Pentagon leaks damage US partners' "trust," according to former officials

The leaking of highly sensitive Pentagon documents has undermined the trust between the US and its allies, according to former intelligence officials. The incident has already left a major dent in relations with Washington’s partners and they will now be wary of sharing their secrets. The documents had circulated online for some time before drawing the attention of the media and the US government last week, leading to the arrest of US airman Jack Teixeira, a member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Marty Martin, a veteran intelligence operative who served with the CIA, NSA, and the US Army, claimed that the notion that a 21-year-old kid had access to this kind of material was particularly damaging to Washington. Another executive from the US military-industrial complex expressed doubts that the suspected leaker was the only culprit behind the scandal.

The Pentagon has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the documents, but multiple US and foreign officials have questioned the authenticity of the documents, arguing that some of them appear to be doctored or are entirely fake. The leaking of highly sensitive Pentagon documents has undermined the trust between the US and its allies, according to former intelligence officials. The incident has already left a major dent in relations with Washington’s partners and they will now be wary of sharing their secrets. The documents had circulated online for some time before drawing the attention of the media and the US government last week, leading to the arrest of US airman Jack Teixeira, a member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Marty Martin, a veteran intelligence operative who served with the CIA, NSA, and the US Army, claimed that the notion that a 21-year-old kid had access to this kind of material was particularly damaging to Washington.

Another executive from the US military-industrial complex expressed doubts that the suspected leaker was the only culprit behind the scandal. The Pentagon has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the documents, but multiple US and foreign officials have questioned the authenticity of the documents, arguing that some of them appear to be doctored or are entirely fake.