So.... I'm pretty angry. Except, I'm not angry for the reason you think I am about Benghazi. I'm mad because of a little gem I found courtesy of
cryptome.org. If you don't visit there from time to time, I suggest you do. I've been a loyal reader for many years and for good reason - they publish a lot of objective reports from the government and the media about national security related issues. Yesterday, they uncovered a wonderful piece of operational security (OPSEC) violation history. It is probably one of the most astonishing violations I've run across. I haven't decided what was worse - the violation or the actions once the violation occurred.
Here's the blow by blow according to
cryptome:
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) was the first to unmask the spooks. “Point of order! Point of order!” he called out as a State Department security official, seated in front of an aerial photo of the U.S. facilities in Benghazi, described the chaotic night of the attack. “We’re getting into classified issues that deal with sources and methods that would be totally inappropriate in an open forum such as this.”
A State Department official assured him that the material was “entirely unclassified” and that the photo was from a commercial satellite. “I totally object to the use of that photo,” Chaffetz continued. He went on to say that “I was told specifically while I was in Libya I could not and should not ever talk about what you’re showing here today.”
Now that Chaffetz had alerted potential bad guys that something valuable was in the photo, the chairman, Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), attempted to lock the barn door through which the horse had just bolted. “I would direct that that chart be taken down,” he said, although it already had been on C-SPAN. “In this hearing room, we’re not going to point out details of what may still in fact be a facility of the United States government or more facilities.”
In case you missed it, State Department officials just revealed a
SECRET intelligence facility in a not-so-great neighborhood. Seriously, folks. It almost doesn't get any better than that. Except....Rep. Chaffetz almost defecates on himself when he realizes the charts may have just jeopardized the lives of still
VERY operational assets (spies) who now have a very minute window (they have .05 seconds to get out of town and destroy any classified material) to relocate. My suggestion to the committee:
CLEAR ANY AND ALL CHARTS, MAPS, OVERHEADS, PHOTOS, AND ANY OTHER MEDIA VIA THE DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE BEFORE C-SPAN AIRS IT ACROSS ITS VAST SATELLITE NETWORK!!!
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| Please note the not-so-bright look on Ambassador Kennedy's face. |
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| Note the "pucker" face from Regional Security Officer Nordstrom. He's been doing a LOAD of cover-your-ass acrobatics as of late. |
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| Yup, it was that bad folks. |
The New York Times also did a piece on this story as well. See the link below for their take.
