Ex-CIA Director Apologizes for Home Computer Security Breach

Former CIA Director John M. Deutch publicly apologized Tuesday for mishandling top secret information on unsecured home computers, saying he never intended to violate security rules and believes none of the information was compromised.

“The director of central intelligence is not above the rules,” a contrite Deutch told reporters after testifying behind closed doors for 2 1/2 hours before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “I very much regret my errors.”

Committee Chairman Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) called Deutch’s actions “inexplicable” and said the committee was just beginning what promises to be a lengthy inquiry into Deutch’s security violations and the alleged failure of senior CIA officials to deal with them quickly and severely.

“We know [Deutch] is a bright man. He’s served the government for a long time,” Shelby told reporters. “But he wasn’t serving it very well when this went on.”

However, Shelby stopped short of calling for the Justice Department to prosecute Deutch and indicated he is more interested in CIA Director George J. Tenet’s handling of the case.

“This, I do not believe, was Mr. Tenet’s finest hour,” Shelby said.

Shelby’s committee also released an unclassified version of a July 1999 report by the CIA’s inspector general into the Deutch case. That report, portions of which had previously been leaked to the press, faulted Tenet and other senior officials for failing to investigate their former boss vigorously and for waiting more than a year to notify the Justice Department.

The inspector general, Britt Snider, concluded that no one had obstructed justice or attempted to cover up Deutch’s misdeeds.