A new batch of classified documents – documents said to involve national security secrets on such regions as Ukraine, China, and the Mideast – has turned up on social media websites, the New York Times reported on Friday.
It said the leaks have set off alarms within the Pentagon, while also catching the Biden administration off guard.
According to the Times report, analysts say more than 100 documents may have been involved, and because of their sensitivity, the leak could prove to be very damaging.
Indeed, one senior intelligence official quoted by the news organization referred to the leak as a “nightmare for the Five Eyes.” That’s a reference to five leading nations known to have broad intelligence exchanges: the United States, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
The Times said the documents appeared on sites such as Twitter on Friday.
Just a day earlier, Biden administration officials reported that they were looking into a potential leak of classified Ukrainian war plans, including assessments of Kyiv’s air defenses.
The Times, putting the leak into some perspective, quoted Mick Mulroy, a former senior Pentagon official. He categorized it as “a significant breach in security” that could hinder Ukrainian military planning.
He further said that because there were many photos of the actual documents, “it appears that it was a deliberate leak done by someone that wished to damage the Ukraine, U.S., and NATO efforts.”
Of significant concern to intel officials now is whether there are more documents that have been leaked. In fact, the Times said, even as officials were tracing the posts on Twitter and Telegram, another – a map offering details on the status of the fighting in the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut – turned up on the anonymized and often shadowy 4Chan.
And briefing slides on other regions and terrorism have also surfaced.
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