Top Officials' Chat Blunder Exposes Yemen War Plans

A big mistake happened when high-ranking officials in the Trump administration shared secret military plans. They used a chat app called Signal to talk about attacks on the Houthi group in Yemen. The problem? They accidentally included a well-known journalist in the conversation. The group involved some big names: Vice-President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, and the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard. Others in the chat included Stephen Miller, Susie Wiles, and Steve Witkoff. Signal is not approved for sharing sensitive information, which makes this blunder even more serious. The journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, found out he was in the chat group. He quickly removed sensitive details, like the identity of a senior CIA officer and current operational plans. The national security council confirmed the incident, saying they were reviewing how the journalist's number was added to the chat. This mistake raises questions about the Trump administration's handling of sensitive information. It's not the first time they've had issues with security. For example, Hegseth claimed to guarantee "100 percent operations security" while a journalist was reading his messages. The chat included discussions about the urgency of attacking Yemen and the cost for other countries. Security experts were shocked by the breach, noting that the US military has strict rules for handling classified material. While Signal is secure, the phones it's installed on can be vulnerable. Some people were outraged by the mistake. Democratic representative Pat Ryan, an army veteran, called it "fubar" - a term from World War II meaning "fucked up beyond all recognition. " He demanded an immediate investigation. Shane Harris, a national security reporter, said he had never seen anything like this in his 25 years of reporting. Goldberg initially thought the messages might be fake, but he became convinced they were real. The plan discussed in the chat matched an actual attack on Yemen. The chat also included disparaging remarks about Europe, with Vance and Hegseth expressing frustration about bailing out European countries. In reality, about 20 countries are involved in protecting shipping from Houthi attacks, not just the US. As Goldberg became aware of the attack on Yemen, he recorded updates from the Signal channel. The group praised the operation, with Marco Rubio and Susie Wiles sending congratulations.

Top Officials' Chat Blunder Exposes Yemen War Plans

Continue Reading...

Actions