Does the far left feel that the United States shouldn't execute ANY covert operations?

Question

There is no doubt that the classified program that tracked terrorists money was legal. What is the motivation for the leak?

Answer 1

I have no problem with covert operations but I also have no problem with freedom of the press. I think the administration (whichever party is in power) should be responsible for policing leaks and avoiding press coverage.

Answer 2

Just because it may be legal doesn't mean people shouldn't find out about it. The national security excuse only goes so far.

The Supreme Court cases that have addressed prior restraints -- basically forbidding any disclosure by the press before it occurs -- require a compelling interest and no other possible means of preserving life. The phrasing of the court basically was that unless the disclosure would certainly result in massive loss of life, prior restraints are not valid.

Here, there is nothing in the news story about the bank monitoring that should be news to anyone. Any terrorist with have a clue will know their finances are under scrutiny, based on the fact that the US has outlawed financial transactions to known terrorist organizations, and has prosecuted several such groups for money transfers.

So, revealing that the US is effectively tracking money is nothing new, and if anything is positive press for the government. The fact that the program is classified is just another example of the government making up the rules (and then ignoring them) as it goes along. Especially when nothing in the news story rises to the level of being an imminent or certain threat to loss of life.

Answer 3

The motivation is the lack of judicial oversight.

It is a falsehood that Democrats want to scrap covert investigations.

Congress set up courts to oversee these operations when they are used to observe American citizens - yet they are bypassed.

(By the way, the far left want Nader to be president so we can all live on bio-fuel - they could care less)

Bush is perceived to have loaded the government with cronies. With no oversight, a well placed political operative can compile a huge election advantage in targeted political advertising, exposing opposition candidates private matters with "whisper campaigns", and block telephones from communicating with each other in the weeks before the election.
From the dirty tricks that are still wending their way through the courts from the last election, this is not a improbable concern.

Answer 4

Where was the anger when we found out we were being wire tapped by our very own government? No one tried to sue a paper because of that.

Answer 5

If it was so top secret how did the papers get it .Don't listen to the far left or the far right because they are both nuts.