Should private citizens and reporters who have unauthorized possession of classified information be allowed to publish it?

No

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by Arthur Gibson

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No, No, and No! If you are not allowed to have access to Classified Information you have absolutely no right to publish it. Let's clear something up, you are given access to Classified Information in order to do a particular job. Having access does not mean you have possession of that information, or that you can do anything, including publishing it, that you want. There are numerous restrictions placed on Classified Information, and they are all there for a reason. To protect our nation from foreign governments knowing our nation's plans in advance, protecting our troops and military installations, our nation's infrastructure, and our technological advances. There's one word that describes very well what giving Classified Information to anyone without the proper access and that word is TREASON!

During my twenty years in the Navy, I had a Top Secret Special Intelligence Clearance. In order to obtain and keep that clearance, I was required to undergo background checks every five years, and more than one investigation by the FBI to insure that I could be trusted with the information. In addition, each time my clearance level was raised I was required to sign more paperwork swearing that I would not reveal said information to those who did not have any reason, real or imagined, to have that information. And each of these statements came with warnings of what the punishment would be if I failed to maintain the government's confidence in me. And thanks to the actions of some individuals, I was required to take polygraph exams the last few years I was in the Navy. Prior to my retiring from the Navy, I was again required to sign oaths swearing that I would never reveal the information I had had access to, on pain of possible imprisonment of up to twenty years in a Federal Prison, and up to a One Hundred Thousand Dollar fine. Those oaths follow me to the day I die. And because of information that I had access to, there are certain areas of the world that I will never be allowed to travel to. Why, because even though most of the information I had access to is over twenty years old, it could give a potential enemy insight into various classified subjects.

I am not in any way saying that the American Public doesn't have a right to know what our government is doing. But, I am saying that the American Public and definitely foreign governments and organizations have no right to have access to all the minute details. First of all, a lot of the information would not be of any interest to most Americans. How many people, not previously in the military or currently in the military, really want to know how fast a nuclear sub goes, how far she can dive, or exactly the armament she carries? I would guess very few; but all of our potential enemies would love to have that information. As they would love to have all the details of any weapons system of ours. And publishing that type of information, whether in the press, on tv, or on the Internet gives that potential opponent an advantage over our troops.

Yes, as Americans we have the right to know our governments plans to a certain extent. We have a right to know the basic objectives that we are trying to reach, whether it's in the War on Terrorism, or the War on Drugs, or any other government program. But, we do not need to know all of the intricate details of any operation before it occurs, and in some cases even after its finished. Why? Because it could lead to additional deaths and severe wounds among the men and women serving, it could help an enemy pinpoint a weakness in our systems, and ultimately help an enemy plan another attack on American soil similar to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor.

Have we forgotten names like Benedict Arnold, or much more recently like John Walker; his brother, best friend, and his son, Pelham and all the others who were caught, tried, and convicted of espionage in the 70s and 80s? Each of these individuals was caught providing classified material to a foreign government. Arnold to the British, during the Revolution (he was to escape and later fought on the British side), Walker and his friends and family to the Soviet Union, and Pelham to Israel. And those aren't all the names, nor will they be the last individuals caught. Walker is quite possibly the worst of the bunch and definitely the most arrogant. He not only made arrangements to sell information to the Soviets, but he convinced his best friend and his brother, who were also in the Navy to sell secrets to the Soviets. Then after he retired from the Navy, he tried to get a daughter who was going into the Army to provide classified information to him, she refused; but his son, who joined the Navy was convinced to help his Dad and make some additional money agreed and was arrested at sea. After his trial and conviction, Walker was allowed to give an interview in which he stated that while he had provided information to the Soviets for over twenty years, none of the information was harmful to American troops. This while he was selling information throughout the Viet Nam War. Like he expects everyone to believe that the Soviets would not have provided at least some of that information to the government of North Viet Nam. And what is really ironic, in order to keep these individuals safe from possible harm while they serve mainly life sentences, they have to be kept segregated from the general population. Why? Because believe it or not, the majority of Americans serving prison terms are patriotic!

It's quite possible that some of the information that has been classified, no longer needs to be and possibly never needed to be. But, for myself, I would much rather that information keep its classification. I have no desire to see any information published, in any way, that might prove harmful to my son and all of the other men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world.

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