DOJ Takes Off Gloves in NSA Wiretapping Probe

The DOJ and FBI are beginning a probe focusing on the leaks to the NY Times concerning NSA wiretapping of calls between the US and known or suspected al-Qaeda members. CNN has this:

"The Justice Department has opened an investigation of the unauthorized disclosure of classified information related to the NSA," a Justice Department official tells CNN.

The secret eavesdropping program, which President Bush authorized shortly after the September 11 attacks, allows the NSA to intercept domestic communications without a warrant, as long as one party is outside the United States.

These leaks were infinitely more damaging to the nation than were the Plame leaks (leaks that even a dogged investigator couldn't muster an indictment for) as these revealed an active, ongoing CIA program that by all accounts was effective. The damage done by the NY Times revealing this program will not be known for months or years. They revealed sources and methods of a legal program that congress was briefed on and was within the scope of existing law.

I would hope that the probe be expanded to include the revelations about the eastern European prisons run by the CIA in which the tail number of the civilian aircraft were reported.

The Times refused to comment and it will only be a matter of days before they start writing about big bad Bush administration's attempts to suppress the media. I think the Times is in way deep on this one and may well have overstepped themselves in their dogged pursuit of anything bad for Bush.

I wonder what distinguished, elected Democrats were briefed on this. I can't wait to find out.

Michelle Malkin has more as does AJ Strata. Memeorandum has more blogger rundown.

Update: Forget what you've read elsewhere, just read Ed.