> If the story is true, it's a MAJOR breach of classified information from US intelligence operations; operations which I assume (without evidence to the contrary) are operating in good faith -- in the interest of the US and its citizens. Breaching classified information of such ongoing investigations to trace supply chains of spy chips could very well compromise those investigations (which would be irresponsible to risk).
Meh. I'm a former SIGINT guy and I think that democracy is well-served by investigative journalists (who are not cleared and have no ethical obligation to protect classified information) trying to dig up the classified details of sources and methods that are ultimately being employed in the taxpaying citizens' name.
Clearly there are going to be times when the intel community is going to have sharp differences of opinion about what the public needs to know, e.g. with the Snowden-related disclosures or whatever else. The point is that continued journalistic attempts to divulge the details of classified programs constitutes an effective check on the potential excesses of these programs and has the additional salutatory effect of making people in the intel community more OPSEC-conscious.
I'm definitely with you when we're talking about journalists acting as a check-and-balance against information or operations that are ultimately harming or betraying the public.
It's just that I've just seen no such evidence that there's any Snowden-style 'betrayals of the public' happening in this particular instance. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe I'm overly trusting, but I like to default to innocence until evidence of guilt is on the table.
Meh. I'm a former SIGINT guy and I think that democracy is well-served by investigative journalists (who are not cleared and have no ethical obligation to protect classified information) trying to dig up the classified details of sources and methods that are ultimately being employed in the taxpaying citizens' name.
Clearly there are going to be times when the intel community is going to have sharp differences of opinion about what the public needs to know, e.g. with the Snowden-related disclosures or whatever else. The point is that continued journalistic attempts to divulge the details of classified programs constitutes an effective check on the potential excesses of these programs and has the additional salutatory effect of making people in the intel community more OPSEC-conscious.