Senator Bond urges Obama not to leak terrorist information

Videos

Sen_ Bond: Treating Abdulmutallab as a Criminal is a Mistake

see larger video

sourced by Rory Cripps

On Thursday Sen. Christopher Bond, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to President Obama urging him not to disseminate " sensitive information vital to the defense of the American people." The letter was in response to a White House briefing to reporters that Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab is cooperating with federal law enforcement officials.

Bond stated in his letter, " I urge you, Mr. President, to consider the consequences of publicly disseminating sensitive information vital to the defense of the American people.  I do not believe the American people want this information jeopardized to further political arguments." The American people rightfully expect the government’s first priority to be their security."

Bond's letter received a harsh rebuke from White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. In his response, Gibbs said, "No briefing is done here or anywhere in this administration where classified information is used in a place where it shouldn't be. And I would suggest that somebody that alleges that when they know it doesn't happen owe people an apology."

The Obama Administration has been receiving much criticism from Republicans and some Democrats lately over its policy of Mirandizing known terrorists and treating them as criminals instead of enemy combatants.

Bond and others believe that the Obama Administration leaked information that Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab is cooperating with law enforcement to stem some of that criticism.