I'm not sure that I follow. I was providing a reason why this information might be classified, and therefore never eligible for publication. You seem to be argu

I'm not sure that I follow. I was providing a reason why this information might be classified, and therefore never eligible for publication. You seem to be arguing a separate point: that, if it was published, it could not be taken seriously. The way that the present system is supposed to work is that there is oversight from Congress over the agencies, oftentimes in public, and that the President disseminates authority to all elements of the federal government. Last I checked, the President and Congress were supposed to be elected by the U.S. voting public. Are you arguing that government should be disintermediated entirely in this case? Aside from various interesting constitutional implications, this also would seem to be an argument against the existence of classified information at all. As for the question of "sacrificing" operations, who gets to make the decision of what to sacrifice?