Control Information

The Bush administration has started a campaign directed at "leakers" of classified information and the journalists who make that information available to the public. The CIA, under Director Porter Goss, has begun a polygraph investigation intelligence agencies to uncover who leaked information embarrassing to the administration, such as the existence of secret CIA prisons and warrantless wiretapping. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez also has threatened journalists who air such information with prosecution under a 1917 World War I espionage law. Somehow, it was OK for a top aide to the vice president to leak the identity of an undercover CIA agent to the media after the agent's spouse had contradicted President Bush's statements about Iraq purchasing uranium from an African nation. At the same time, declassified historical documents stored at the National Archives are being removed from public access. The work is being done by the CIA, the Air Force and the Defense Intelligence Agency. Add to that the changes made by this administration to executive orders, the Presidential Papers Act and the Freedom of Information Act, and it begins to look like a conspiracy by our government to control public information. It is not surprising that Americans were willing to go along with an unprovoked attack against Iraq when one considers that supporting information was more readily available to the public than contradictory statements made by international weapons inspectors. I believe it is time to get concerned that our rights are being eroded. This November, we should fire anyone who places loyalty to the president ahead of loyalty to the Constitution. Let us not forget that most dictatorships begin with suppressing the free flow of information.

NICK REINA

Milmay

Letter published in the Courier Post, March 17, 2006