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Pentagon leak suspect close to being caught, says Joe Biden Pentagon leaks: US air national guardsman, 21, identified as suspect
(about 1 hour later)
Major investigation is tracking down man known as OG who is thought to be behind exposure of hundreds of secret documents Jack Teixeira led Thug Shaker Central online group and is facing arrest in Massachusetts, say reports
US authorities are close to catching the leaker responsible for causing a major security breach by circulating hundreds of secret documents, Joe Biden has said. A 21-year-old US air national guardsman suspected of leaking highly classified defence documents is expected to be arrested in Massachusetts on Thursday.
The leader of an online group where the secret documents were posted is a member of the Massachusetts air national guard, the New York Times reported. Jack Teixeira led Thug Shaker Central, an online group where about 20 to 30 people shared their love of guns, racist memes and video games, the newspaper said, citing interviews and documents it reviewed.
The revelation came soon after Joe Biden said on Thursday that US authorities were close to catching the leaker.
Speaking to reporters outside the Irish president’s residence, where he is on an official visit, Biden said: “There’s a full-blown investigation going on, as you know, with the intelligence community and the justice department, and they’re getting close.”Speaking to reporters outside the Irish president’s residence, where he is on an official visit, Biden said: “There’s a full-blown investigation going on, as you know, with the intelligence community and the justice department, and they’re getting close.”
An increasing volume of evidence points to the leaker being a disaffected young man with racist views and a preoccupation with guns, who claimed to work on a military base. The person shared photos of the documents on a chat group with about two dozen active members, starting last year and continuing until March. An increasing volume of evidence pointed to the leaker being a disaffected young man with racist views and a preoccupation with guns, who claimed to work on a military base. The person shared photos of the documents on a chat group with about two dozen active members, starting last year and continuing until March.
“I’m not concerned about the leak,” Biden said. “I’m concerned that it happened. But there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that’s of great consequence.”“I’m not concerned about the leak,” Biden said. “I’m concerned that it happened. But there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that’s of great consequence.”
Some of the leaked documents are dated as recently as March, and discussed Ukraine’s troop deployments, military vulnerabilities and efforts to arm its forces before a spring counteroffensive.Some of the leaked documents are dated as recently as March, and discussed Ukraine’s troop deployments, military vulnerabilities and efforts to arm its forces before a spring counteroffensive.
There is also evidence of US spying on allies, and their reluctance to arm Ukraine, and there is material about Russian forces and decision-making in Moscow that could help the Kremlin better understand the strengths and weaknesses of US intelligence collection efforts in Russia.There is also evidence of US spying on allies, and their reluctance to arm Ukraine, and there is material about Russian forces and decision-making in Moscow that could help the Kremlin better understand the strengths and weaknesses of US intelligence collection efforts in Russia.
Some newly reported documents show knowledge of infighting between the Russian intelligence and the defence ministry. In one document reported by the New York Times, US officials describe how the Federal Security Service (FSB) had “accused the defence ministry of trying to cover up the extent of Russian casualties in Ukraine”.Some newly reported documents show knowledge of infighting between the Russian intelligence and the defence ministry. In one document reported by the New York Times, US officials describe how the Federal Security Service (FSB) had “accused the defence ministry of trying to cover up the extent of Russian casualties in Ukraine”.
The FSB said the official statistics did not include the dead and wounded from the national guard or two significant militias involved in combat, the Wagner mercenary force and fighters fielded by the Chechen republic’s warlord leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. The US intelligence assessment was that the spat demonstrated “the continuing reluctance of military officials to convey bad news up the chain of command”.The FSB said the official statistics did not include the dead and wounded from the national guard or two significant militias involved in combat, the Wagner mercenary force and fighters fielded by the Chechen republic’s warlord leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. The US intelligence assessment was that the spat demonstrated “the continuing reluctance of military officials to convey bad news up the chain of command”.
Despite Biden’s optimistic assessment of the investigation, federal authorities had reportedly not approached an important witness, a teenage member of the internet group that the leaker managed. The teenager talked to Bellingcat, the investigative journalism organisation, at the weekend, and in more detail to the Washington Post on Wednesday. Despite Biden’s optimistic assessment of the investigation, federal authorities had reportedly not approached an important witness, a teenage member of the internet group that the leaker managed. The teenager talked to the investigative journalism organisation Bellingcat at the weekend, and in more detail to the Washington Post on Wednesday.
He described the leaker, referred to by the initials OG, as a charismatic leader who managed the group, which chatted on a server called Thug Shaker Central. The Post viewed a video of a man identified as OG at a shooting range with a large rifle.He described the leaker, referred to by the initials OG, as a charismatic leader who managed the group, which chatted on a server called Thug Shaker Central. The Post viewed a video of a man identified as OG at a shooting range with a large rifle.
“He yells a series of racial and antisemitic slurs into the camera, then fires several rounds at a target,” the report said. OG told fellow members of the same internet group that he worked on a military base, which was not named in the report, where his job involved viewing large amounts of classified information.“He yells a series of racial and antisemitic slurs into the camera, then fires several rounds at a target,” the report said. OG told fellow members of the same internet group that he worked on a military base, which was not named in the report, where his job involved viewing large amounts of classified information.
The Pentagon has begun tightening the circle of employees and contractors and has promised to review its policy in granting top secret clearance. The Pentagon has begun tightening the circle of employees and contractors and has promised to review its policy in granting top secret clearance. In March, a batch of the documents were shared by a teenage member of Thug Shaker Central on another server dedicated to following a Filipino YouTuber called WowMao, with a wider readership.
In March, a batch of the documents were shared by a teenage member of Thug Shaker Central on another server dedicated to following a Filipino YouTuber called WowMao, with a wider readership.
A moderator on the WowMao server, known as Kralj, described the teenager who shared the documents as “in his late teens, a good kid with a good heart”.A moderator on the WowMao server, known as Kralj, described the teenager who shared the documents as “in his late teens, a good kid with a good heart”.
“He just wants to inform his friends about stuff he’s finding online but didn’t want the documents to leak. It was just bad luck for him that the documents were real,” Kralj added.“He just wants to inform his friends about stuff he’s finding online but didn’t want the documents to leak. It was just bad luck for him that the documents were real,” Kralj added.
According to the teenage member of the group interviewed by the Post, OG “had a dark view of the government”, portraying the government, and particularly law enforcement and the intelligence agencies, as a repressive force. He ranted about “government overreach”.According to the teenage member of the group interviewed by the Post, OG “had a dark view of the government”, portraying the government, and particularly law enforcement and the intelligence agencies, as a repressive force. He ranted about “government overreach”.
The Post said details were confirmed anonymously by other members of the group, and that it had viewed a total of 300 photographs of classified documents, three times the number previously thought to be circulating.The Post said details were confirmed anonymously by other members of the group, and that it had viewed a total of 300 photographs of classified documents, three times the number previously thought to be circulating.
The teenage group member told the Post that OG “seemed very confused and lost as to what to do”. “He’s fully aware of what’s happening and what the consequences may be,” he said. “He’s just not sure on how to go about solving this situation … He seems pretty distraught about it.”The teenage group member told the Post that OG “seemed very confused and lost as to what to do”. “He’s fully aware of what’s happening and what the consequences may be,” he said. “He’s just not sure on how to go about solving this situation … He seems pretty distraught about it.”
In his final message to his fellow group members, OG told them to “keep low and delete any information that could possibly relate to him”, including any copies of the classified documents.In his final message to his fellow group members, OG told them to “keep low and delete any information that could possibly relate to him”, including any copies of the classified documents.