Benedict Arnold Lives
Benedict Arnold, a name which lives in infamy. Benedict Arnold, the name most recognized as synonymous with treason. He is best known for plotting to surrender the American fort at West Point, New York, to the British during the American Revolution for £20,000 and a brigadier's commission. He is however, hardly the only name on the list of American Traitors. He is also not the only person willing to surrender those things which are strategically imperative to national security for his own personal gain.
In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to one's nation or state. (Source Wikipedia)
The Libby/Novak Connection
Consider Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and his decision to leak information about a US CIA covert operative, Mrs. Valerie Plume. His leak of information included her name, her rank, and her husband's name and political position of US Ambassador. This information was sufficient enough to breach her covert status, jeopardize her life, jeopardize any operation that she was currently a part of, any operation that she was previously a part of, and negate her ability to participate in any other operation hence forth. Robert Novak, a reporter, put into print the intelligence leak from Mr. Libby. This set into motion a situation that caused Mrs. Plume's abilities, as a CIA operative, to hereafter be impotent.
Arnold was willing to surrender West Point, and destabilize the strategic security of the nation for monetary and political reasons. The Libby/Novak connection is despicable for the same reason. For Libby, releasing information about Plume would cast doubt on the legitimacy of a report presented by former US Ambassador Wilson and husband to Valerie Plume, political reasons. For Novak, jeopardizing lives and national security was simply for increased readership and notoriety (which results in increased readership), monetary reasons. His penalty thus far has been the notoriety he desired and nothing more.
The IIP Act of '82
For the record the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 (Pub.L. 97-200, 50 U.S.C. §§ 421-426) is a United States federal law that makes it a federal crime to intentionally reveal the identity of an agent who one knows to be in or recently in certain covert roles with a U.S. intelligence agency. There are a number of things that were considered to be the impetus for passage of this act, one of them being the 1975, assassination of then CIA Athens station chief Richard Welch, in front of his wife, by the Greek terrorist group "November 17" after his identity was revealed in several listings by a magazine called CounterSpy.
HIPAA Vs National Security
Anyone who works in the medical field knows about HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). This act is simply a patient confidentiality act. Novak risked the lives of American CIA operatives AND American national security as a whole, and has faced no penalty. If I tell someone that John Q. Patient has herpes, I face up to $250,000 per person I tell and 10 years imprisonment.
National Intelligence Estimate
Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. A government official has leaked portions of the
classified NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) report. This report centers around national security and terrorism. It is deplorable that this modern day Benedict Arnold would leak this for any reason but it appears that the reasoning here was simply to affect the upcoming mid-term elections. This is evidenced by the selective nature of the leaked information. Add to this a reporter whose desire for self advancement supersedes your right to safety from terrorism, your right to life, your right to liberty, and your right to the pursuit of happiness. I fully believe in Freedom of the Press, but with freedom comes responsibility. I have the freedom to own a gun but not the freedom to fire it at the mailman; I have the freedom to drive a car but not the freedom to drive on the wrong side of the street. If I elect to ignore the responsibilities that come with those freedoms I expect that those freedoms will be taken away from me. I expect that I will face the consequences of my actions.
George W. Bush was put over a barrel by this leak and in order to quell the circulation of false truths and half facts has elected to declassify all items contained within the NIE Report that do not jeopardize national security. The investigation into this leak will hopefully find this traitor to the American people. It should also include consequences for the reporter who was willing to cost the lives of Americans for more readers.
Mr. Arnold, England, the Gallows
After Mr. Arnold became aware that his traitorous plans had been uncovered he fled to the British. He knew that what faced him if captured by American troops was the same fate as Maj. Andre, Arnold's co-conspirator. What awaited Arnold was to be the gallows, a death fitting a spy, a traitor. Arnold lived out the majority of the rest of his life in London, mistrusted by the British and eventually in poverty. He was never able to return to America where he had once been a war hero. To this day there is a monument, known as "the Boot Monument" which is dedicated to his heroism during the battle of Saratoga, where Arnold was wounded in the foot. The Monument does not bear his name*. When Benedict Arnold was leading the forces of the King against his former compatriots in Virginia, it is reported that among his prisoners was a certain plucky and witty officer, who, in answer to Arnold's question, "What will the Americans do with me if they catch me?" replied, "They will cut off the leg which was wounded when you were fighting so gloriously for the cause of liberty, and bury it with the honors of war, and hang the rest of your body on a gibbet!"
Crime and Punishment
For those who choose to risk so much of others for personal gain, I say step up and accept your fate. Though the Gallows are no more, Cell Block "D" awaits. If you find a means in which to slither away across our border, more power to you. However, prepare yourself, as you are no more welcome here then Bin Laden himself. You no longer may call this land home nor may you stain the word, by calling yourself an American. You are hence forth a man with no land. Stay gone Benedict! Stay gone!
***The dedication on the back of the "Boot Monument" reads as follows "…In memory of the most brilliant soldier of the Continental Army who was desperately wounded on this spot the sally port of BORGOYNES GREAT WESTERN REDOUBT 7th October, 1777 winning for his countrymen the decisive battle of the American Revolution and for himself the rank of Major General."***
In law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to one's nation or state. (Source Wikipedia)
The Libby/Novak Connection
Consider Lewis "Scooter" Libby, and his decision to leak information about a US CIA covert operative, Mrs. Valerie Plume. His leak of information included her name, her rank, and her husband's name and political position of US Ambassador. This information was sufficient enough to breach her covert status, jeopardize her life, jeopardize any operation that she was currently a part of, any operation that she was previously a part of, and negate her ability to participate in any other operation hence forth. Robert Novak, a reporter, put into print the intelligence leak from Mr. Libby. This set into motion a situation that caused Mrs. Plume's abilities, as a CIA operative, to hereafter be impotent.
Arnold was willing to surrender West Point, and destabilize the strategic security of the nation for monetary and political reasons. The Libby/Novak connection is despicable for the same reason. For Libby, releasing information about Plume would cast doubt on the legitimacy of a report presented by former US Ambassador Wilson and husband to Valerie Plume, political reasons. For Novak, jeopardizing lives and national security was simply for increased readership and notoriety (which results in increased readership), monetary reasons. His penalty thus far has been the notoriety he desired and nothing more.
The IIP Act of '82
For the record the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982 (Pub.L. 97-200, 50 U.S.C. §§ 421-426) is a United States federal law that makes it a federal crime to intentionally reveal the identity of an agent who one knows to be in or recently in certain covert roles with a U.S. intelligence agency. There are a number of things that were considered to be the impetus for passage of this act, one of them being the 1975, assassination of then CIA Athens station chief Richard Welch, in front of his wife, by the Greek terrorist group "November 17" after his identity was revealed in several listings by a magazine called CounterSpy.
HIPAA Vs National Security
Anyone who works in the medical field knows about HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). This act is simply a patient confidentiality act. Novak risked the lives of American CIA operatives AND American national security as a whole, and has faced no penalty. If I tell someone that John Q. Patient has herpes, I face up to $250,000 per person I tell and 10 years imprisonment.
National Intelligence Estimate
Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. A government official has leaked portions of the
classified NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) report. This report centers around national security and terrorism. It is deplorable that this modern day Benedict Arnold would leak this for any reason but it appears that the reasoning here was simply to affect the upcoming mid-term elections. This is evidenced by the selective nature of the leaked information. Add to this a reporter whose desire for self advancement supersedes your right to safety from terrorism, your right to life, your right to liberty, and your right to the pursuit of happiness. I fully believe in Freedom of the Press, but with freedom comes responsibility. I have the freedom to own a gun but not the freedom to fire it at the mailman; I have the freedom to drive a car but not the freedom to drive on the wrong side of the street. If I elect to ignore the responsibilities that come with those freedoms I expect that those freedoms will be taken away from me. I expect that I will face the consequences of my actions.
George W. Bush was put over a barrel by this leak and in order to quell the circulation of false truths and half facts has elected to declassify all items contained within the NIE Report that do not jeopardize national security. The investigation into this leak will hopefully find this traitor to the American people. It should also include consequences for the reporter who was willing to cost the lives of Americans for more readers.
Mr. Arnold, England, the Gallows
After Mr. Arnold became aware that his traitorous plans had been uncovered he fled to the British. He knew that what faced him if captured by American troops was the same fate as Maj. Andre, Arnold's co-conspirator. What awaited Arnold was to be the gallows, a death fitting a spy, a traitor. Arnold lived out the majority of the rest of his life in London, mistrusted by the British and eventually in poverty. He was never able to return to America where he had once been a war hero. To this day there is a monument, known as "the Boot Monument" which is dedicated to his heroism during the battle of Saratoga, where Arnold was wounded in the foot. The Monument does not bear his name*. When Benedict Arnold was leading the forces of the King against his former compatriots in Virginia, it is reported that among his prisoners was a certain plucky and witty officer, who, in answer to Arnold's question, "What will the Americans do with me if they catch me?" replied, "They will cut off the leg which was wounded when you were fighting so gloriously for the cause of liberty, and bury it with the honors of war, and hang the rest of your body on a gibbet!"
Crime and Punishment
For those who choose to risk so much of others for personal gain, I say step up and accept your fate. Though the Gallows are no more, Cell Block "D" awaits. If you find a means in which to slither away across our border, more power to you. However, prepare yourself, as you are no more welcome here then Bin Laden himself. You no longer may call this land home nor may you stain the word, by calling yourself an American. You are hence forth a man with no land. Stay gone Benedict! Stay gone!
***The dedication on the back of the "Boot Monument" reads as follows "…In memory of the most brilliant soldier of the Continental Army who was desperately wounded on this spot the sally port of BORGOYNES GREAT WESTERN REDOUBT 7th October, 1777 winning for his countrymen the decisive battle of the American Revolution and for himself the rank of Major General."***
posted by Christopher at 3:18 PM
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