Ex-CIA chief ‘told’ secrets to producer

WASHINGTON - Agence France-Presse

Ex-CIA Director Panetta is being accused of disclosing top secret information. AP photo

A Pentagon investigation has found ex-CIA director Leon Panetta spilled some secret details to a Hollywood screenwriter behind the film “Zero Dark Thirty,” a watchdog group reported June 5.

The findings of the Pentagon’s inspector general are contained in a draft report that has not been publicly released but was obtained by the independent watchdog group, the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). The inspector general (IG) found that Panetta, then CIA director, had disclosed the “top secret” information two years ago at a ceremony at the spy agency’s headquarters honoring those who took part in the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, according to the draft report.

The event was attended by a “Hollywood executive” and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was working on the movie “Zero Dark Thirty,” which recounts the Bin Laden manhunt, it said. “During this awards ceremony, Director Panetta specifically recognized the unit that conducted the raid and identified the ground commander by name,” the draft IG report said. “According to the DoD (Department of Defense) Office of Security Review, the individual’s name is protected from public release - under federal law.”

The inspector general report adds: “Director Panetta also provided DoD information, identified by relevant Original Classification Authorities as Top Secret.”