United States Department of Defense News Transcript

Secretary Rumsfeld Interview With The National Journalists Roundtable

[Excerpt on Leaks]

August 7, 2002

[...]

Q: A quick one about leaks. You expressed a great deal of concern about leaks. There's now controversy on Capitol Hill about polygraph tests for members of Congress. Do you approve of polygraph tests for Pentagon officials in order to track down leaks?

Rumsfeld: I don't know what the FBI will do. I've asked the FBI to come in and track down a leak on a leaked war plan, and whether they'll do that or not --

Q: Are you referring to the New York Times story, that war plan --

Rumsfeld: Yes. I've never chased a leak in my life until this one. But the unprofessionalism of people leaking things that are classified, that are under federal law subject to criminal penalties, that without question make it more difficult for the United States to achieve its goal of trying to protect the American people from terrorist attacks, and without question put American lives at risk I think is just inexcusable. I don't know what you heard me say about it but whatever it was, it was modulated and calibrated far below what I really feel.

Q: Do you think the New York Times story put American lives at risk?

Rumsfeld: There is no question but that when a person cleared for classified information releases a war plan or a draft of a war plan or papers -- I haven't seen it. It had never been briefed to me, never been briefed to the President, never been briefed to General Franks. It was obviously some papers that somebody down below had been involved with, so I don't even know the document. But there's no question but that when someone releases papers that relate to war plans it's a violation of federal criminal law, they ought to be in jail, and I'm told that I shouldn't say that because they ought to be addressed by the criminal justice system, let me put it that way, rather than predicting an outcome. [Laughter]

Q: Would you mind individuals in this building being subjected to a polygraph --

Rumsfeld: I want the FBI to do that which it decides it should do. That's not my business. I want a thorough investigation and I hope those people are caught and I hope that anyone who's got any ounce of civic duty and knows anything about who did it will tell us.

Q: Have you also called in the Air Force's security office, investigative --

Rumsfeld: That's the way one does it. There's an executive agent for certain things and if you want an investigation I'm told you ask that executive agent -- it happened to be the Air Force -- and they then prepare information that can then be given to the FBI so that the FBI can make a judgment as to what it will or will not think is appropriate by way of an investigation.

Thank you for coming in. Nice to see you all.