INTELLIGENCE LEAKS
Mike Walker, Col USMC (retired)
The damage done to America’s national defense by the recent onslaught of intelligence leaks has been deeply disturbing. Some have claimed they were motivated by partisan political gain, to help reelect President Obama. This does not seem likely in my opinion, although how the newspaper editors chose to spin the information is another matter. Having been an intelligence officer for over a decade, to include serving as a member of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, the most likely outcome is that the person is of high rank, a general officer or intelligence/national security SIS/SES official or some equivalent. I am assuming that it is an individual as the alternative is too frightening.
Based on the range and depth of information betrayed by this person, we are looking at someone who has access to our most vital national defense operations. Very few people have such access, even within the relatively small intelligence community. It is possible that he could be one of those highly capable colonels or civil equivalents who become seemingly indispensible at times. The culprit could also be a product of a systemic risk failure. There is a possibility that someone who should not have been “read into” these compartmented operations was allowed to do so.
If people who do not have “a need to know,” because it is not essential to the conduct of their duties, are allowed to know then mischief and bad things inevitably follow. In this last case, we may be dealing with an “accidental traitor,” someone undeserving of the special trust and confidence given to him due to a lack of maturity and judgment coupled with a misguided sense of self-importance. Nonetheless, a pathetic traitor is still a traitor.
This gets to heart of the matter. What we are dealing with is a real stinker. Outwardly, the guy is discreet and competent. On the inside, he is someone with an outsized ego and an overwhelming degree of personal vanity. The fellow is both a smooth manipulator and emotionally needy. We have Mister Vanity. Mr. Vanity has a deep-seated sense of superiority and no small degree of contempt for those around him. He knows he is smarter and alone is fit enough to make the rules. Regrettably, Washington has a large pool of such folks.
This is not like Assange who worked from without or John Walker who betrayed America from within at a low level or even like Aldrich Ames who was a traitor within the CIA. Perhaps the closest case is that of Robert Hanssen of the FBI. Mr. Vanity certainly ranks up there with Hanssen because of his ability to gain access to the highest secrets, his immense ego and his arrogant willingness to redefine betrayal as service.
Let us be clear. This fellow is a traitor. Some shrill minority will argue he is a hero performing a public service. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Mr. Vanity’s leaks were destructive not constructive. He has aided the efforts of al Qaeda, the radical Mullahs in Iran and the worst elements in the Pakistani extremist circles. People either already have died or will die because of the actions of Mr. Vanity. He has warned our enemies. They will now be more alert, quicker and better able to attack us in the future while our closest allies are now more wary of us. Mr. Vanity is a traitor of the highest order.
The bottom line is that Mr. Vanity stinks. Like anything that stinks up your home, it needs to be tossed out with the rest of the garbage.
I can only wish Godspeed to the FBI and the DOJ prosecutors in their work. To the guys who will take away this turd, please remember to wear gloves and hold you nose.
Semper Fi,
Mike
