Justice Dept. May Explore Leak on Spy Satellite Program

[NVMojo]

...and the question is, will this take a higher level of investigation that Palme spy case leak?

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 - The Justice Department has been asked to investigate whether classified information was improperly disclosed to news organizations about a satellite surveillance program whose soaring costs and usefulness have been debated behind closed doors in Congress, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

News accounts in The Washington Post on Saturday and The New York Times on Sunday detailed the secret debate on the Senate Intelligence Committee over the program, which is code-named Misty.

The accounts detailed the rising expense of the $9.5 billion system and said lawmakers had questioned the utility of the spy satellites, whose existence was not widely known before the articles were published.

It is not clear how the Justice Department will respond to the referral, but the administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it would carefully review the information. It was also unclear what agency had asked for an investigation, but the satellite program is being run by the National Reconnaissance Office.


more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/15/politics/15leak.html?th=&oref=login&pagewanted=print&position=

[UL_Approved]

1. Gag order

Can't even say who ordered the investigation. This is probably some far-fetched pork barrel project that has the intended purpose of invading privacy all over the world.

Does anybody know why the U.S. needs even more spy satellite technology? What about private firms? What about the cost?

[HuffleClaw]

2. another case of 'shoot the messenger' ?

its pretty well known the administration has no love for the new york times, despite its toadying of late.

[ixion]

3. oh, just like they investigated the Plame outing

:eyes:

[HereSince1628]

4. Could it be a reaction to Plame investigation?

After months of the dogs circling closer and closer is Rove's team turning to the old-- We are not as bad as them defense:

--They claim we compromised a spy, look they compromised an entire spy satellite system!--

Hmmmmmmmmm

[ivolsky]

5. Priorities in spending

The latest from the Washington Post: "The United States is building a new generation of spy satellites designed to orbit undetected, in a highly classified program... the previously undisclosed effort has almost doubled in projected cost--from $5 billion to nearly $9.5 billion, officials said. The National Reconnaissance Office, which manages spy satellite programs, has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the program, officials said."

How one official described the funding for the program: "With the amount of money we're talking about here, you could build a whole new CIA."


Here was the story headline on Saturday's A01:
New Spy Satellite Debated On Hill

Now, this from Thursday's A01:
Rumsfeld Gets Earful From Troops
Complaints Cite Equipment Woes, Extended Tours and Pay Delays


It's all about priorities. Again, this administration is willing to fund space programs but not our troops, Iraq firehouses but not American ports (security). He is asking for another attack! The Democrats are right to jump on this and distill the notion that they somehow don't support the troops. Also, note the great funding disparity between the pittance it would cost to buy more (ask for) more armor and the billions upon billions spent on the space weapons program.

Apparently, soldier safety is second to space safety. (Who's going to attack us from space?)

more: www.politicalthought.net