Sunday, July 7, 2013

Do CIA Agents Need To Swear A 'Loyalty Oath'?

The CIA Doesn't Need A 'Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade' to Keep Secrets -- The Atlantic

John Brennan's "Honor the Oath" program is misguided, counterproductive -- and a little insulting to agency employees.

The U.S. intelligence community is having a terribly rough time lately with employees who just won't keep their mouths shut. Following Edward Snowden's drip-drip-drip of top-secret revelations and "several high-profile anonymous leaks and publications by former senior officers," CIA in late June launched the "Honor the Oath" effort -- an internal movement to stop officers from leaking classified material. It was indeed deliciously ironic that this missive was then leaked to the Associated Press.

But this new effort is a misguided and even counterproductive approach to keep secrets, well, secret. It's misguided because CIA employees typically don't -- with rare exceptions -- disclose classified information to the press. Here's why:

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My Comment: This will have zero impact in dissuading future whistle-blowers and leakers.

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