Say Anything Blog

What draws you to the conclusion that the unconfirmed death of OBL is some kind of State Secret? Did you watch the videos?
Seriously?

[...] Compiled by Pajamas Media staff in Barcelona Wednesday, November 30, 2005 Image courtesy stock.xchng Was Osama bin Laden killed in last month’s earthquake in Pakistan? So said Senate minority leader Harry Reid to a Nevada TV station (video here). More than the news itself that the No. 1 Most Wanted could be dead -it’s not the first time the speculation arises, and at least until now it has been never confirmed-, it’s the possibility that Reid might have disclosed classified information what is has some angry, though others say that there’s not much there there since Reid was only speculating:  Michelle Malkin: “Sen. Blabbermouth” John Fund: “Intelligence analysts tell me that the only proper action by a top U.S. Senate leader who has been given such information is radio silence. If the report is true, such information is best released at a moment of the U.S. government’s choosing.” Besty Newmark: “If senators can’t be trusted with top secret information, they won’t be able to perform their Constitutional obligations to oversight of the Executive branch. They must be trusted to keep their big yaps shut. And this guy goes off blabbing to the local news station! [...] Did you know that three Democratic senators, including the ranking minority member of the Intelligence Committee have been under investigation for a year for leaking top secret information?” Say Anything: “This from the guy who forced the Senate to be closed to discuss pre-war Iraq intelligence.” Gateway Pundit: “Obviously, the good Senator Reid has some explaining to do!” Powerline: “A few questions for Senator Reid.” Polipundit: “Senators With Big Yaps.” Dave Weigel: “Am I missing something? A lot of people were speculating that bin Laden died in the Pakistan earthquake. If you hear Reid’s entire quote, it sounds like he was going off those speculations - he actually said “I heard today” that he may have died, which is a little less loaded than the “had been informed just that day” James Bond spin John Fund takes on it.” The Reclusive Antiquarian: “You know how the Democrats are so concerned about the leaking of secret intelligence?” Bareknuckledpolitics: “Harry Reid Said What?” IowaVoice: “If Bin Laden is dead, and we know it, maybe there’s a good reason that it hasn’t been made common knowledge. You know, like perhaps laying a trap or something for his followers?” Suitably Flip: “Hey, Harry Reid:  Shhh.” Release the hounds: “I’d like to think that a U.S. Senator wouldn’t be referencing information that he heard from his paperboy or from some unknown diner at the next table.” [...]

[...] Was Osama bin Laden killed in last month’s earthquake in Pakistan? So said Senate minority leader Harry Reid to a Nevada TV station (video here). More than the news itself that the No. 1 Most Wanted could be dead -it’s not the first time the speculation arises, and at least until now it has been never confirmed-, it’s the possibility that Reid might have disclosed classified information what is has some angry, though others say that there’s not much there there since Reid was only speculating:  Michelle Malkin: “Sen. Blabbermouth” John Fund: “Intelligence analysts tell me that the only proper action by a top U.S. Senate leader who has been given such information is radio silence. If the report is true, such information is best released at a moment of the U.S. government’s choosing.” Besty Newmark: “If senators can’t be trusted with top secret information, they won’t be able to perform their Constitutional obligations to oversight of the Executive branch. They must be trusted to keep their big yaps shut. And this guy goes off blabbing to the local news station! [...] Did you know that three Democratic senators, including the ranking minority member of the Intelligence Committee have been under investigation for a year for leaking top secret information?” Say Anything: “This from the guy who forced the Senate to be closed to discuss pre-war Iraq intelligence.” Gateway Pundit: “Obviously, the good Senator Reid has some explaining to do!” Powerline: “A few questions for Senator Reid.” Polipundit: “Senators With Big Yaps.” Dave Weigel: “Am I missing something? A lot of people were speculating that bin Laden died in the Pakistan earthquake. If you hear Reid’s entire quote, it sounds like he was going off those speculations - he actually said “I heard today” that he may have died, which is a little less loaded than the “had been informed just that day” James Bond spin John Fund takes on it.” The Reclusive Antiquarian: “You know how the Democrats are so concerned about the leaking of secret intelligence?” Bareknuckledpolitics: “Harry Reid Said What?” IowaVoice: “If Bin Laden is dead, and we know it, maybe there’s a good reason that it hasn’t been made common knowledge. You know, like perhaps laying a trap or something for his followers?” Suitably Flip: “Hey, Harry Reid:  Shhh.” Release the hounds: “I’d like to think that a U.S. Senator wouldn’t be referencing information that he heard from his paperboy or from some unknown diner at the next table.” READ >> [...]

and now...the rest of the story.

Harry Reid has admitted he does not read the Intel Briefs provided to him, why would anyone think he would have information of a compromise-able nature. He was out in his state glad-handing, what would make anyone think he was saying anything of consequence, period.

[...] Earlier I posted on a John Fund column which seemed to indicate that Harry Reid had been less-than careful with classified government intelligence. Turns out that the reality of the situation is that Reid was just repeating something he heard repeated on an NPR news program. [...]

[...] H/T Say Anything. [...]