US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Vietnam on Saturday that the recent leaks of Pentagon documents, one of the largest in the past decade, have not affected relations and cooperation with allies.
“The investigation is ongoing and important measures are being taken to protect the information,” Blinken said at a press conference in Hanoi, where he has been since Friday, on his way to Karuizawa (Japan) with the aim of attending a meeting of ministers of Foreign Affairs of the G7.
Asked if he fears the information leak, for which the United States has detained Jack Teixeira, 21, a Portuguese descendant, as a suspect, could disrupt the meeting with his G7 counterparts, Blinken said: “What I have heard so far is appreciation for the steps taken. Our cooperation has not been affected”.
United States President Joe Biden ordered on Friday that the information services “protect confidential documents even better”, after this case that has shocked Washington in recent days.
“As we continue to authenticate these documents, I have directed military and intelligence agencies to take steps to protect and further limit the dissemination of classified information. Our national security team is working closely with our partners and allies,” said The United States. President.
Biden also praised the investigation into the pending case, as well as the authorities’ prompt response to the leak of classified Pentagon documents, some of which contain sensitive information about the war in Ukraine.
Lusodescendant is suspicious
The prime suspect in the leak of classified military documents, Jack Teixeira, 21, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, has already appeared before a Boston judge and has been formally charged with “unauthorized holding and transmission of national defense information” and of “unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials”.
Both charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
Jack Teixeira will be held in custody until Wednesday’s hearing, Boston federal court has also ruled.
Documents published online show U.S. intelligence concerns about the feasibility of a Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 over issues of a lack of military training and logistics, as well as U.S. concerns over capability from Kiev to continue repelling attacks from Moscow.
Dozens of photos of these documents have been released on Twitter, Telegram or Discord in recent days. Some of them circulated on the internet for weeks if not months before catching the attention of the press.
However, US authorities have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of the documents posted online, nor has it been independently confirmed.
Despite this, the Pentagon acknowledged that this case poses a “very serious” risk to the national security of the United States.
In addition to the subject related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, some documents also seem to indicate that the United States obtained classified information from some of its allies, such as Israel and South Korea, countries that Washington has tried to reassure .
Source: DN
