Sen. Feinstein: Leak in underwear bomb case must be prosecuted

By Erik Wasson - 05/13/12 09:47 AM ET

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that those responsible for leaking information this week on a thwarted attempt to bring down an American airplane using an undetectable underwear bomb must be prosecuted.

“The leak really did endanger sources and methods,” she said on Fox News Sunday. “The leak, I think has to be prosecuted.”

The Associated Press reported Monday that al Qaeda operatives in Yemen had planned to bring down an American aircraft using a non-metallic bomb that cannot be detected by ordinary scans. The plot was discovered by an undercover Saudi intelligence agent working closely with the Central Intelligence Agency.

The senator said the leak to AP “jeopardizes” the agent and that it could not have come from Congress since she and House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) had not been briefed on the operation.

Feinstein said it was “an impressive win for the CIA,” but at this point she does not have confidence that U.S. airport screeners will be able to prevent a terrorist attack using the new bomb technology.

“I am hopeful we will be able to, candidly, kill this bomb-maker and some of his associates,” she said.

Feinstein said that al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula is the “number one threat” to the U.S. at this point.