In a press conference with US Attorney General Merrick Garland, the FBI said it has “arrested” Jack Teixeira, a residence in North Dighton, Massachusetts. He will be processed at the district court in Massachusetts.
The arrest was made “in connection with an investigation into an alleged unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information,” said Garland.
OG- the man behind the Discord Leaks
Shane Harris, WaPo: The man behind a massive leak of U.S. government secrets, OG, is a young, charismatic gun enthusiast who shared highly classified documents with a group of far-flung acquaintances searching for companionship amid the isolation of the pandemic. United by their mutual love of guns, military gear and God, the group of roughly two dozen — mostly men and boys — formed an invitation-only clubhouse in 2020 on Discord.
Source: Eric Toler, Bellingcat
The young member read OG’s message closely, and the hundreds more that he said followed on a regular basis for months. They were, he recalled, what appeared to be near-verbatim transcripts of classified intelligence documents that OG indicated he had brought home from his job on a “military base,” which the member declined to identify.
The members swapped memes, offensive jokes and idle chitchat. They watchedmovies together, joked around and prayed.But OG also lectured them about world affairs and secretive government operations. He wanted to “keep us in the loop,” the member said, and seemed to think that his insider knowledge would offer the others protection from the troubled world around them.
The dramatic and yet nonchalantpresentation also reminded the group that OG could lay his hands on some of the most closely guarded intelligence in the U.S. government. “If you had classified documents, you’d want to flex at least a little bit, like hey, I’m the big guy,” the member said. “There is a little bit of showing off to friends, but as well as wanting to keep us informed.” [continue reading]
Correction to a previous post: I wrote that the Discord Leak documents were posted on Discord and 4Chan and then on Twitter. The Washington Post provides the correct information:
On April 5, classified documents assessing the war in Ukraine were posted on Russian Telegram channels and the message board platform 4chan, and began migrating to Twitter.
Leader of Online Group Where Secret Documents Leaked Is Air National Guardsman- NYT
By Aric Toler, Michael Schwirtz, Haley Willis, Riley Mellen, Christiaan Triebert, Malachy Browne, Thomas Gibbons-Neff & Julian E. Barnes, The New York Times, April 13, 2023
The leader of a small online gaming chat group where a trove of classified U.S. intelligence documents leaked over the last few months is a 21-year-old member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The New York Times.
The national guardsman, whose name is Jack Teixeira, oversaw a private online group named 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.
Two U.S. officials confirmed that investigators want to talk to Airman Teixeira about the leak of the government documents to the private online group. One official said Airman Teixeira might have information relevant to the investigation.
The New York Times spoke with four members of the Thug Shaker Central chat group, one of whom said he has known the person who leaked for at least three years, had met him in person, and referred to him as the O.G. The friends described him as older than most of the group members, who were in their teens, and the undisputed leader. One of the friends said the O.G. had access to intelligence documents through his job.
The Times has been able to link Airman Teixeira to other members of the Thug Shaker Central group through his online gaming profile and other records. Details of the interior of Airman Teixeira’s childhood home — posted on social media in family photographs — also match details on the margins of some of the photographs of the leaked secret documents.
The Times also has established, through social media posts and military records, that Airman Teixeira is enlisted in the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Posts on the unit’s official Facebook page congratulated Airman Teixeira and colleagues for being promoted to Airman First Class in July 2022. [continue reading]
Julian Borger on the Discord Leaks: “There is increasing evidence that the intelligence leak was not an intelligence operation by a state actor aiming to discredit the US, but more likely the consequence of a Pentagon policy of granting top secret security clearances to huge numbers of service members, civilians and contractors. The number of employees and contractors in the entire US government with top secret clearance is about 1.25 million.”
Pentagon press secretary Patrick Ryder in a briefing about the leaks:
“We will be limited in what we can say about the documents themselves… As a matter of longstanding policy, just because classified information may be posted online and elsewhere does not mean it has been declassified by classification authority,” added Ryder.
“This is not just about the Department of Defense. This is about the US government…and how we protect and safeguard information,” said Ryder.
“We do have strict protocols in place… Anytime there is an incident…an opportunity to refine it, we are of course going to take advantage of that,” he added.
He added that the Pentagon had taken measures to review distribution lists and make sure that individuals who receive the information had a need to know, the Associated Press reports.
New Leaked Documents Show Broad Infighting Among Russian Officials. The depth of the infighting inside the Russian government appears broader and deeper than previously understood, judging from a newly discovered cache of classified intelligence documents that has been leaked online.
In one document, American intelligence officials say that Russia’s main domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., has “accused” the country’s Defense Ministry “of obfuscating Russian casualties in Ukraine.” The finding highlights “the continuing reluctance of military officials to convey bad news up the chain of command,” they say.
The new documents also provide fresh details about a very public dispute in February in which Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the business mogul who runs the Wagner force, accused Russian military officials of withholding urgently needed ammunition from his fighters. Mr. Putin attempted to resolve the dispute personally by calling Mr. Prigozhin and Mr. Shoigu into a meeting believed to have taken place on Feb. 22, one document reports. [continue reading]
The most significant parts of the leak concern Kyiv’s level of preparedness for an expected counteroffensive, but there are plenty of lines about other countries’ involvement in the conflict that may cause serious diplomatic difficulties. Here are some of the key revelations so far:
Ukraine: US intelligence officials were pessimistic in February about Ukraine’s prospects for a new attack in the spring, saying Kyiv could fall “well short” of recapturing territory seized by Russia. There are also details of serious air defence shortages and a risk of running out of anti-aircraft missiles completely by May.
Russia: The leaks suggest the US has a remarkable level of insight into Russian military operations, with live information about the targets being attacked by Moscow and details of a plan to pay a bonus to soldiers who damage or destroy Nato tanks. Early on Thursday, the New York Times reported that a new batch of 27 pages shows that “the depth of the infighting inside the Russian government appears broader and deeper than previously understood”. There is also information on the Russian mercenary Wagner group’s plan to expand its operations in Haiti, as well as US use of advanced satellite imaging technology to gather intelligence on Russian forces.
UK: One document suggests 97 special forces operatives were in Ukraine in February and March – 50 of them British. Their purpose there is not specified, but it is suggested that the special forces could form part of a coordinated Nato group.
UN: Some documents seen by the BBC appear to describe private conversations between the UN secretary general, António Guterres, and his deputy about a deal to secure the export of grain from Ukraine to help tackle a global food crisis. The files reportedly suggest the US felt Guterres was too sympathetic to Russian interests, saying he was “undermining broader efforts to hold Moscow accountable for its actions in Ukraine”.
South Korea: Documents based in part on intercepted communications show Seoul grappling with US pressure to ship ammunition to Ukraine amid concerns that artillery shells requested by Washington for its own use could be passed on. South Korea has a longstanding policy of not providing lethal weapons to countries at war.
VOA- General Hodges offered to help Ukraine "crush" the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol
The recent U.S. intelligence leaks are unlikely to have any impact on Ukraine's planned counteroffensive, Retired General Ben Hodges said in an interview with Voice of America on April 13.
Another document dated early February raises doubts about the planned Ukrainian counteroffensive, warning of significant shortfalls in force generation and sustainment. The document also suggests that Ukraine's future counteroffensive may only result in modest territorial gains.
Hodges told Voice of America that he had "always assumed" Ukrainian forces did not possess adequate ammunition due to the amount used daily on the frontline.
Although he was uncertain about the authenticity of the documents leaked from intelligence sources, he mentioned that if they were indeed accurate, the U.S. should consider not only providing additional ammunition "but also reconsider providing F-16s or other aircraft that could help."
