A group of House Republicans are calling for an investigation into "the release of sensitive information" in a recent ABC News report on CIA covert activities against Iran. In a carefully worded request, seven House GOP lawmakers led by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., asked the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to "look into the releasing of sensitive information and its impact on the security of our nation, the performance of our government agencies, and the viability of our diplomatic relationships overseas."
Citing an ABC News story last month about a White House-authorized "non-lethal" operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the septet asserted, "We have an obligation to ensure the offenders are held accountable."
However, the letter did not ask for the committee's investigation to identify ABC News' sources.
Following the broadcast of the report, ABC News said, "In the six days since we first contacted the CIA and the White House, at no time did they indicate that broadcasting this report would jeopardize lives or operations on the ground. ABC News management gave them the repeated opportunity to make whatever objection they wanted to regarding our report. They chose not to."
"This piece was very carefully reported, and it puts solid facts on the table concerning a crucial foreign policy challenge facing the United States and the world" ABC News said.
Today's letter from McHenry and six other lawmakers is the second call for a congressional investigation sparked by the report.
Poster Comment:
Look no further than Dick Cheney's office and Elliot Abrams for a "leak." Leave it up to the sheep to get sheared on realities of Realpolitik. How the great herds interpret the Great Depression II is another matter.