WASHINGTON — The Air Force stated Monday it’s taking a look at methods to higher management entry to labeled data, within the wake of revelations that superiors of the Massachusetts Air National Guard member charged with leaking extremely labeled paperwork had raised issues internally about his dealing with of delicate knowledge.
Secretary Frank Kendall informed reporters that the Air Force wants to higher implement the foundations that govern entry to labeled data based mostly on whether or not somebody with the right safety clearance additionally has a must know the knowledge.
“It’s a long-standing tenet that you don’t get to look at something classified unless there’s a legitimate reason for you to look at it,” Kendall stated. “Just because you happen to have a certain level of clearance doesn’t mean you get access to all the material at that level. So we’re taking a hard look at some practices around that.” He stated he doesn’t suppose the service enforced that rule strongly sufficient.
Justice Department legal professionals final week stated superiors voiced issues on a number of events about Air Guard member Jack Teixeira’s dealing with of extremely labeled data. They laid out the difficulty in court docket papers urging a Justice of the Peace choose to maintain Teixeira behind bars whereas he awaits trial within the case stemming from probably the most consequential intelligence leak in years.
Teixeira is accused of sharing extremely labeled paperwork about prime nationwide safety points in a chatroom on Discord, a social media platform that began as a hangout for avid gamers. He has not but entered a plea.
As a results of the case, Kendall gave Air Force leaders 30 days to take a detailed have a look at their practices and decide if the division is prioritizing the necessity to get details about operations to those that want it and being cautious sufficient about spreading intelligence too broadly. The inspector normal can be investigating the matter.
He stated there are methods to tweak digital methods so when labeled data is put on-line not everybody with correct clearance on that system routinely will get entry to it.
Prosecutors informed the choose of their submitting that Teixeira continued leaking paperwork even after he was admonished by superiors on two separate events final 12 months over “concerning actions” he took associated to labeled data.
A September memo from the Air National Guard 102nd Intelligence Wing that prosecutors filed in court docket says Teixeira had been noticed taking notes on labeled intelligence data and placing the notes in his pocket. Teixeira was instructed on the time to not take notes in any kind on labeled intelligence data, the memo says.
Another memo from late October says a superior had been made conscious that Teixeira was “potentially ignoring the cease-and-desist order on deep diving into intelligence information” given to him the month earlier than. The memo says Teixeira attended a gathering and proceeded to ask “very specific questions.” He was informed once more to give attention to his job, not any “deep dives” into labeled intelligence data.
The revelations have raised questions on why army officers didn’t take additional motion and why Teixeira continued to have entry to labeled data after his superiors raised issues.
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