An intelligence report must be treated as “Confidential,” even as a “Secret” or “Top Secret” document, depending on its security classification. A narco list, just like an Order of Battle, is a product of an intelligence workshop and is disseminated only to personnel with the corresponding security clearance. Hence, making it public would not only warn those in the list – thus jeopardizing any ongoing intelligence operations – but also unnecessarily shame them or put their lives at risk. Having said that, it may also be unfair to those who may not be correctly tagged as committing the wrongdoings as described in the intelligence document.

It goes without saying that the credibility of that list and all other narco lists involving other sectors for that matter have now become doubtful. An immediate review of all the narco lists is in order. As I said, the President or any official making a classified document public is ill-advised and will not serve the purpose for which it was prepared.

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