Senate Armed Services Committee
Hearing on the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty

July 25, 2002

[excerpts on leaks of classified information]

[...]

SEN. CARL LEVIN: Mr. Secretary, you've taken a very strong position against media leaks. And I must tell you it's a position that I share. I find them astounding and one of -- if not the most astounding leaks I've ever seen is the leak that relates to these alleged war plans that you're investigating now, the leak that you're investigating now.

I guess the question is this. The FBI is investigating a leak which apparently came from somewhere in the intelligence committees, either the House or the Senate. Not the war plan allegations, a different kind of a leak. Is the FBI going to investigate that war plan leak for you? And, I mean with taking -- really going into it, because the FBI is really looking into the intelligence committee leak. They're even talking about the possibility of doing testing -- lie detector testing. And I just want to know, are you involving the FBI in what I consider to be, if it's -- if there's any accuracy to it. You know, I mean, the fact that it appeared in the paper doesn't mean that there is such a plan that exists. I don't want to assume that. But since you have talked about looking into that leak, and you have understandably expressed your outrage, and I totally agree with that outrage, will you involve the FBI in the investigation of that particular egregious leak?

SECRETARY DONALD RUMSFELD: I asked the appropriate people in the department to advise and initiate an investigation of the leak you're referring to. I'm told that the Air Force has an investigative unit that is functioning as executive agent for that activity, and they have initiated an investigation. And part of it was to request the FBI step in and do the investigation. I'm also told that the FBI has to make decisions about what they investigate and what they don't investigate. That is not within the control of the Department of Defense. I suspect that the FBI -- and hope that they'll decide that this is something that they do want to participate in. And if they don't, why, I'll probably encourage them.

SEN. LEVIN: Could you let us know the outcome of this investigation, whatever that outcome is?

SEC. RUMSFELD: Indeed.

SEN. LEVIN: Thank you so much.

[...]