‘Our job is oversight’: Congress to probe how damaging leak of highly-classified DOD documents happened

The young airman was working as a “cyber transport systems journeyman,” essentially an IT or information technology expert, for the Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod.

Teixeira was arrested “in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a brief statement.

“We do have stringent guidelines in place for safeguarding classified and sensitive information,” said Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, about the same time Teixeira was taken into custody. “This was a deliberate criminal act, a violation of those guidelines.”

FBI ARRESTS JACK TEIXEIRA, AIR NATIONAL GUARDSMAN LINKED TO PENTAGON CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS LEAK

‘IT’S A GOOD DAY’: The arrest and the questions swirling around the massive leak prompted an immediate call on Capitol Hill for hearings into how a junior airman could have had high-level access to intelligence he had no “need to know,” one of the key criteria governing who can see top secret files.

“Our job is oversight, and you can bet we’re going to be doing it,” said Jim Himes (D-CT), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, on CNN. “This is a system and a process which obviously failed in a very substantial way. And that’s where the Congress comes in.”

“It’s a good day,” said Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH). “We can celebrate that at least the continued threat of additional leaks in this individual has been stopped. Now, of course, the assessment will have to be done.”

“How did this individual get access to these documents? And what policies and procedures need to be changed?” Turner asked, also on CNN.

“This was a major security breach that cannot be allowed to happen again. Leaking this trove of classified information endangered our military and intelligence professionals and undermined the security of our allies and partners,” said Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) in a statement. “There are systemic issues that need to be addressed, including protocols for how intelligence is handled, the security clearance process, and how officials can prevent intelligence leaks like this from ever happening again. Congress will be briefed further and corrective steps will be taken.”

ALLEGED LEAKER WORKS AS CYBER TRANSPORT SYSTEMS JOURNEYMAN, AIR FORCE SAYS

‘SO MUCH THAT MAKES ME CRAZY ABOUT THIS STORY’: Members of Congress are baffled about how the documents in question could have been shared online for months, and yet the Pentagon only discovered the breach after they showed up on Twitter and Telegram last week.

“How was he able to remove them from a secure facility?” asked Himes. “This wasn’t exactly advanced tradecraft. These apparently were documents that were folded up, stuck into a pocket, photographed, and that raises all sorts of questions.”

“There’s just so much that makes me crazy about this story,” he said. “This is apparently allegedly a 21-year-old kid, Air National Guardsman who was trying to impress his friends. This is not exactly Beijing and Russia’s best cyber operators doing here. And so, clearly, there’s an awful lot of work, a lot of congressional oversight work we need to do to fix these systems that are constantly allowing or at least regularly allowing our secrets to get out into the wild.”

“We need to have hearings as to what is the scope of documents, especially when you have something as volatile as a battlefield of Ukraine,” said Turner, who also questioned how the intelligence “could be accessed by someone who appears to not be in any chain of needing this information.”

“You know, no matter what procedures you put in place, somebody who wants to betray you, it’s going to have an opportunity to do so,” Turner added. “This gentleman is obviously going to be faced with charges of espionage.”

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE CLASSIFIED INTELLIGENCE LEAK

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BIDEN: ‘NOTHING … OF GREAT CONSEQUENCE’: President Joe Biden, during his visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, attempted to downplay the damage caused by the massive leak, which turns out to involve hundreds of documents, the biggest breach since 2013, when then-29-year-old Edward Snowden stole top secret documents from the National Security Agency.

“I’m not concerned about the leak because,” Biden said before pausing and starting again. “I’m concerned that it happened, but there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great consequence right now.”

Some analysts have noted much of the information in the various briefing slides is roughly in line with what’s called “OSINT,” or open-source intelligence, such as the daily assessments and maps published by the Institute for the Study of War.

But the most damaging revelations are not battlefield assessments, which change from day to day, and are often wrong, but the confirmation that the U.S. regularly spies on its allies, as well as its adversaries.

“The department is taking the issue of this unauthorized disclosure very seriously. We continue to work around the clock along with the interagency and the intelligence community to better understand the scope, scale, and impact of these leaks,” said Ryder, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman. “We continue to review a variety of factors as it relates to safeguarding classified materials. This includes examining and updating distribution lists, assessing how and where intelligence products are shared and a variety of other steps.”

AUSTIN ORDERS REVIEW OF INTELLIGENCE ACCESS AND CONTROL PROCEDURES AFTER LEAKS

DON’T EVEN LOOK: In a memo issued yesterday, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks is reminding DOD employees, both uniformed and civilians, that it is against the law for them to view or access classified materials, even if they are widely available on the internet or media reports.

“Unauthorized disclosure of classified information, whether intentional or unintentional, does not alter the classified nature of the information or the responsibilities of all personnel to safeguard the information according to its ascribed classification,” Hicks wrote. “Do not access or download documents with classified markings from unclassified websites, either from home or work.”

The policy has also limited what the Pentagon is willing to acknowledge or confirm about the information disclosed in the various documents. “And while we certainly understand the media’s interest in asking questions about the contents of these documents, I will highlight that as a matter of longstanding policy, just because classified information may be posted online or elsewhere does not mean it has been declassified by a classification authority,” said Ryder.

KREMLIN DENIES RUSSIAN INFIGHTING ALLEGED IN LEAKS

THE QUESTION OF MOTIVE: One of the big questions about this spy case is why? What might have motivated a 21-year-old to betray his country in such a blatant and amateurish way?

“When you look at the motivations for someone to spy or to do things like release classified documents, they almost always fall into one or more of four categories,” said David Priess, a former CIA intelligence officer, on CNN.

“The acronym MICE actually helps you remember it. ‘M’ is for money. They’re selling the secrets to get money. ‘I’ is for ideology. They have some kind of anti-government ideology. And that may be the case here. ‘C’ is compromised or coercion. And ‘E’ is ego,” Priess said. “The reporting we’ve seen so far really points to the latter of those (ego), that this person appeared to want to impress these men and boys on this private server and was upset when they weren’t as excited about seeing the classified information as he thought.”

“This seems to fit that pattern of a disgruntled person,” said Glenn Gerstell, a former general counsel for the National Security Agency. “After the Snowden leak, this kind of thing wasn’t supposed to happen again. And the government tried to figure out what kind of person is likely to do this sort of criminal act.”

“Psychological studies show it’s a disaffected, disgruntled person who thinks they know better than everyone else. They’re smarter than everyone else, in their view,” he said on CNN. “And that’s why the laws and the rules don’t apply to them.”

MTG APPEARS TO SIDE WITH ‘WHITE, MALE, CHRISTIAN’ LEAK SUSPECT OVER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

‘BADGE OF HONOR’: Following his recent visit to Taipei, in which he led a congressional delegation to meet with Taiwan’s leadership, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has been sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party. In response, McCaul issued a statement calling the designation “a badge of honor.”

“Nothing will deter the United States from supporting free, democratic nations—including Taiwan. Ironically, this baseless action serves U.S. interests by bringing more attention to our international partners and revealing the CCP’s blatant aggression,” he said.

MCCAUL WARNS XI IS PLOTTING TO PICK TAIWAN’S NEXT LEADER SO HE CAN ‘WIN WITHOUT A SHOT FIRED’

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: FBI arrests Jack Teixeira, Air National Guardsman linked to Pentagon classified documents leak

Washington Examiner: Alleged leaker works as cyber transport systems journeyman, Air Force says

Washington Examiner: What we know about the classified intelligence leak

Washington Examiner: Austin orders review of intelligence access and control procedures after leaks

Washington Examiner: Kremlin denies Russian infighting alleged in leaks

Washington Examiner: MTG appears to side with ‘white, male, christian’ leak suspect over Biden administration

Washington Examiner: Poland’s prime minister: France favors ‘severing the ties’ with US

Washington Examiner: Russian mercenaries attempted to buy weapons from Turkey, leaked documents reveal

Washington Examiner: McCaul warns Xi is plotting to pick Taiwan’s next leader so he can ‘win without a shot fired’

Washington Examiner: John Bolton lays out ‘three critical elements’ to prepare for possible cold war

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Allied tensions over Discord leaks hint at different intelligence community cultures

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Russia is weaponizing Christianity in its war on Ukraine

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Breaking with Macron, Germany’s Annalena Baerbock brings European courage to China

Washington Post: Russia’s commando units gutted by Ukraine war, U.S. leak shows

Wall Street Journal: Russia Presses Attacks In Eastern Ukraine As Video Sparks Outrage

New York Times: New Leaked Documents Show Broad Infighting Among Russian Officials

Washington Post: Russia Says China Agreed To Secretly Provide It With ‘Lethal Aid,’ Files Reveal

AP: China says no weapons exports to parties in Ukraine conflict

New York Times: Once Shocking, U.S. Spying On Allies Draws Only A Global Shrug

Politico: A 21-Year-Old with Top Secret Access? It’s Not as Rare as You ThinkA 21-Year-Old with Top Secret Access? It’s Not as Rare as You Think

Defense News: Poland Bid to Re-Export MiG-29s to Ukraine Wins Quick German Approval

19fortyfive.com: Israel Is Doubling Fleet of Ra’am Fighter-Bombers With New F-15IAs

The War Zone: A-10 Warthogs Sent to Boneyard for the First Time in Years

Washington Post: China Let A Ship Banned For Ferrying Coal From North Korea Go Rogue

AP: Red Cross: Yemen rebels, Saudi coalition begin prisoner swap

Inside Defense: Air Force Seeking Countermeasure Capabilities for Sentinel Nuclear Missile System

Breaking Defense: Navy Begins Long Haul To Inactivate Second Nuclear-Powered Carrier Nimitz

USNI News: Pentagon Acquisition Has Innovation Problem, New Study Finds

Air & Space Forces Magazine: In Historic First, USAF Deploys B-1s to India for Exercise

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Futures Lays Out Four Scenarios for 2040 in New Report

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Shyu: Pentagon’s 2024 S&T Budget Is Focused on Joint Warfighting

Air Force Times: After Tragedy, US Air Force Probes English Training for Foreign Pilots

Forbes: Opinion: AM General’s Winning Bid For The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Makes No Sense. What’s Going On?

Calendar

FRIDAY | APRIL 14

9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Future of Western Aid to Ukraine,” with Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Dereck Hogan https://www.csis.org/events/future-western-aid-ukraine-conversation

10 a.m. — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual discussion: “Russia, Ukraine, and the Struggle for Democracy,” with Anne Applebaum, staff writer for the Atlantic; and Aaron David Miller, senior fellow at CEIP https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/04/14/carnegie-connects

11 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Constraining Russia’s War Economy: Lessons from Lithuania,” with Lithuanian Minister of Finance Gintare Skaiste https://www.hudson.org/events/constraining-russias-war-economy

2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Sanctions and Russia’s Defense Industry,” with Samuel Bendett, adviser on Russia studies at the Center for Naval Analyses; Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow at the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; Paul Schwartz, nonresident senior associate at the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; and Max Bergmann, director of the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program https://www.csis.org/events/sanctions-and-russias-defense-industry

2 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “The US-South Korea alliance at 70,” with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg; followed by a panel discussion with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Multilateral Affairs Jung Pak https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-us-rok-alliance-at-70

MONDAY | APRIL 17

1 p.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution discussion: “The US Congress and national security,” with Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch-us-congress-national-security

TUESDAY | APRIL 18

9:30 a.m. 106 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of the Department of the Navy in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2024 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

9:30 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Accountability Select Coronavirus Pandemic Subcommittee hearing: “Investigating the Origins of COVID-19, Part 2: China and the Available Intelligence,” with testimony from John Ratcliffe, former director of national intelligence; and David Feith, former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/investigating-the-origins-of-covid-19

10 a.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President’s FY2024 Budget Request for the Air Force and Space Force,” with testimony from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall; Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown, Jr.; and Air Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings

10:30 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing on “U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region,” with testimony from Navy Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of the United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea; and Jedidiah Royal, principal deputy assistant Defense secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

1:30 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Pausing Proliferation: Facing China’s Military Engine Development,” with Cynthia Cook, director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group; retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David Stilwell, former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs; and Jeremiah “J.J.” Gertler, senior associate (non-resident), Aerospace Security Project https://www.csis.org/events/pausing-proliferation

2 p.m. 2200 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific hearing: “Surrounding the Ocean: PRC Influence in the Indian Ocean,” with testimony from Darshana Baruah, fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Jeffrey Payne, research fellow, National Defense University; and Nilanthi Samaranayake, research program director, Center for Naval Analyses https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/surrounding-the-ocean

2 p.m. 2362-B Rayburn — House Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on “FY2024 Request for Navy and Marine Corps Military Construction and Family Housing,” with testimony from Meredith Berger, assistant Navy secretary for energy, installations, and environment; Vice Adm. Ricky Williamson, deputy chief of naval operations for fleet readiness and logistics; and Lt. Gen. Edward Banta, deputy Marine Corps commandant for installations and logistics http://appropriations.house.gov

2:30 p.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President’s FY2024 Funding Request for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and for the National Science Foundation,” with testimony from Bill Nelson, NASA administrator; and Sethuraman Panchanathan, National Science Foundation director http://appropriations.senate.gov

2:30 p.m. 232A Russell — Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee hearing: “Army Modernization in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2024 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Douglas Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology; Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of the Army Futures Command; and Maj. Gen. Michelle Schmidt, director of force development, G-8, at the Army https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

2:30 p.m. HVC-210, U.S. Capitol — House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing: “Great Power Competition Implications in Africa: The Chinese Communist Party,” with testimony from Rick Waters, China coordinator and deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan; Amy Holman, deputy assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of African Affairs; and Janean Davis, deputy assistant administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Africa http://foreignaffairs.house.gov

4:45 p.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “The Department of Energy’s Atomic Energy Defense Activities and Department of Defense Nuclear Weapons Programs in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2024 and Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Jill Hruby, National Nuclear Security Administration administrator; William White, senior adviser for environmental management at the Energy Department; Navy Adm. James Caldwell, Jr., deputy administrator for naval reactors at the National Nuclear Security Administration; Marvin Adams, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration; Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command; and Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director of Navy Strategic Systems Programs https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

WEDNESDAY | APRIL 19

9:30 a.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Cybersecurity Subcommittee hearing: “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applications to Enable Cybersecurity,” with Mark Ryland, director of the Amazon Web Services Office of the Chief Information Security Officer; Josh Lospinoso, co-founder and CEO of Shift5; and Daniel Ragsdale, vice president of Department of Defense strategy at Two Six Technologies http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Army FY2024 Budget Request,” with testimony from Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville; Army Secretary Christine Wormuth http://www.armedservices.house.gov

10 a.m. 2008 Rayburn — House Appropriations Committee Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing: “FY2024 Request for the U.S. Coast Guard,” with testimony from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan http://appropriations.house.gov

10:30 a.m. 124 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President’s FY2024 Budget Request for Military Construction and Family Housing,” with Brendan Owens, assistant defense secretary for energy, installations, and environment; Vice Adm. Ricky Williamson, deputy chief of naval operations for fleet readiness and logistics; Lt. Gen. Edward Banta, deputy Marine Corps commandant for installations and logistics; Lt. Gen. Kevin Vereen, deputy Army chief of staff; Lt. Gen. Tom Miller, deputy Air Force chief of staff for logistics, engineering, and force protection; and Bruce Hollywood, associate Space Force chief operations officer http://appropriations.senate.gov

10:30 a.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee hearing: “The Mission, Activities, Oversight, and Budget of the All-Domain Anomaly (UFOs) Resolution Office,” with Sean Kirkpatrick, director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

10:30 a.m. HVC-210, U.S. Capitol — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: “Exposing Putin’s Crimes: Evidence of Russian War Crimes and Other Atrocities in Ukraine,” with testimony from Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin http://foreignaffairs.house.gov

2:30 p.m. 232-A Russell — Senate Armed Services Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee hearing: “Military Construction, Energy, Installations, Environmental, and Base Closure Programs in Review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2024 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with Brendan Owens, assistant defense secretary for energy, installations, and environment; Rachel Jacobson, assistant Army secretary for installations, energy, and environment; Meredith Berger, assistant Navy secretary for energy, installations, and environment; Ravi Chaudhary, assistant Air Force secretary for energy, installations, and environment; and Elizabeth Field, director of defense capabilities and management at the Government Accountability Office https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

3 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing on “FY2024 Rotary Wing Aviation Budget Request” https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings/tal-hearing

3 p.m. — Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance Deterrence Center virtual forum: “Strategic Nuclear Threats from U.S. Adversaries,” with Anthony Cordesman, emeritus chair in strategy, Center for Strategic and International Studies; Adam Lowther, director, Strategic Deterrence Programs, National Strategic Research Institute; Evan Montgomery, senior fellow and director, research and studies, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; and John Swegle, former senior advisory scientist, Savannah River National Laboratory https://www.eventbrite.com/e/strategic-nuclear-threats

THURSDAY | APRIL 20

12 p.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual discussion of recent paper: “Striking Back: Iran and the Rise of Asymmetric Drone Warfare in the Middle East,” with author, retired Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander, U.S. Central Command; Valerie Lincy, executive director, Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control; and Damien Spleeters, deputy director of operations at Conflict Armament Research https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/irans-military-drone-program

WEDNESDAY | APRIL 26

10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “Department of the Navy FY2024 Budget Request,” with testimony from Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday; Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger http://www.armedservices.house.gov