Cornyn Calls for Release of NIE

We have criticized the New York Times and Washington Post for printing front-page stories about last spring’s National Intelligence Estimate, based on fragmentary, selective and probably illegal leaks from Democrats embedded in the bureaucracy. As we noted last night, there is good reason to think that the Times and Post stories do not fairly represent the report in its entirety. We, of course, haven’t read the report. But Senator John Cornyn of Texas has, and he would like to see the report declassified, to the greatest extent possible, and made public:

We should all recognize the delicate balance, particularly in wartime, between national security and the public’s right to know. But I am a strong advocate for open government and believe that on an issue this important, the report should be declassified to the greatest extent possible so that the American people can reach their own conclusions based on a full and accurate reading of the report, rather than having to rely on cherry-picked information by the New York Times and others. This selective leaking, and selective reporting, is unfortunate. But after having reviewed this report myself, I am confident in the ability of the American people to form their own conclusions and recognize for themselves, the importance of aggressively prosecuting the war on terror.

That’s a pretty good indication, I think, that the selective leaks were as misleading as we thought they might be.

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