Confirmed it? To whom? Do you really think that foreign govts don't already know more about the drone program from their own sources than the average American? That numerous congressional sources & the President have acknowledged the existence that the CIA denies?
So you defend the practice that leaked information should be treated as if it weren't leaked? The notion that not even the SoS can talk about it in private after it's already been leaked?
What a bunch of self important pissants.
Reference-
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/u...to-include-material-exceeding-top-secret.html
I don't know what was or was not in any of these e-mails. The problem is you are taking my general comments (notice I even said they were general) and then trying to say it is wrong over a specific event.
It is the law, that even if classified information is leaked to the public, that you don't talk about it or confirm it. It seems like this would be common sense. Now after something is massively well known, it should be declassified, as well.
So again, if someone just e-mails you a link to the story, I don't see any reason that you would have to report it (even though technically you probably should). However, if the person puts in the e-mail "Holy crap, how did they get everything right? Who told them we bombed Bob on Friday?" that is clearly a disclosure of classified information that must be reported.
Then again, I get briefed on this crap every year, for every program I am cleared on to and in general. I think most people in this thread with actual experience in the subject have issues with what happened because we know if we had done it, we'd be screwed.
Edit: BTW: The SoS can talk about classified data all they want to cleared people with a need to know, in a proper secured location. Not through e-mail, much less e-mail on a private server.
It is also interesting that you think following the law makes you a self important pissant. I personally think not following the law makes you a self important pissant.