We can agree or disagree with some of the assessments in this story about the true extent of the damage caused by the continuous publication of leaked secrets. But I think it gets one thing exactly right:
"The damage from this, if there is damage, is in the question of whether foreign governments and sources can trust the US to protect sensitive information," says Larry Johnson, a security consultant who worked for the CIA and the State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism.
ANY successful war effort depends on secrets, especially among allies. Every story blabbing sensitive information increases the belief by our allies that we can't keep those secrets. Everyone's been focusing so much on the bad decisions by media outlets to publish the leaks that we're danger of forgetting that there are people in the administration doing the leaking, people who are violating their oaths and breaking the law. If we want to talk about prosecution, up to and including for treason, this is where I would start.
