- snitzoid
Did the 21 yr old who leaked the Ukraine stuff act alone? Criminal or a hero?
Oh boy, this is. good one for philosophy class or, if you're a shyster, a class in Constitutional law!
First off, it's inconceivable that this kid acted alone unless our Joint Chiefs have the security protocols of a Kindergarten class. Apparently, he ran a chat room where the docs were posted.
Second, it's definitely not ok to share classified info. On the other hand, the info he shared was readily available through other news sources (mostly outside the US) and did not put US troops, security or Ukraine Civilians at risk? To the contrary, the only real "new info" was that our government was aware Ukraine was handily being trounced by the Russians and was telling us the opposite.
If this soldier's information helps the public pressure the Biden Administration to support a cease-fire and negotiate an end to this bloody war, his actions may save thousands of lives (both military and civilian) and save Ukraine from annihilation.
Want the specifics of the leaked docs? Click link.
The Guardsman and the Guardians
Why did a 21-year-old allegedly have access to so much intel?
By The Editorial Board, WSJ
April 13, 2023 6:28 pm ET
FBI agents arrest Jack Teixeira, an employee of the U.S. Air Force National Guard, in connection with an investigation into the leaks online of classified U.S. documents, North Dighton, Mass., April 13.
Federal agents on Thursday arrested a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman in connection with the recent leak of intelligence secrets, and it will be a relief if that’s where the security breach ends.
The concern whenever secrets spill into the open is how far-reaching the breaches go and if there is a larger conspiracy afoot. That’s especially true when authorities seem as flummoxed as the Biden Administration was until Thursday.
The latest batch of documents that spilled onto the Discord messaging platform are serious and damaging to U.S. national interests. But if this is a case of a single misguided and relatively junior guardsman doing the leaking, the damage can be more readily identified and contained.
Federal agents hadn’t charged Jack Teixeira as we wrote this. But Attorney General Merrick Garland said he was arrested as part of the “investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information.” He provided no more details.
One obvious question is why Mr. Teixeira had access to such a range of secrets. The leaked documents, assuming they are real, include intelligence on allied foreign governments and assessments of Ukraine’s progress in its war against Russia’s invasion. Did he need to know? Why did he apparently have access to an internal Pentagon computer network for top secret information? A sweeping review of classified access is needed.
It’s also fair to ask how the documents could circulate for weeks on Discord and then other platforms without U.S. counterintelligence agents finding out until the press reported it. Is this another case of misplaced priorities by the Federal Bureau of Investigation?
The Justice Department has mistakenly pursued the innocent before—think the FBI’s obsessive focus on Steven Hatfill for the 2001 anthrax attacks. But if Mr. Teixeira is charged, his motive will be important to know. Did he see himself as another Edward Snowden or Chelsea Manning, who were celebrated by much of the media for their classified betrayals?
The cavalier handling of classified documents by Presidents Trump and Biden has also set a bad example that could cause less respect for the obligations of secrecy. There’s much more to learn—about Mr. Teixeira, but also about the practices and culture of classification that allowed this to happen.