America the Betrayed

In unguarded moments, Bush has said that he doesn't think catching Osama bin Laden is important. And here's proof that his administration thinks scoring political points is more important than keeping America safe.

Leak Severed a Link to Al-Qaeda's Secrets
Firm Says Administration's Handling of Video Ruined Its Spying Efforts

By Joby Warrick - Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, October 9, 2007; 2:42 PM
A small private intelligence company that monitors Islamic terrorist groups obtained a new Osama bin Laden video ahead of its official release last month, and around 10 a.m. on Sept. 7, it notified the Bush administration of its secret acquisition. It gave two senior officials access on the condition that the officials not reveal they had it until the al-Qaeda release.

Within 20 minutes, a range of intelligence agencies had begun downloading it from the company's Web site. By midafternoon that day, the video and a transcript of its audio track had been leaked from within the Bush administration to cable television news and broadcast worldwide.

The founder of the company, the SITE Intelligence Group, says this premature disclosure tipped al-Qaeda to a security breach and destroyed a years-long surveillance operation that the company has used to intercept and pass along secret messages, videos and advance warnings of suicide bombings from the terrorist group's communications network. ...(full article) [my emphasis added]

Another example of the Bush administrations all politics all the time attitude; if it furthers their political goals, no secret is safe. It's a sad situation when the government is subcontracting National Security to a "small private intelligence company", and it's plain old distressing when the Bushies sabotage intelligence assets trying to garner positive publicity. Our safety means nothing to these dirt-bags.

But what's truly disheartening is that the Supreme Court has become a puppet show. The Court is so loaded with rightwing apparachik's that the Republican party-line now trumps the Constitution. While the Bush administration gives away our secrets to score PR points, the Court denies justice to someone carelessly harmed by that same administration on the grounds that is would reveal state secrets. Oh, the hypocrisy!

Court Declines Case of Alleged CIA Torture Victim

By Robert Barnes - Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, October 9, 2007; 11:16 AM

The Supreme Court today declined to hear the case of a German citizen who said he was kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured by the CIA.

A federal district court judge and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit had earlier dismissed the case brought by Khaled el-Masri, agreeing with the government that the case could not go forward without exposing state secrets. The Supreme Court denied review without comment. ...(full article)