New York Times Compromises National Security Again
Bill Keller, Editor, New York Times
Today the New York Times once again blew the lid off a classified intelligence program designed to protect the lives of my family, friends and Americans across the country. Another arrogant decision by the Times editor, Bill Keller, to put the safety of the nation at risk in order to sell more newspapers.
He says his decision was motivated by the public interest.
I’d like to think that the public interest is more important in terms of knowing the government is doing everything it can to protect its citizens, rather than how a self-righteous newspaper editor views the Bush administration’s counter-terrorism programs. This is simply outrageous!
Bank Data Secretly Reviewed by U.S. to Fight Terror
WASHINGTON, June 22 - Under a secret Bush administration program initiated weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, counterterrorism officials have gained access to financial records from a vast international database and examined banking transactions involving thousands of Americans and others in the United States, according to government and industry officials.
Here’s a clue, from the NSA wiretapping playbook, of things to come:
The program, however, is a significant departure from typical practice in how the government acquires Americans’ financial records. Treasury officials did not seek individual court-approved warrants or subpoenas to examine specific transactions, instead relying on broad administrative subpoenas for millions of records from the cooperative, known as Swift.
And yet, another example of the Clintonite war against the Bush administration:
Nearly 20 current and former government officials and industry executives discussed aspects of the Swift operation with The New York Times on condition of anonymity because the program remains classified. Some of those officials expressed reservations about the program, saying that what they viewed as an urgent, temporary measure had become permanent nearly five years later without specific Congressional approval or formal authorization.
Like the NSA wiretap program, the Swift program is effective:
Among the successes was the capture of a Qaeda operative, Riduan Isamuddin, better known as Hambali, believed to be the mastermind of the 2002 bombing of a Bali resort, several officials said. The Swift data identified a previously unknown figure in Southeast Asia who had financial dealings with a person suspected of being a member of Al Qaeda; that link helped locate Hambali in Thailand in 2003, they said.
In the United States, the program has provided financial data in investigations into possible domestic terrorist cells as well as inquiries of Islamic charities with suspected of having links to extremists, the officials said.
The data also helped identify a Brooklyn man who was convicted on terrorism-related charges last year, the officials said. The man, Uzair Paracha, who worked at a New York import business, aided a Qaeda operative in Pakistan by agreeing to launder $200,000 through a Karachi bank, prosecutors said.
Quasi-Round-Up:
Powerline Blog is has some good commentary on the story.
Hugh Hewitt is trying to arrange an interview with Bill Keller.
Dennis over at Counterterrorism Blog has more:
U.S. Government Terrorist Financing Initiative Involving SWIFT.
LGF thinks The Media Are the Enemy (and they’re right.)
Hot Air has posted the video of Tony Snow on NYT’s bank-surveillance expose.
Michelle Malkin:
NY Times Blabbermouth’s Strike Again.
Pajamas Media has a well-rounded, Round Up.