U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper plans to implement new measures designed to stop the leaks of classified information, according to a news report.
The move, first reported by CNN, is a response to leaks about the country’s cyber-war program as well as a leak about an intelligence operation against al Qaeda operatives in Yemen in May. In addition, the Washington Post reported last week that the Flame malware was directly linked to the cyber initiative that spawned Stuxnet.
A source told CNN that Clapper believes the sources of such leaks span multiple government agencies, departments and branches. The new measures are expected to apply only to the intelligence community overseen by Clapper, and not the members of the National Security Council that advises the president, according to CNN. Among the measures Clapper is expected to implement include an enhanced counterintelligence polygraph test that will have a specific question about whether the person has disclosed classified information to the media.
The FBI meanwhile continues its investigation into the leaks surrounding the revelation that Pres. Barack Obama ordered cyber-attacks against Iran – including the use of Stuxnet – as well as the report about a mole that played a role in stopping a Yemen bomb plot against the United States. Critics of the Obama administration have accused the White House of leaking classified information to bolster the president’s image on national security issues ahead of the presidential election. White House officials however have denied this.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder assinged two U.S. Attorneys to direct the FBI investigations.
“In carrying out their assignments,” Holder said in a statement, “U.S. Attorneys (Ronald C. Machen Jr) and (Rod J. Rosenstein) are fully authorized to prosecute criminal violations discovered as a result of their investigations and matters related to those violations, consult with members of the Intelligence Community and follow all appropriate investigative leads within the Executive and Legislative branches of government…The unauthorized disclosure of classified information can compromise the security of this country and all Americans, and it will not be tolerated.”