32 Quotes by Steven Aftergood

A lot of what we think we know of our recent history may be mistaken, ... It is a disgrace that it should be so in a democracy, but it is.

It's a 'trust me' response. That's not good enough anymore. There needs to be an external check and balance to restore confidence in the system.

It's a bit of a compromise, ... There is a cultural resistance to the polygraph that is different at the FBI than at the CIA. A polygraph is something that is given to new employees and suspected criminals, not to employees in good standing.

It results in unnecessary secrecy that leaves citizens in the dark.

It prompts speculation that perhaps the government was using information that was illegally obtained.

It makes reporter's job more difficult, but also gives them the responsibility to work to overcome the impediments put in their way.

It's perfectly understandable the press office would be frustrated by leaks. But they are the ones with the documents, they are the ones who need to exercise discipline. You can't ask the press not to report what they learn.

If you don't have the possibility of asking questions and presenting answers that officials may find unwelcome, then you short circuit the deliberative process, end up magnifying the power of the executive and undermining the system of checks and balances. Needless to say the press is not immune from criticism. But the possibility of independent reporting on government needs to be preserved or all of us are potentially in jeopardy.

I presume it's an attempt to provide some context for the information that was disclosed. If such information was already in public circulation or widely disseminated, that could arguably mitigate anything the defendants did wrong by communicating it.