How does one determine how much damage to
national security the unauthorized disclosure of classified information
would reasonably be expected to cause?
In some cases, estimating the damage to individuals and individual operations is relatively easy. Releasing the names of operatives and agents working clandestinely in foreign nations can put their lives in jeopardy and dismantle operations which may have taken decades to put in place. It is believed that the information that Aldrich Ames gave to the Soviets led directly to the execution of a number of U.S. agents working in the Soviet Union. However, would the damage done to these operations measure up to the "exceptionally grave damage to the national security" standard as required for a Top Secret designation?
In some cases, estimating the damage to individuals and individual operations is relatively easy. Releasing the names of operatives and agents working clandestinely in foreign nations can put their lives in jeopardy and dismantle operations which may have taken decades to put in place. It is believed that the information that Aldrich Ames gave to the Soviets led directly to the execution of a number of U.S. agents working in the Soviet Union. However, would the damage done to these operations measure up to the "exceptionally grave damage to the national security" standard as required for a Top Secret designation?
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