Preliminary examination of the U.S. intelligence leak unveiling Israel's strategic operation planning, pinpointing individuals with document authorization
On a Monday announcement, the White House revealed no indications exist of further leaked documents beyond the two already unveiled.
However, the unveiling of these two documents – allegedly produced by two Defense Department intelligence entities, the National Security Agency and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency – has caused significant alarm within the American administration during a sensitive period in US-Israel relations.
The FBI is overseeing the investigation, collaborating with Pentagon investigators and the intelligence community, as revealed by US sources.
Recently, investigators have worked on verifying the documents' authenticity and identifying potential individuals with access to them, the sources divulged.
This focus points towards the likelihood that the breach originated from a government insider rather than a cyber intrusion at the moment.
Both documents were public resources, as stated by two US intelligence sources. However, at least one appears to be scanned from an official briefing book. This could potentially provide investigators with a crucial starting point, as the Defense Department can monitor when classified documents are printed by employees. Consequently, the pool of individuals who printed these pages would be limited, the sources revealed.
Nonetheless, the investigation remains in its early stages, and no definitive conclusions have been drawn, as confirmed by the sources.
The FBI declined to comment.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby informed reporters on Monday that no information is presently available regarding how the documents were distributed, and the Department of Defense is still investigating the issue.
Kirby also reported that "at this juncture," no signs have emerged suggesting comparable documents will emerge publicly.
"We have no reason to suspect that there will be additional documents akin to these publicly surfacing," he said.
The documents, dated October 15 and 16, began circulating online on Friday after being posted on Telegram via an account named "Middle East Spectator." They bear the top-secret classification and are marked for viewing by the US and its "Five Eyes" allies – Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK.
One document, compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, discusses Israel shifting munitions.
Another document, traced back to the National Security Agency, details Israeli air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles, potentially in anticipation of a strike on Iran. CNN refrains from directly quoting or displaying the documents.
The sensitive nature of the leak prompted American officials to remain exceptionally discreet about the investigation on Monday. Officially, multiple agencies declined even to verify whether an investigation is underway.
In an over the weekend statement, the "Middle East Spectator" account claimed ignorance of any other leaked classified US documents and stated no affiliation with the original source, believed to be a whistleblower within the US Department of Defense.
According to one US official, concerns within the intelligence community stem less from the documents' content than the fact of the leak. While American espionage on allies is generally accepted, public disclosure of American surveillance towards Israel may potentially exacerbate relations during a period when the US is making efforts to conclude several interconnected conflicts in which Israel is currently engaged.
A substantial leak of US intelligence last year also affected US relations with allies, such as South Korea and Ukraine, after 21-year-old Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira published highly classified information on social media platform Discord.
In that instance, the FBI swiftly identified Teixeira, whose digital footprint served as an invaluable aid to investigators in narrowing their focus. Teixeira is currently serving a 16-year sentence for the leak, and the Pentagon has since tightened access to specific documents.
CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen contributed reporting.
The alarm caused by the leaked documents in the American administration has led to a deep dive into the politics of information security and diplomatic relations with Israel.
The current leak controversy is adding another layer to the politics surrounding intelligence sharing and security within the US administration.
