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CIA Director Porter Goss testified before the U.S. Select Committee on Intelligence on Feb. 2. Mr. Goss warned in an agency-wide e-mail that any officer suspected of leaks could be subject to an immediate lie detector test (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP). |
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President Bush has ordered the largest crackdown in decades against whistleblowers in government.
The Justice Department has initiated or summoned to investigate whistleblowers throughout the government. Officials said the effort includes FBI agents questioning suspected leakers, particularly in defense and intelligence agencies.
"The investigation is part of the administration's effort to stop leaks, particularly in national security," an official said. "The evidence shows that national security leaks have been fully exploited by al Qaeda."
The Justice Department has sought to determine who divulged the existence of Mr. Bush's secret domestic spying program. The probe comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee began its investigation of the domestic surveillance program conducted by the National Security Agency since 2001.
Officials said the NSA requested the Justice Department to launch the investigation. The Justice Department was ordered to initiate investigations of government employees who leak information, particularly to journalists or lobbyists.
The FBI has also been involved in the investigation. Officials said several long-unused laws would be employed to help in prosecution efforts.
"Obviously, we are not going after every leaker," an official said. "But if the leaker comes from State, the Pentagon or the intelligence community, we will be ruthless."
The CIA, in cooperation with the Justice Department, has also been ordered to launch a major investigation into leaks on covert operations. CIA Director Porter Goss warned in an agency-wide e-mail that any officer suspected of leaks could be subject to an immediate lie detector test.
"We also have an investigation of finding out what leakage, if any, is coming out of that building," Mr. Goss told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Feb. 2. "And I'm afraid there is some coming out. I also believe that there has been an erosion of the culture of secrecy. And we're trying to re-instill that."
The administration is said to have been furious over leaks that the CIA operated secret prisons for al Qaeda operatives in Europe. The leaks forced Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to visit European capitals in 2005 to assure leaders that Washington did not violate international law.
The FBI has been called in to help investigate suspected leakers in the CIA. Officials said reporters would also be questioned.
"I've called in the FBI, the Department of Justice," Mr. Goss said. "It is my aim, and it is my hope, that we will witness a grand jury investigation with reporters present being asked to reveal who is leaking this information."
In another case, the administration ordered NASA to restrict access to a prominent climate scientist, Jim Hansen, who warned of the effects of global warming. The administration order was said to have been relayed to a 24-year-old NASA political appointee George Deutsch. Mr. Deutsch resigned on Feb. 7.
Congress has watched uneasily as the investigations proceed throughout the administration. Several members said they could decide to put forth legislation granting protection for whistleblowers.
"There are differences between felons and whistleblowers, and we ought to wait until the investigation occurs to decide what happened," said Sen. Charles Schumer, New York Democrat and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. | 
