warranted of the New York Times' disclosure of several classified war efforts. The most recent example was the disclosure of our effort to monitor enemy financial transactions through the international banking system. As a retired intelligence operative myself, I am sure that these disclosures have harmed our war effort by revealing important sources and methods. Earlier disclosures dealt with programs to monitor enemy communications with one terminal in the US, and rendition programs.

Pending hearings, I ask that you take action to revoke the NY Times press credentials for house activities. They have shown poor judgement at best, criminality and treason at worst."

Regards

UPDATE (6/27/2006): The Times did an article today discussing the criticism and response, titled "Bush Says Report on Bank Data Was Disgraceful" and written by Sheryl Gay Stolberg.

In other circumstances, following comments would be laughable

"...The executive editor of The Times, Bill Keller, said in an e-mail statement on Monday evening that the decision to publish had been "a hard call." But Mr. Keller noted that since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration has "embarked on a number of broad, secret programs aimed at combating terrorism, often without seeking new legal authority or submitting to the usual oversight."

He added, "I think it would be arrogant for us to pre-empt the work of Congress and the courts by deciding these programs are perfectly legal and abuse-proof, based entirely on the word of the government."..."

Then the last line of the article reads "...Administration officials have held classified briefings about the banking program for some members of Congress and the Sept. 11 commission..."

You can't have it both ways. Either these programs are properly classified, valuable part of the war effort, or they are the illegal and abused actions of an out of control executive. Since Congress was briefed, we cannot assume the latter, so it must be the former.

Mr. Keller, I agree with you. It would be arrogrant to pre-empt the work of Congress, by unilaterally deciding that these programs are illegal or abused. That's exactly what you have done.

So you are arrogant at best. A traitor, most likely. And an enemy intelligence operative at worst.