The US Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the leak of classified intelligence documents which have been posted on social media over recent weeks.
The Pentagon ( Photo: KOMU )
US officials are said to be taking the leaks very seriously, given the scope of the leaked information and the likelihood that the documents are genuine
New documents have emerged covering US support for Ukraine and key allies, including Israel. Although the original source of the leaks is unknown, it is understood that the documents are likely to have originated from the Joint Staff’s intelligence arm, J2. While some US officials believe that the investigation will remain focused on those with access to such classified documents, others are concerned that the investigation may need to be widened given the large number of people who have access to them.
Moreover, some of the documents include markings indicating that they have been shared with countries in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. Although the US is expected to share an assessment of any damage with its partners in the alliance, each country is said to be conducting its own assessment of the situation.
The leaked documents contain classified information on various topics including the United Arab Emirates links to Russia and South Korea’s provision of ammunition to the US for use in Ukraine. Many of the documents are briefing documents marked top secret and there is concern among Pentagon officials that the leak could represent a significant breach.
Earlier in March, images of some of the documents – which include estimates of Russian casualties and a list of Western weapons systems available to Ukraine – were posted to the social media platform Discord.
It was only after someone posted a portion of the documents to 4chan
A web forum popular with extremists, and a Russian speaker posted an altered version of one of the documents on Telegram, and the leaked documents began to gain more attention.
It is not yet known who is behind the leaks or where they originated. The leaked documents have caused speculation and paranoia among users of Discord, with some worrying that they could be in trouble for re-posting the documents. Meanwhile, US officials are looking to get to the bottom of the matter and ascertain how the documents were leaked and what the likely impact of the leak is likely to be.
The Department of Justice’s investigation into the leak is expected to focus initially on potential culprits inside the Pentagon, but it is also possible that the investigation could be widened to include individuals and agencies outside the Pentagon.
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