Headline Roundup • April 12th, 2023
DOJ Investigating Leak of Pentagon Documents Detailing Foreign Surveillance
Defense And Security,Foreign Affairs,Ukraine War,Russia,Justice Department,Pentagon,Classified Documents
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Following reports that classified documents regarding United States foreign intelligence leaked online, outlets across the spectrum are reporting on the response from U.S. officials, the implications and fallout from the leak, and speculation on the source.
The Documents: At least 50 documents marked Secret or Top Secret were included in the leak. There is debate over the authenticity of some documents, and Newsweek quoted Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Chris Meagher stating that some of the documents “appear to have been altered.” Some documents included foreign intelligence on U.S. allies, as well as information on the Ukraine War and Russia.
The Leak: The documents were first reported by the New York Times (Lean Left Bias) on April 7, but reports indicate the documents were shared on the chat platform Discord for weeks prior. The Department of Justice opened an investigation to find the source of the leak. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday that they do not know if the leak has been contained.
Response: The documents contain information indicating that U.S. intelligence agencies conduct surveillance on U.S. allies such as Israel and South Korea. They also indicate that the U.S. has sources inside Russia close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Washington Examiner quoted Meagher stating that the “disclosure of sensitive classified material can have tremendous implications not only for our national security, but could lead to people losing their lives.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
‘WE DON’T KNOW’: The Pentagon was blindsided by the revelation last Thursday that highly classified documents, including briefing slides prepared for senior leaders, had popped up on social media sites Twitter and Telegram after languishing relatively unnoticed for weeks on Discord, a chatroom popular with gamers.
President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were both briefed about the massive intelligence breach for the first time the same day the New York Times broke the story, sending the Pentagon into five-alarm damage control mode.
“We don't know who's behind this....
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Investigations are ongoing to determine the scope and source of leaked Pentagon documents that circulated online late last week.
Classified files detailing NATO military support for Kyiv, including evaluations of Ukraine's forces and its needs for launching a long-touted spring counteroffensive, surfaced on various social media sites ahead of the Easter weekend.
Many of the assessments were dated from the end of February and the beginning of March. The wide-ranging stock of documents covered Ukraine's capabilities, apparent United States surveillance and the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, which has been prolific...
Fallout from leaked Pentagon documents revealing intelligence secrets continues to reverberate around the world as officials scrambled Tuesday to assess the damage and identify the culprit.
Since Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was briefed on April 6 on the disclosure on social media of what appear to be highly sensitive documents related to the war in Ukraine, the web of U.S. allies and adversaries implicated in the leaks continues to grow. One recent revelation, for example, involved an analysis in February of how Israel might begin providing lethal aid to Ukraine.
Some experts view the leaks as less a...
