From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

George Sherwood wrote:
> On Tue, 16 May 2006 16:41:23 +0100, Adam wrote:
>
>> George Sherwood wrote:
>>> On Tue, 16 May 2006 06:53:10 +0100, Adam wrote:
>>>
>>>> George Sherwood wrote:
>>>>> On Mon, 15 May 2006 20:53:18 +0100, Adam wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Robert Comer wrote:
>>>>>>> Why am I not surprised...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Iron Rice bowl. PRC is the thought leader. Get used to it.
>>>>>>
>>>>> They don't use wiretaps in the UK to catch criminals?
>>>>>
>>>>> George
>>>> Not often wrt journos coz journos have the power to make
probs for the
>>>> pols & the pols have the power to make probs for civil servants.
>>>>
>>> What?  How about the "Official State Secrets Act"? 
I have seen many
>>> journos threatened under that.  It is actually much stricter then what
>>> we have here.
>>>
>>> George
>> Yup. But it depends wrt a leak.
>
> Seems pretty clear to me.  Seems the Washington Post, New York Times and
> USA Today could be charged under Section 5 of the 1989 Official Secrets Act
> for publishing leaked classified information.
>

Nah you simply make sure it was published "abroad" somewhere
first. This is getting increasingly easy in the age of the internet.

>
>> I suggest you try & download the Yes minister where hacker decides to
>> investigate a leak.
> Not heard of this.
>
>
>> Governments work off leaks. They are an essential lubricant in the
>> democratic process.
>
> It shouldn't be off of classified info leaks.  Those that leak and those
> that print it should be in jail.  This isn't whistleblowing as far as I am
> concerned.
>

Heck it's politics in the same way that Bush decided to declassify anything
he thinks/thought will/would help him politically.

This is just politics as usual. There is always a conflict between valid
secrecy & public scrutiny to stop gov abuse esp of secrecy.

You want to do something you know the public won't like....declare it
classified. You want to do something potentially illegal? Declare it
classified. You know that & I know that. If you want real examples I
can give them.

4 Squares Laundry is one example.

e.g. why was this recent surveillance cam shot of the pentagon being hit by
an aircraft not released until a court ordered it's release?



> Political leaks are a totally different story and you are probably right
> about that.
>
Most/all leaks are political.

Adam

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