"No major media outlet in the United States has ever knowingly, and over the objection of the United States government, ever published classified information that could assist the nation's enemies. Period. What the New York Times has done ——and the Los Angeles Times copied—— is without precedent, which is why a Congressional response is so necessary, and hopefully forthcoming soon."

Hugh Hewitt    2 28 06

Update: reader Jerilyn Bredbury alerts us to a precedent for publishing classified information in wartime. From Paul Greenberg of the Washington Times:

The Times' record of public service in this regard may have no equal since that of Colonel McCormick's old Chicago Tribune. In its coverage of what would prove the decisive Battle of Midway in 1942, the isolationist and FDR—hating Trib revealed that American cryptographers had broken the Japanese naval code.

Happily, the Japanese didn't notice, or refused to believe that the round—eyed barbarians could carry off such a feat. The Roosevelt administration was preparing to bring criminal charges —— a grand jury was already investigating —— but wisely held off lest the legal proceedings alert the enemy. (Luckily, the Tribune's circulation in Tokyo was limited.)

Even better. The father of the modern Democratic Party convened a grand jury. Quite a precedent.

Further update:

We are informed that the Japanese changed their codes several times after the Battlew of Midway, suggesting that they did have either a suspicion of knowledge that the United States had broken their codes. And they, in fact, had broken ours, which is why the famous Navajo Code Talkers were employed. No one has ever shown that they learned of the code—breaking from the Chicago Tribune. It could have happened, but we do not know.