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Dealing With 'Leaks'
| Article
# : |
13964 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1988 |
2,416 Words |
| Author
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Elizabeth R. Rindskopf
Elizabeth R. Rindskopf is general counsel for the National
Security Agency. |
As the United States and Soviet Union continue their negotiations to reduce nuclear weapons, the foreign intelligence community is challenged to provide information to support the negotiating teams and assure that ratified treaties are verified. Our ability to accomplish these responsibilities and the myriad other tasks assigned to us depends on the continued vitality of the lifeblood of all intelligence systems--the sources from which information is collected and the means (techniques) by which raw information is collected and then transformed into data that can be reported to senior policymakers.
Our sources and methods can be compromised in a number of ways, including through leaks to the media of information about sources and methods.
The damage caused by press publication of leaks of signals intelligence (SIGINT) information is not a new concern, but the problem has significantly increased in recent years. Many individuals bear responsibility for this state of affairs; first and foremost are those in government who release classified information to the press without authorization. Those government officials charged with protecting our nation's secrets also share the burden of correcting the problem.
But the media have played a significant role as well. The media are the focus of this article, which suggests ways in which they might responsibly participate in full and open debate of policy issues without harming our nation's vital--yet fragile--foreign intelligence assets. However, before the question of media responsibility can be addressed, some terms must be
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