Democratic and Republican intelligence experts in Congress are joining forces to condemn a series of jaw-dropping intelligence leaks which some Republicans charge are timed to boost President Barack Obama's re-election campaign.
But castigating leakers and questioning their motives may be a lot easier than coming up with remedies that might make leaking more difficult and risky.
On Wednesday, the leadership from both parties of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees issued a rare joint statement deploring recent leaks which have included reports on U.S. cyber warfare against Iran, procedures for targeting militants with drones, and the existence of a double-agent who penetrated a militant group in Yemen.
The committee leaders said their panels would consider legislation to "strengthen authorities and procedures with respect to access to classified information and disclosure of it, as well as to ensure that criminal and administrative measures are taken each time sensitive information is improperly disclosed."
The pending intelligence authorization bill could become a vehicle for new efforts to tighten laws against leakers, lawmakers said.
The revelations of U.S. secrets in the media have sparked a bitter presidential election-season exchange of words.
Republican Senator John McCain on Tuesday accused the Obama administration of leaking classified information for political advantage to burnish the Democratic president's national security credentials.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/07/us-usa-security-leaks-idUSBRE85606P20120607
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