[calcowgirl]

The government alleged that at a June 26, 2003, lunch, a Department of Defense employee, Lawrence Franklin, disclosed classified national defense information related to potential attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq to Rosen and Weissman, who were then employed by AIPAC. Franklin admitted that he’d told the AIPAC employees about Iranian participation in terrorism, asked them to pass the information on to the National Security Council, and sought their help in obtaining a position there from which to [2] make his views known to the administration.

Why on earth would a DOD employee, routinely briefed in the potential consequences of breaching terms of his security clearance, think it was appropriate to transmit classified information to the NSC via any outside organization?

[calcowgirl]

I read the rest of the article. I find this disturbing:

Through the examination under oath of the various government officials they have subpoenaed (and the judge has ruled they may call), the defendants will surely be able to establish that the transfer of information is a regular occurrence in Washington with which every lobbyist and high government official is fully aware. Further, they should be able to demonstrate that given the regularity of this practice, there is no reason for the recipients in such situations to assume the disclosure involves classified information or that it is unauthorized.

The defense will show that it is commonplace to leak classified information? That is a regular and accepted practice to violate national security laws and regulations? What is this country coming to?

[SJackson]

Sorry, re Why on earth would a DOD employee, routinely briefed in the potential consequences of breaching terms of his security clearance, think it was appropriate to transmit classified information to the NSC via any outside organization? this was a sting operation. However the "information" being "leaked" related to the compromise of the identity of Israeli operatives aiding the Kurds in Iraq. No, I don't know if Israel is/was helping us in Iraq, but the tale was that their lives were in jeopardy. Per the Department of Defense. Apparently this is a credible way for the DOD to transmit info to the White House/NSA, since Rosen did it, called the White House, then the Israeli Embassy and the WP. Crazy way to run a war or what.