Interesting that Al-Jazeera picked up on this, citing Reuters:
President Bush's top national security advisers were told more than two years ago of an FBI investigation into whether secret information was passed to Israel by a powerful pro-Israeli lobbying group, U.S. officials said on Thursday. The counterintelligence investigation began earlier than the probe disclosed last week focusing on whether a Defense Department analyst passed classified papers about Iran to Israeli intelligence through the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.
A senior administration official said that national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and her deputy, Stephen Hadley, were "apprised of the counterintelligence investigation of AIPAC" more than two years ago.The official said that the probe focused on whether AIPAC was acting as a "conduit" -- relaying information the group collected from the administration and the U.S. Congress to Israel, Washington's closest ally in the Middle East. Since the White House National Security Council was informed of the case, Bush, Rice and other senior administration officials have praised AIPAC.
Addressing the group in May, Bush said AIPAC was "serving the cause of America," including its role in highlighting "the threat posed by Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons." In a March 2003 speech, Rice called AIPAC "a great asset to our country." AIPAC, which has denied the allegations, pointed to those comments and others as "vindication of AIPAC's loyalty and trustworthiness." The White House refused to comment on whether knowledge of the counterintelligence probe affected contacts with AIPAC. The group has had high-level ties with the Bush Administration, as well as previous U.S. administrations.
More:
http://www.aj-review.com/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_ID=3236
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
