NewsMax.com Wires
Saturday, July 27, 2002

The investigation was requested publicly by congressional leaders after blistering criticism from the White House, but the Justice Department is not acknowledging the operation.

The investigation was spurred in part by anger in the Bush administration over media reports last month that the National Security Agency had intercepted two messages between suspected terrorists in Afghanistan on Sept. 10: "tomorrow is zero day" and "the match begins tomorrow."

However, the messages were not translated until Sept. 12, the day after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

The Sept. 11 attacks were the deadliest terrorist acts ever carried out on U.S. soil.

The reported leaks sparked at least two furious telephone calls to congressional leaders from Vice President Dick Cheney, and the White House publicly castigated Congress for its alleged security lapse.

In response the House and Senate Select Intelligence committees asked Attorney General John Ashcroft to conduct an investigation into the leaks. That brought the following response from Barbara Comstock, the Justice Department's communications director, which did little more than acknowledge the request.

'Gravity' of the Concerns

"The Justice Department is in receipt of a referral from the chairman and ranking members of the House and Senate Select Intelligence committees regarding recent leaks of national security information," Comstock said in a statement. "We appreciate the gravity of the national security concerns raised by this referral and the appropriate department officials will expeditiously review this matter and take any appropriate action."

Since Comstock's statement, however, the department has refused to comment on the matter.

The FBI investigation into the committees and their staffs is considered especially sensitive, and is being conducted in a particularly low-key manner.

There was no indication Friday when the investigation would be completed, or whether it would lead to criminal charges.

The FBI investigation comes at a particularly sensitive time for the Bush administration, while Congress is debating the final shape of the president's proposed Department of Homeland Security.

The new Cabinet department would include more than 170,000 employees, mostly from other agencies.

Also see: Leaky Leahy.

Copyright 2002 by United Press International.

All rights reserved.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration

Homeland/Civil Defense

War on Terrorism

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