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| Firings over Obama file breach | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The US Department of State has fired two contractors and disciplined a third for accessing the passport file of presidential hopeful Barack Obama. | The US Department of State has fired two contractors and disciplined a third for accessing the passport file of presidential hopeful Barack Obama. |
| A spokesman for the department, Sean McCormack, said the cases were likely caused by "imprudent curiosity". | A spokesman for the department, Sean McCormack, said the cases were likely caused by "imprudent curiosity". |
| But he said it was not clear what the employees may have seen or what they were looking for. | But he said it was not clear what the employees may have seen or what they were looking for. |
| A spokesman for Mr Obama suggested that the government could be using private information for "political purposes". | A spokesman for Mr Obama suggested that the government could be using private information for "political purposes". |
| The BBC's North America editor, Justin Webb, says it is an extraordinary lapse in security which allowed temporary state department employees access to personal information on a man who is guarded by the secret service day and night . | |
| 'Security breach' | 'Security breach' |
| The state department tracks those who access its passport database. | The state department tracks those who access its passport database. |
| Breaches occurred on three separate dates - 9 January, 21 February and 14 March. | Breaches occurred on three separate dates - 9 January, 21 February and 14 March. |
| "We believe this was out of imprudent curiosity, so we are taking steps to reassure ourselves that that is, in fact, the case," Mr McCormack said. | "We believe this was out of imprudent curiosity, so we are taking steps to reassure ourselves that that is, in fact, the case," Mr McCormack said. |
| Bill Burton, a spokesman for Mr Obama's campaign, called for a full investigation. | Bill Burton, a spokesman for Mr Obama's campaign, called for a full investigation. |
| "This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years," he said. | "This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years," he said. |
| "Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes." | "Our government's duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes." |
| "We demand to know who looked at Senator Obama's passport file, for what purpose, and why it took so long for them to reveal this security breach." | "We demand to know who looked at Senator Obama's passport file, for what purpose, and why it took so long for them to reveal this security breach." |