Keeping it secret

The Senate is so concerned about leaks of classified intelligence information that they have proposed a bill which would allow only a few people at each agency to speak to reporters on “background,” or condition of anonymity; require notice to the Senate and House intelligence committees of authorized disclosures of intelligence information; and permit the government to strip the pension of an intelligence officer who illegally discloses classified information. At the same time the FBI is conducting a criminal investigation into intelligence leaks.  Now they're just gathering information, they are not accusing anyone of breaking the law.  They've interviewed people in the White House, NSA, CIA and Pentagon.

One problem in all this - beyond the Big Brother similarities - is the sheer number of classified documents.  Back in 2004, 15,600,000 documents were classified.  How many are really "secret"?  I wonder how many documents are being classified annually now.  Tom Kean, the chair of the 9/11 Commission, said, “The best ally we have in protecting ourselves against terrorism is an informed public.”