U.S. leaks show clash between 'need to know' vs 'need to share'

The latest U.S. intelligence leak illustrates a paradox of spycraft: keeping secrets means limiting their distribution but protecting against dangers like another Sept. 11, 2001, attack means sharing them.

Balancing those twin demands is a key challenge for U.S. President Joe Biden as his administration seeks to prevent leaks while protecting U.S. security and ensuring allies fearful of exposure keep sharing intelligence.

The conflict has been raised anew following the FBI arrest on Thursday of Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old U.S. Air Force National Guard employee, in connection with damaging online leaks of dozens of highly secret U.S. documents that purportedly disclose sensitive details ranging from Ukraine's military weaknesses to information about U.S. allies.

Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of the documents but has not independently verified their authenticity.

Former officials said this breach would likely prompt a hard tilt toward restricting the flow of information, possibly making it harder for security officials to "connect the dots" and avert dangers like the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.