[View the story "To catch a leak" on Storify ]To catch a leak Does the US government have a monopoly on transparency? Storified by The Stream · Thu, Jan 24 2013 10:52:11
Daniel Ellsberg, the leaker of the Pentagon Papers, has characterised the administration's prosecutions as a "war on whistleblowers":
Ellsberg: Obama's War on Whistleblowersforatv
Although the government made
new additions to the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA), critics say they have also
taken steps to water down those same legal protections.
Obama says in his NDAA signing statement he's not keen on section 827/828 of bill, which would enhance whistleblower protections.Jason Leopold
One of the government whistleblowers being prosecuted under the 1917 Espionage Act is John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer who became the agency's first employee to speak publicly against waterboarding. He
agreed to serve 30 months in prison for revealing the name of a covert operative involved in torture.
Progressive Politics for the 99%Pinterest
#America's in trouble when the only one facing jail for the #CIA #torture scandal is the #whistleblower John #Kiriakou: http://cl.ly/LxmmPeter C. Cook
I would ask Obama: Is it fair for John Kiriakou to go to prison for talking about torture out of turn, while the torturers remain free?Dan Froomkin
Others question Kiriakou's designation as a whistleblower on torture, pointing to the fact that his views on the issue have changed over time:
John Kiriakou thought the CIA got a "bum rap on waterboarding." He told reporters it worked. Is that a whistleblower? http://www.fair.org/blog/2013/01/08/is-john-kiriakou-a-whistleblower/Peter Hart
Bradley Manning, a United States Army soldier, was charged with a capital offence for leaking thousands of classified documents to Wikileaks. His trial was
recently moved to June. The documents he leaked
detailed US military conduct in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including previously concealed civilian casualties.
Manning- ShortformblogAJstream
Manning has received a outpouring of public support:
Bradley Manning faces many years in prison and a court martial for exposing the truth about US foreign policy [EPA]AJstream
I too am Bradley ManningPinterest
Critics of Manning draw a distinction between leaks and whistleblowing. President Obama was filmed discussing the security and diplomatic implications of Manning's leaks. In the video below he maintains that Manning "broke the law":
Obama_Bradley.3GPscscreamer
The Obama administration has also been marked by leaks of classified information from high level officials. Here, Senator John McCain accuses the president of selectively using intelligence leaks for political gain:
McCain Accuses Pres Obama Of Using Intelligence Leaks To Bolster His Credibility pt.1moxnewsd0tc0m
The recently released film "Zero Dark Thirty" depicts the events leading up to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. The filmmakers were given privileged access to CIA accounts of the events. No one has been prosecuted for the leaks.
Zero Dark Thirty Official Final Trailer (2012) - Kathryn Bigelow Bin Laden Movie HDmovieclipstrailers
The simultaneous crackdown on whistleblowers and authorised administration leaks to the media has led to accusations of a double standard on classified information:
Given the mountain of classified info on OBL being leaked this week, will the WH press corp ask Obama about its hypocritical leak policy?Trevor Timm
"Zero Dark Thirty" raises troubling questions about individuals given privileged access in return for flattery http://ow.ly/g6WcQSarah Britten
