The prosecution of two former pro-Israeli lobbyists on espionage charges points to an urgent need to address the whole business of what constitutes a secret in this country—and what should.
Two former lobbyists for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee were found to have shared information they learned from Bush administration officials with journalists, fellow AIPAC employees, and Israeli government officials. Is letting people know what you learn spying? And what information is so sensitive that sharing it will harm the fundamental security of Americans? In a country where millions of documents are classified every year, and thereby taken out of the realm of public discussion, we could do worse than to examine the efficacy and true public interest of the current system.
