Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Classified Military Information Leaked Grants Conservative's Their Wish, Right-Wing Still Upset

Mark Mazetti wrote an article for The New York Times revealing classified information detailing the increase in clandestine activities in the Middle East, approved by General David H. Petreaus.
The top American commander in the Middle East has ordered a broad expansion of clandestine military activity in an effort to disrupt militant groups or counter threats in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and other countries in the region, according to defense officials and military documents.

The secret directive, signed in September by Gen. David H. Petraeus, authorizes the sending of American Special Operations troops to both friendly and hostile nations in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa to gather intelligence and build ties with local forces. Officials said the order also permits reconnaissance that could pave the way for possible military strikes in Iran if tensions over its nuclear ambitions escalate.
You would think that conservatives would be happy to learn that the administration is actually taking action in the region, especially in countries like Iran or Yemen, which have played a prominent role in conservative foreign policy talks regarding things such as nuclear proliferation and the radicalization of Islam.  Iran has been playing this twisted game of cat-and-mouse with their supposed peaceful nuclear ambitions and Yemen popped up on the map again after the botched Christmas Day attack planned by Al Qaeda leaders in Yemen and carried out by Abdul Farouk Umar Abdulmutallab in Detroit.

What was the general response from the right?

Anger.

Cassy Fiano from Hot Air's The Greenroom had a lot to say, calling for the author of the article to be investigated and prosecuted alongside the person who leaked the information.
Makes you think of this: if the NY Times was around in 1776. Pretty accurate.

Here’s a question: why does the NY Times get away with this time and time again? It happens over and over again and they’re never held accountable. Will the Obama White House investigate and punish those responsible for this story? Fat chance. Now that this has been leaked, liberals are wailing and gnashing their teeth at the horror of it all. What an outrage! We’ll know who our enemies are, what they’re doing, and we’ll be better prepared to deal with them.

Gee, you’d think they didn’t want us to win this war or something.

The worst part of this is that now, Iran will be emboldened to further avoid sanctions and go further towards becoming the most dangerous regime on the planet. Plans like this only weaken our efforts in the Middle East while strengthening the intelligence of our enemies. This is treasonous behavior. That’s why this information needed to remain secret. This being published could very easily lead to deaths of our soldiers.

But of course, the NY Times doesn’t care about that, do they?

Whoever leaked this knew it was classified, as did the New York Times. Both should be prosecuted.
Media Matters for America detailed an op-ed rant written by Ralph Peters from The New York Post, blasting The New York Times and questioning if the entire leak was orchestrated by the administration.  Peters' sentiments are shared throughout the right-wing community, but isn't it exactly what they have been wishing for - military action against countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, or really any other predominantly Muslim nation out there that they believe poses a risk to America?

I will have to say that I agree with the right on one matter - the classified information should not have been leaked, because now that it is out there, it may undermine American activities in the region.

I wanted to point out one more thing.  Fiano wrote that with this leaked information, "Iran will be emboldened to further avoid sanctions and go further towards becoming the most dangerous regime on the planet."  I think that Iran may be emboldened more with the recent revelation that Israel is a nuclear power, as this article by Chris McGreal points out for The Guardian that documents have been uncovered revealing how Isreal offered to sell nuclear arms to the apartheid regime in South Africa, but I am sure conservatives will place all the blame on The New York Times piece. Did I forget to mention that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is crazy?

I suspect that since this leaked information proves that the administration is not solely depending on diplomacy to get the job done, right-wing chicken-hawks will turn down the criticisms of the president, or am I mistaken?

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