EXCLUSIVE!!!! screams the
latest AP headline on yet another Hillary Clinton email story that, as usual, has very little substance. But this time it has drones. Here's the lede from the story:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The two emails on Hillary Rodham Clinton's private server that an auditor deemed "top secret" include a discussion of a news article detailing a U.S. drone operation and a separate conversation that could point back to highly classified material in an improper manner or merely reflect information collected independently, U.S. officials who have reviewed the correspondence told The Associated Press.
It might be something or it might not be at all. But it's worthy of an "exclusive"! Remember, these are the two emails that were retroactively deemed classified—they were just plain old emails at the time they were sent. Oh, and by the way from paragraph five of this "exclusive":
Clinton did not transmit the sensitive information herself, they said, and nothing in the emails she received makes clear reference to communications intercepts, confidential intelligence methods or any other form of sensitive sourcing.
Clinton is not at all involved in this exchange. Nothing in this exchange that Hillary Clinton was not involved in seems to be sensitive. But it's a story! Then there's this:
The drone exchange, the officials said, begins with a copy of a news article that discusses the CIA drone program that targets terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere. While a secret program, it is well-known and often reported on. The copy makes reference to classified information, and a Clinton adviser follows up by dancing around a top secret in a way that could possibly be inferred as confirmation, they said. Several officials, however, described this claim as tenuous.
It's a
news article. As in published for the entire world to read. And furthermore, it could only "possibly be inferred," but is "tenuous," and "[n]othing in the message is 'lifted' from classified documents." Additionally, the State Department "stressed that it wasn't clear if the material at issue ought to be considered classified at all." Which they have a pretty good point on, since it's a NEWS ARTICLE. As Armando
points out, this is increasingly a turf battle between the intelligence community and the State Department, with the IC trying to meddle in State's communications.
But, the AP tells us, "the developments suggested that the security of Clinton's email setup and how she guarded the nation's secrets will remain relevant campaign topics." Because the AP and the rest of the traditional media will continue to allow Republicans to spoonfeed them these nothingburgers (this one came from Sen. Chuck Grassley) and dutifully regurgitate them.