It was vital that the plan be kept confidential, and members of Congress were told that fact during Congressional briefings, but unconcerned Capitol Hill blabbermouths chucked security into the trash can when one or more members of Congress present at briefings -- conducted in secrecy by Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman -- leaked the information to columnist Robert Novak, who published it in his column.

The result: the interests of the United State were undermined and the chance of success of a program vital to the United States was scuttled.

Here we go again with members of Congress. They leaked information either because they disagree with a policy or are just excited over being able to show how important they are in having access to classified information they can leak to the media.

It doesn’t bother them that the leaks prevented something vital to our national security from happening. In this case, the plan no longer has any chance of success because, thanks to the leakers, everyone knows about it.

These members of Congress who can’t or won’t keep a secret need to be held accountable, but they won’t because the one piece of information they won’t leak is who they are.

These leakers could kill us all someday.

It’s a good thing there were no politicians or reporters around when George Washington crossed the Delaware. If they had been the Hessians would have been waiting for them on the other side.

My dad had the right idea: Don’t ask, don’t tell. Just go ahead and do the right thing and keep quiet about it until it’s done.