CIA Memo On Stopping Leaks To Reporters Is Promptly Leaked To Reporters

from the let's-go-back-to-step-one dept

Fri, Jun 28th 2013 11:45am — Mike Masnick

Sometimes these kinds of stories write themselves. With all of the leaks coming out of the NSA lately, the CIA, complete with new director John Brennan, has announced a program to stop leaks to reporters from within the CIA. And, wouldn't you know it, the program was almost immediately leaked to the Associated Press:

In a memo to the CIA workforce this week, Brennan says the "Honor the Oath," campaign is intended to "reinforce our corporate culture of secrecy" through education and training. The Associated Press obtained the memo Wednesday, marked unclassified and for official use only.

Brennan writes that the campaign stems from a review of CIA security launched last summer by former director David Petraeus, following what Brennan calls "several high-profile anonymous leaks and publications by former senior officers."

I have this picture of John Brennan doing a facepalm upon seeing this, and starting his next memo: "Let's return to step one..."

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Filed Under: cia, john brennan, journalism, leaks, memo

18 Comments

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Akari Mizunashi (profile), 28 Jun 2013 @ 10:34am

Ah, the Domino Effect.

Can't wait to see what news stories I wake up to tomorrow.
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That One Guy (profile), 28 Jun 2013 @ 10:42am

"Honor the Oath"
Funny choice of words there, don't most government employees, or at least the ones in the alphabet agencies take an oath to, I dunno, defend the Constitution among other things? You'd think that one would take precedence over any other oaths they'd make after.
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:00pm

Re: "Honor the Oath"
They may be a bit too literal about that. The Constitution is safe within the Archive building, after all.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:03pm

Re: "Honor the Oath"
The government is on an irony roll lately.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:08pm

Re: "Honor the Oath"
Nah. They obviously think laws concerning National Security and granting Sovereign Immunity take precedence over Constitutional law so why would they think an oath to defend the Constitution would take precedence over any other oaths they would take?
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Ben, 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:10pm

That's hilarious.
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:23pm

Re: Re: "Honor the Oath"
So does that mean in order to prevent that absurd interpretation we need to destroy the original copy of the Constitution. Without that they'll be forced to defend what it says. Ah crap, we need to destroy the Constituion to save it. That never ends well.
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Zakida Paul (profile), 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:24pm

Did they really not see this coming?
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:26pm

Re:
They're taking one for the "Look! We're ALL stupid!" team.
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wec, 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:47pm

You can't fix stupid....
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Zakida Paul (profile), 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:52pm

Re: Re:
Just one?
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rasz, 28 Jun 2013 @ 12:58pm

>review of CIA security launched last summer by former
>director David Petraeus

So THIS is why he got character assassinated with CIA digging up dirt on his Gmail account?
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2013 @ 1:05pm

I cannot believe this "reinforce our corporate culture of secrecy" You set up something that at its philosophical core "corporate culture" is solely about the individual motivated to their own ends.

To all of us it is evident that the "culture" needs to change and the corporation in government needs to be thrown out.
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bob, 28 Jun 2013 @ 1:27pm

honoring the oath
how about honoring the oath to uphold and protect the constitution?
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2013 @ 1:30pm

Re:
...but hey you can promote it.
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I_am_so_smrt (profile), 28 Jun 2013 @ 1:47pm

Honor the Oaf
'nuff said
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Jun 2013 @ 1:56pm

Re:
Actually, the person leaking this, has a lot of humour!

Leaking the level of hypocricy is an amazing way to keep the secret services to respecting at least some civil rights instead of just doubling down on the "we shoot traitors" as the hair put it.
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The Groove Tiger (profile), 2 Jul 2013 @ 7:56am

Having a little phun with photoshop.

http://i.imgur.com/zDFAvpG.jpg

Brennan can't catch a break.
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