Unless you've just returned from an extended vacation from the Alpha Centauri system, you're probably aware the the Media has taken its lumps in recent years. No single media outlet has taken more lumps than the New York Times.
From self-admitted biases, the Jayson Blair debacle, and many other misadventures great and small, the Gray Lady's luster as the Leader of the Antique Media Pack has acquired an unattractive patina.
Now, with the Times'insistence on revealing important American security secrets in the War on Terror, the luster may end up being completely covered with tar and feather if she continues her wayward ways.
Andrew McCarthy gets this issue right at NRO.
Key points:
"Is there some illegality going on in the government’s Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (exposed by the Times and other news outlets Friday)? No, no laws have been broken. Is there some abuse of power? No, there seem to have been extraordinary steps taken to inform relevant officials and win international cooperation. Why then? Why take action that can only aid and comfort the enemy in wartime?
Because, Keller haughtily pronounced, American methods of monitoring enemy money transfers are 'a matter of public interest.'"
"Public interest" does not trump national security. Not if it abuses the "Freedom of the Press" right.
We shall see.
ReplyDeleteOne criticism I have of the Bush Administration is that they have been WAY too nice to the Opposition.
King wants to prosecute based on the Espionage Act and the fact that we are at war. I don't think he has a leg to stand on since we, by law, are not at war and the Espionage Act, as I remember, only covers actions with foreign powers. If they can use the Espionage Act I don't think the Times is going down, but the person that revealed info to them. Once that person acted there wasn't a "secret" anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't get about the whole thing is right after 9-11 the government was boasting about how they were tracking funds and cutting off the terrorist. When did it become a secret? And, the current transaction monitoring is being done overseas. Guess what, the other countries monitor us all the time just like we do them, and sometimes we share intel. None of that is a secret, it's just too hard for people to figure out.
This was expected.
ReplyDelete