What happened to secrecy in war?

So the good news was that we foiled another Al Qaeda bomb plot. Then it became even more exciting when we learned that guy we 'arrested' was actually a double agent the Saudis had infiltrate AQAP.

But why do we know this? Surely this is one of those secrets we should be hearing about in fifty years to protect the agents involved and the ongoing operation? While it's exciting to read about these adventures, I'd rather win the war and read about them later.

So what prompted the disclosure? Was it payback for the last Saudi double-agent we placed there who was executed? Or was it election-year politics?