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Reno says 'anti-leak' bill will close gap in U.S. security

Reno says leaks to terrorist organizations under surveillance by government agencies may cost American lives

David Williams
CNN.com Writer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said Thursday that a controversial measure that would increase the penalties for leaking classified information will not lead to a dramatic increase in prosecutions.

The provision would make the willful disclosure of classified information a felony punishable by up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It cleared the House and Senate as part of the spending bill for intelligence agencies, and President Clinton has until Friday to either sign it or veto.

When asked about the bill in her weekly news briefing, Reno said it was needed because current law only covers leaks related to national defense.

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"That leaves a gap, a very narrow gap involving other material that might not relate to national defense, but could jeopardize various interests of the United States," she said.

Reno said the anti-leaking measure would not go after reporters, or other recipients of classified materials.

At one point, a reporter asked why the administration is considering strengthening the law, when current restrictions on news leaks are rarely enforced.

"I don't think there is a reluctance to prosecute the person who leaks information, but finding that person while at the same time honoring the First Amendment interests of the media is a very difficult task," Reno said.

The CIA sought the provision after losing agents and sophisticated surveillance methods because of newspaper articles based on leaks of classified information.

When describing why they favor the bill, some U.S. officials cite the example of a leak involving accused terrorist Osama bin Laden.

The officials say a news report that U.S. intelligence was monitoring bin Laden's satellite telephone calls caused him to switch to other channels of communication, cutting off that method of U.S. surveillance of his activities.

That reaction to the leak may have cost American lives, perhaps even in the bombing of the USS Cole, the officials said. Bin Laden's organization is on the list of possible suspects behind the terrorist attack.

"People have been killed," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, who is chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee. "Men and women that have operated with our agency and with other countries dealing with national security issues, when they are compromised, generally their lives are compromised," he said.

But news organizations such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, and CNN sent a letter to the White House urging the president to veto the measure.

Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Illinois, also opposes the bill, saying that leaker of the bin Laden satellite phone information could be prosecuted under existing laws.

"To put a three year -- up to a three year -- felony sentence for leaking information that doesn't affect our national defense, our national security is overkill," he said.

CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor and Reuters contributed to this report.

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