Sen. Feinstein: Foiled Bomb Plot Leak Must Be Prosecuted; President Obama's View on Gay Marriage is Personal Not Political
This past week the press leaked information that the U.S. in a joint covert operation with Saudi Arabia blocked a potential terrorist attack. On Fox News Sunday, Chairwoman of the Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) provided more information on the situation with Al Qaeda in the region and weighed in on the impact of the leak.
She told Shannon Bream that, “The fact that this bomb was recovered and recovered intact, I think is a substantial victory. I think it’s an impressive win for the CIA, but it means that we have to devote all our resources right now to try to end this.”
Feinstein said, “This leak is serious
… the operation was closely held. It was CIA, FBI, Homeland Security and TSA. So a limited number of people knew about it. General procedure would have the chairman and the vice chairman of each intelligence committees briefed during the attack or prior to it. This was not the case, there was no briefing.”
She continued, “Apparently the leak came to an AP reporter. The government called, asked that the story be held, the story was held until Monday and then was released. What this does, it certainly jeopardizes the asset. It certainly jeopardizes our ability to relate to other countries, for other countries to help us and it gives a tip off to AQAP to be more careful about who they use as their couriers, as their bombers. So the leak really did endanger sources and methods and the leak I think has to be prosecuted.”
Bream asked Feinstein what she thinks of President Obama’s change in views on gay marriage. She responded, “There’s no political calculus in this because it’s not smart, you know if he’s going to do it from a political point of view it doesn’t make any sense. From a personal point of view, I can tell you what happens because it has also happened to me. You get to know more and more gay couples. You see the happiness, you see the economic security that marriage brings, and even more fundamentally you see children who otherwise would not have an adopted home … And so same-sex couples raise children, they do a fine job. I think when you see this, and it’s happened in California, more and more people say what’s wrong with being happy.”
