CIA fires leaker; shades of confidentiality/privacy

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ross Stapleton-Gray <ross () stapleton-gray com>
Date: April 21, 2006 6:40:15 PM EDT
To: Dave <dave () farber net>
Subject: CIA fires leaker; shades of confidentiality/privacy

The CIA has apparently fired the source of leaks to the media  
regarding secret prisons in Eastern Europe:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/ 
2006/04/21/national/w122516D53.DTL
(and appended)

There're some meta-issues here... NB, "Citing the Privacy Act, the  
CIA would not disclose any details about the officer's identity or  
what that person might have told the news media;" of course, said  
firee may very well like to have his/her case taken up publicly...  
presumably they felt that the information leaked was important to be  
heard by the public in the first place.  Also, later in the piece,  
the rather hypocritial, "On Friday, another government official, also  
speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the  
information, said the fired officer had failed a polygraph test,"...  
so, a leak ABOUT the leak!

**********

CIA Fires Employee for Alleged Leak
- By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer
Friday, April 21, 2006

(04-21) 15:25 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

In a highly unusual move, the CIA has fired an employee for leaking  
classified information to the news media, including details about  
secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe that resulted in a Pultizer  
Prize-winning story, officials said Friday.

A federal criminal investigation has also been opened.

CIA Director Porter Goss announced the firing in a short message to  
agency employees circulated Thursday. It is the first time since he  
took over in August 2004, vowing to clamp down on leaks, that he has  
dismissed an intelligence officer for speaking with reporters.

Agency spokesman Paul Gimigliano confirmed an officer had been fired  
for having unauthorized contacts with the media and disclosing  
classified information to reporters, including details about  
intelligence operations.

"The officer has acknowledged unauthorized discussions with the media  
and the unauthorized sharing of classified information," Gimigliano  
said. "That is a violation of the secrecy agreement that everyone  
signs as a condition of employment with the CIA."

Citing the Privacy Act, the CIA would not disclose any details about  
the officer's identity or what that person might have told the news  
media.

However, a law enforcement official confirmed there was a criminal  
investigation under way and said the CIA officer had provided  
information that contributed to a Washington Post story last year  
saying there were secret U.S. prisons in Eastern Europe. The law  
enforcement official spoke only on condition of anonymity, citing the  
sensitivity of the matter.

The Post reported that the CIA had set up a covert prison system  
after Sept. 11, 2001, that at various times included sites in eight  
countries. The story caused an international uproar, and government  
officials have said it did significant damage to relationships  
between the U.S. and allied intelligence agencies.

Goss has pressed for aggressive investigations of leaked information.

"The damage has been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our  
mission," Goss told Congress in February, adding that a federal grand  
jury should be impaneled to determine "who is leaking this information."

On Friday, another government official, also speaking on condition of  
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said the  
fired officer had failed a polygraph test.

It was not clear if the person was taking a routine polygraph  
examination, as is required periodically of employees with access to  
classified information, or if the polygraph was among those ordered  
by Goss to find leakers inside the agency.

Justice Department officials declined to comment publicly on the  
firing and whether the matter had been referred to federal  
prosecutors for possible criminal charges. One law enforcement  
official said there were dozens of leak investigations under way.

The Washington Post's Dana Priest won a Pulitzer Prize this week for  
her reporting on the secret prisons story.

"No Post reporter has been subpoenaed or talked to investigators in  
connection with this matter," Post spokesman Eric Grant said Friday.

___

Associated Press Writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.



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