Akkam’s Razor

"The question remains, why did Buchen and President Ford change their minds? The available documents do not provide a definitive answer, but notes from key meetings in September and October provide clues to Ford's priorities - and these were far from government transparency. For example, handwritten notes of the first White House senior staff meeting presided over by Donald Rumsfeld and his deputy Richard Cheney (September 30, 1974) show Rumsfeld's rising concern about leaks, a discussion that takes up a major part of the meeting. Similarly, notes from the National Security Council meeting on October 7, 1974 reveal Ford himself opening the session by complaining about leaks for a full two pages of the transcript, asking for 'recommendations on how to tighten up this system,' and telling his advisers that 'I could have ordered an FBI investigation on this, but Don and I thought it would be better to see what you could do first.'"

Now, what were these leaks? Ford and Rummy had previously supported strengthening FOIA - what changed. The second document from the senior staff meeting in October 1974 involved a 2 New York Times articles related to Israel. Both (link#1, link#2) were from the "Working Group" of the NSC (National Security Council), covered the defensive and offensive capability of the Israelis, as well as their request for future funding. So who did the leaking? My guess is Kissinger.

Kissinger was known as a leaks man - but usually from the viewpoint that leaks were bad. The "plumbers", who's job was to "fix" leaks, the list of journalists who leaked, and quite possibly the leaks that convinced Rumsfeld and Ford to block the strengthening of FOIA might all be the work of Kissinger. But why? Furthermore, what's the history between our current batch of neoconservatives, Novak, and the leaks of the post Watergate era?

If you investigate the leaks of the past, the explanation for the leaks of the present might come into focus.

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