Posted on 08/07/2004 3:15:11 AM PDT by Liz
WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Richard Shelby (R.-Ala.) accused federal law enforcement officials of abuse Thursday after a newspaper reported that federal investigators had concluded he leaked to the media classified messages from the eve of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources familiar with the investigation, reported that the Alabama Republican's role had been confirmed to FBI investigators by Fox News chief political correspondent Carl Cameron. Cameron denied that.
The newspaper said the alleged leak was from a June 19, 2002, interview, following a classified briefing to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. At the time Shelby was the committee's vice chairman.
A statement released by Shelby's office said the senator "never knowingly compromised classified information."
In question are two messages intercepted by the National Security Agency a day before the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Those messages contained the words "the match begins tomorrow" and "tomorrow is zero day," but they were not translated from Arabic until Sept. 12.
Shelby's office said, in a statement released Thursday by his spokeswoman, Virginia Davis, "It bears noting that this story represents a grotesque abuse of a public trust on the part of law enforcement.
"For someone in law enforcement to express one-sided, personal views anonymously to the media while the investigation itself is still under way and while the matter is pending before the Senate Ethics Committee is unprofessional and grossly unfair," Shelby's statement said.
Last month, the Justice Department referred the matter to the Ethics Committee.
Justice Department officials declined to comment on the newspaper report or Shelby's accusation.
Two people who attended the June 19 classified briefing said Shelby aggressively questioned officials about the intercepted messages. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because it was a closed-door meeting.
Intelligence officials said disclosing the Sept. 10 interceptions was harmful because it might have tipped off terrorists that one of their channels of communication had been compromised.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Cameron acknowledged that the FBI talked to him about the investigation, but he denied naming Shelby as a leaker.
"It's flat wrong," Cameron said. "The sum total of my interaction was to tell them that there was no information they could get from Carl Cameron or Fox News and to refer them to my lawyers."
Cameron said he didn't air the material until after it was already reported by CNN. According to the Post's sources, Shelby met with a CNN reporter after he spoke with Cameron, and the network broadcast the information an hour after that.
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Jeffrey McMurray, Associated Press Writer , Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
You're assuming, Senator, that The Washington Post is printing the truth, a foolish assumption at best.
Now this makes more sense.
I think that when it comes to national security leaks the news agency who reports secret material and who doesn't reveal the source should be held in contempt in jail until they reveal the source. If the source is then found without their help then the news person/agency should get the same penalty as the traitor whose loose lips caused a cost in lives, time, and money. No more free ride on this anonymous BullS@@t and a free ride when it comes to national security information.
It has happened----jailing news personnel who won't reveal sources. The press always wins via the inviolateness of media shield laws.
Looks like the Washington Pus is making things up....again.
Amen to that. the media gets by with divulging National security info. then starts pointing fingers. Probably in an attempt to divert attention from their mole in the Justice department. While the FBI is looking for terrorists in the Mosques, they might start checking the offices at the Justice department. Obviously, they have people working there that do not know the meaning of National Security, or don't care to know.
The TIMING of this story is highly suspicious!
For most of Shelby's career he's been a dem and since Nov '94 he's been a RINO. The leopard doesn't change his spots.
Those media shield laws only can come into play when by revealing the source of information can harm an innocent person, not a person that breaks the law by giving government secret or confidential information to the media.
Looks like the Washington Post tried to get Shelby, who is running for reelection, and Carl Cameron/Fox with one story.
News media is smoking crack once again. Senator Shelby is a man of integrity and that is why he left the democratic party. I find it highly improbable the agents would release any info with an incomplete investgation. If they did, the soup lines have plenty of openings. We Dare Defend Our Rights. Bush/Cheney 2004
Triple play.........the WashPo was out to get Ashcroft, as well.
What are you?
Heheh.........nice zinger.
This is just an educated guess (/sarc), but I believe this story is meant to divert attention from criminal investigaitons of Sandy Berger's theft of secret documents.
The Dims are funny that way.........gotta even things up.
It is highly suspicious, the timing of this. He is running for re-election this year. Shelby is very decent and is one who always weighs his words carefully. For him to be a leaker is absurd.
Might this be a hit on Fox News as well as the Senator. We know how the left fears FNC.
My guess is he's mocking Sick William Clintoon who laughed and laughed and laughed at the idea of Sandy Burglar stuffing documents in his pants and socks and who knows where else?
At least, that was Sick Willie's stated response to Burglar doing away with top secret documents.
As a STRONG conservative from Alabama, I've followed Senator Shelby's career with interest for 15-20 years. He has been known as a guy who keeps his mouth shut on Intellignece affairs. He has a good reputation in Washington.
The post reporting that Carl Cameron told the FBI what a source told them reeks of a hit job. Reporters just don't do that. Now Cameron is flatly denying the story.
2+2= 16 right here. Something rotten is afoot.
Me stupid. Thanks.
"This is just an educated guess (/sarc), but I believe this story is meant to divert attention from criminal investigaitons of Sandy Berger's theft of secret documents."
Liz, you're right, triple play. I forgot the LE/Ashcroft angle.
Re: Sandy Berger...I think you might have it. It could also mean that there's new information about to surface.
Could be new Berger info surfacing.........very damaging information, we'd have to assume.
Since he's already admitted to theft, they must have an awful lot of proof to substantiate Berger's guilt.
Clintonoids don't ususally admit to wrongdoing.
ping
Senator Shelby is one of the sharpest men in the senate.
He didn't leak a damn thing.
Political witch hunt.
Shelby is too smart for the likes of the WP.
Richard will be exonerated. He is a lawyer and a moderate but he isn't stupid.
Amen.
The way these terrorists use up and dispose of cell phones, I believe it is highly ludicrous to believe they will still be using the same "channel of communication" years later.
If we really want to punish Senators fer leaks, we need to start with Sen. "Depends" Leahy from Vermont!!
FReegards...MUD
Shelby has been highly critical of the CIA 'establishment' in recent years (not critical of the agents). I'm extremely suspicious of any attempt to trash him at this particular time.
Mud makes a good point. Why would this nearly meaningless information be leaked? Of all the things Shelby knows, this is way down on the list. That reinforces my opinion that this was a 'hit' on one of the good guys. The question is...who was the batter?
Mud's excellent point ab't channels of communication should be written by skywriters over DC......so obvious.....
......like the WashPo'll back down (/sarc)........
As I posted above, vengeful Dims are crying in their beer about Pantload Berger being nailed, so the WashPo knelt down on its Dim kneepads to even the score.
Bingo.....thanks for posting the link.
You're welcome! We need to keep our eyes/ears open on Wednesday.
Senator Shelby will win and the dems will again have egg on their faces. Bush/Cheney 2004
What do you mean? "What am I"
Look at posts 20 and 22. I have already pointed out my lack of smarts.
I am a newbie :-)(-: ----
And to tweak libs when they say, "I bet you even listen to Rush Limbaugh?"
I always say , "Well I used to listen to him all the time, but I don't anymore because I find him to be too much of a moderate."
I figure if they can call someone like Gore a moderate than Rush must be a moderate too.
(;>)
Hmmmm...good question. I'd bet it's someone on the Intelligence Committee, and someone who fears what Shelby might have on them. Still guessing, but isn't--or wasn't--Edwards on the Intelligence Committee?! What might he be hiding?!
FReegards...MUD
Note this is the last line in the story:
Cameron said he didn't air the material until after it was already reported by CNN. According to the Post's sources, Shelby met with a CNN reporter after he spoke with Cameron, and the network [CNN] broadcast the information an hour after that.
Man, that was brilliant. Almost word for word the same.
Kudos to you.
Explain what this means please, I am a newbie.
(;>)
"Spot the Media Bias".......could be a regular FR game show. LOL.
Darn good guess.
As usual, we're on the same song, same verse, same line.
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