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Post by Admin on Apr 13, 2023 22:20:17 GMT
A suspect has been arrested in the leak of classified Pentagon documents that were posted on several social media sites. Suspect Jack Teixeira, 21, is a member of the 102nd intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. CBS News intelligence and national security reporter Olivia Gazis and CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang have more.
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2023 3:58:26 GMT
Politicians and security analysts are wondering how the junior-enlisted guardsman was able to obtain sensitive material about the Ukraine war.
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2023 5:59:13 GMT
US authorities have arrested a 21-year-old information technology specialist named Jack Teixeira in connection with the disclosure of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war and other top national security issues. The leak is believed to have started on the social media site Discord, where Mr Teixeira posted for years. Here's a look at the security breach that the Pentagon has called a "very serious risk to national security". Who is Jack Teixeira? Jack Teixeira is an airman first class in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. He was wearing a T-shirt and shorts when he was taken into custody without incident after heavily-armed FBI agents swarmed his home in Dighton, a town about 80km south of Boston. Jack Teixeira was arrested at a residence in Massachusetts over the leak, which the Pentagon says was a "deliberate, criminal act". He is detailed to an Air Force intelligence unit, according to Facebook posts from the 102nd Intelligence Wing based at Otis Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts. His specialty in the Air National Guard is as a "cyber transport systems specialist," which is essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks, including their cabling and hubs. The penalty Mr Teixeira would face if he is convicted is unclear at this stage, although Brandon Van Grack, a former Justice Department national security prosecutor, said the likely charges could carry up to 10 years' imprisonment, even if Mr Teixeira did not intend to cause harm. Attorney-General Merrick Garland said he would be charged with removing or transmitting classified national defence information, a crime under the Espionage Act. Any sentence would depend on how many counts a defendant was convicted of and whether they were served consecutively or concurrently. Mr Teixeira is due to have his initial court appearance in Massachusetts on Friday local time and could also face charges in a military court.
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2023 17:20:18 GMT
A member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who was arrested in connection with the leak of highly classified military documents about the Ukraine war made his first appearance in federal court on Friday.
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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2023 18:53:36 GMT
The New York Times, which first identified Teixeira as a suspect, reported that he oversaw the private online group on the Discord site called Thug Shaker Central, where “about 20 to 30 people, mostly young men and teenagers, came together over a shared love of guns, racist online memes and video games.” According to charging documents released Friday, a member of the group told federal agents that Teixeira began posting classified information to the Discord server in December. Teixeira’s mother told the paper that her son had recently been working overnight shifts at the base on Cape Cod — and that he had recently changed his phone number. According to the Military Times, Teixeira joined the Air National Guard in September 2019, serving as a “cyber transport systems journeyman,” which the publication describes as a “sort of information technology specialist.” Teixeira’s alleged disclosure of highly sensitive information has prompted the Department of Defense to reevaluate safety measures at the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that he has ordered a thorough review of all "intelligence access, accountability and control procedures" and may take "additional measures necessary to safeguard our nation's secrets." As the Associated Press pointed out, the “emergence of Teixeira as a primary suspect is bound to raise questions about how such a profound breach … could have been caused by such a young, low-ranking service member.” “We entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age,” Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said at a press conference Thursday, just before Teixeira’s arrest. “Think about a young combat platoon sergeant, and the responsibility and trust that we put into those individuals to lead troops into combat." In a statement issued by the White House on Friday, Biden said, "I commend the rapid action taken by law enforcement to investigate and respond to the recent dissemination of classified U.S. government documents. "While we are still determining the validity of those documents," the president added, "I have directed our military and intelligence community to take steps to further secure and limit distribution of sensitive information."
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