Do we need the CIA anymore?

Stephen Hayes:

FOR FOUR YEARS, A slow-motion war between the CIA and the Bush administration has been unfolding over America's airwaves and on its front pages. A principal weapon in this war has been the deliberate leaking of information to the media.

But how did the press get hold of the fact that the Plame matter was referred Justice?

The CIA referral to the Justice Department was classified, an intelligence source tells The Weekly Standard. Anyone who disclosed the existence of the referral and described its contents broke the law. The agency, however, has thus far refused to send a referral to the Justice Department that could result in an investigation into the source and effects of that leak. Why? An intelligence source tells The Weekly Standard that there are limits--of time and manpower--to how many such referrals the CIA can make. Perhaps. But there's another possible explanation: The second leak came from the CIA itself, and lawyers there are reluctant to call for an investigation for fear of what such an investigation might reveal.

As Jed Babbin asked yesterday, why isn't Fitzpatrick doing something about the leaks from the Grand Jury? It's getting to the point where one must wonder about what's not being leaked. Bush has his own DCI, now, but it's beginning to look like we need a purge.

Read the whole thing.