DOJ Charges Former CIA Agent with Leaking Classified Info in Post-9/11 World
A former CIA officer has been criminally charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly leaking classified information that may have been used by journalists.
The criminal complaint (PDF) filed today against John Kiriakou, 47, in the Eastern District of Virginia obscures details of the accusations against him, the Washington Post reports.
However, it suggests that Kiriakou may have been a major source for stories about harsh U.S. interrogation techniques including waterboarding that some consider a form of torture, in cases including that of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Mohammed is expected to go on trial before a military commission.
As the Post article notes, the Obama administration has imposed what the newspaper calls an unprecedented crackdown on those who leak government information to the media.
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “CIA Seeks Probe of Ex-Officer Who Told Journalists of Waterboarding”
ABAJournal.com: “Alleged 9/11 Mastermind to Be Tried by Military Commission”
Wall Street Journal (sub. req.): “Terror on Trial”
