‘We Are a Nation at War’

By Pete Hoekstra

The seemingly endless stream of leaks in Washington poses a growing and insidious threat to U.S. national security. Far from missing the forest for the trees, the clear issue at hand is our ability to conduct the nation’s secret business in secret.

The reality is, we are a nation at war. The recent attacks in Jordan serve as a potent reminder that terrorists continue to target us and our allies, and that they have a wanton disregard for innocent civilians or the sanctity of human life.

As a nation at war, it is imperative we protect vital information from our enemies, especially that which pertains to our information sources, methods and allies. But the fact that some things happen in secret doesn’t mean our government has carte blanche to act recklessly or oversight isn’t happening.

The House Intelligence Committee, and our Senate counterpart, is responsible for overseeing the agencies that constitute the U.S. intelligence community. For obvious reasons, much of our oversight work cannot be done publicly. Even so, the 21 members of this committee recognize the awesome grant of trust that has been invested in us by our colleagues and the American people.

We are responsible for ensuring that the activities of the intelligence community adhere to U.S. law and our international treaty obligations. For those in doubt, I want to make it clear: It is against U.S. law and treaty obligation to engage in torture. In instances in which abuse can be proved, people have been charged, including five soldiers last week.

But just as we expect our forces in the field to obey applicable laws, we should expect those who hold security clearances in Washington to obey the laws that apply to their clearances. People who leak classified information are in no uncertain terms breaking the law, and they should be punished as such. In the end, this is not a case about the public’s right to know but the responsibility of those who hold security clearances to protect and uphold the public’s trust.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

(c) Copyright 2005 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.