"Breathtaking arrogance" by the New York Times

That was the charge made by Treasury Secretary John Snow, in a letter written to New York Times Editor Bill Keller, on the latter's revelation of a program to track monetary transfers by terrorists (emphasis mine):

You have defended your decision to compromise this program by asserting that "terror financiers know" our methods for tracking their funds and have already moved to other methods to send money. The fact that your editors believe themselves to be qualified to assess how terrorists are moving money betrays a breathtaking arrogance and a deep misunderstanding of this program and how it works. While terrorists are relying more heavily than before on cumbersome methods to move money, such as cash couriers, we have continued to see them using the formal financial system, which has made this particular program incredibly valuable.

Or at least, used to be incredibly valuable. Before a government leaker and the New York Times decided they didn't have to follow the law.