Probe into Bush spying details leak

THE US Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak of classified information about President George W Bush’s secret domestic spying programme.

The officials, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the probe, said the inquiry will focus on disclosures to the New York Times about warrantless surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency since the September 11 attacks.

The newspaper revealed the existence of the programme two weeks ago in a front-page story that acknowledged the news had been withheld from publication for a year, partly at the request of the administration and partly because the newspaper wanted more time to confirm various aspects of the programme.