Lessons from the latest intelligence leak

One of the world's foremost authorities on Al Qaeda says that last month's compromise of the intelligence community's penetration of the terrorist group's Internet communication system was a serious blow, but that, ultimately, the damage was not fatal.

The head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, Rohan Gunaratna, said in an interview yesterday that the damage done on September 7, when ABC News published online quotes from a transcript of Osama bin Laden's first speech in three years, was "reparable." But he also called it a "serious breach." [....]

In yesterday's interview, Mr. Gunaratna praised Ms. Katz, who had told the Sun that her operation was ruined as a result of last month's leak to ABC News and other news organizations. Ms. Katz's work was unique, according to Mr. Gunaratna, because he said Ms. Katz is "obsessive."

"There are endless methods of deception," he said. "It is an infinite game, I can deceive you once, but I need to find another way. We have not seen anyone on the government side with the same dedication and passion as Rita in this," he said.