Trying to understand mixed signals about government secrecy

Just thinking out loud here...

We can't examine and debate the legality of the NSA wiretapping program because of national security concerns, but we can reveal the details of how Zarqawi was found and killed, which allegedly involved phone surveillance. We can't thoroughly examine the interactions between the government and the private sector with regards to sharing private information, but we can reveal what was found at the location where Zarqawi was killed--it's being called a "treasure" of information--including al Qaeda's plan (the Iraq version of al Qaeda) to take the war to Iran.

What are the rules for disclosure here? I'm thinking we can't reveal "secret" information, unless it helps Bush politically.