Anti-leak Congressman discloses classified intelligence budget cut in editorial

[babylonsister]

Anti-leak Congressman discloses classified intelligence budget cut
Michael Roston
Published: Thursday August 9, 2007


Rep. Peter Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has been calling for the intelligence community to strongly prosecute leakers in recent weeks. But in a Thursday op-ed in the New York Post, the Michigan Republican revealed a budget cut from the classified portion of an intelligence authorization bill for the coming year.

"The 2008 Intelligence Authorization bill cut {emphasis original} human-intelligence programs but directed U.S. intelligence agencies to study global climate change," Hoekstra wrote in his Thursday critique of Congressional Democrats' intelligence policy.

The Congressman's revelation of the budget cut on a newspaper op-ed page drew sharp criticism from advocates of greater openness and transparency in the budgeting for the intelligence community.

"It looks like Rep. Hoekstra is playing games with classification rules by making his claim publicly," said Dr. Steven Aftergood, who directs the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy. "I suggest that he go investigate himself."

Aftergood's remark is tied to the Intelligence Committee's report on the Fiscal Year 2008 Intelligence Authorization bill. The human intelligence budget cuts that Hoekstra complains about are found only in the classified portion of the legislation.

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http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Antileaker_Congressman_warns_of_classified_intelligence_0809.html