Probe into leaked U.S. intelligence documents expected to be painstaking

The investigation into the leak of classified US documents will require investigators to scrutinize those who had access and scrutinize details such as objects captured in photographs of the material, a former US official told Reuters, as pressure mounts to find the person or group responsible. .

The Justice Department opened a formal criminal investigation last week after the matter was referred by the Pentagon, which is assessing the potential effects of what could be the most damaging release of classified US information in years.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that the United States would “turn every stone” to find the source of the leak.

While leak investigations can take months or even years, investigators are under intense pressure to find the source of this security breach as more documents are likely to be leaked.

But White House spokesman John Kirby separately warned reporters that it was “difficult to know” how long it would take before answers were found.

“I think it’s foolish of anyone to guess how long it will take,” Kirby said.

The access register, the ‘pen register’ can be the key

Reuters has reviewed more than 50 of the documents, labeled “Secret” and “Top Secret,” but has not verified their authenticity.

Two former US officials told Reuters that one of the first steps of investigators ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ should has has has has to be done to determine who had access to dozens of documents, photos that were posted on social media platforms last month, or possibly earlier.

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One potential clue: several documents printed with the Joint Chiefs of Staff insignia and one document purporting to be a daily intelligence update for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the secretary of defense. This can help investigators focus their efforts, even if many people have access to the documents.

Some images also depict document prints with a time stamp in the upper right corner indicating when they were printed.

That could be a key indicator because classified government computer systems keep logs of who views and prints documents, said Mark Zaid, an attorney who practices national security law.

A former federal prosecutor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that if the investigators have limited the list of people who have access to the material, they can find a “pen register” that will show the history of outgoing calls without revealing the contents. They can also try to get search warrants for electronic cloud accounts and electronic devices, which can give them access to private messages and documents.

How solvable is the case?

Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the US intelligence community until 2020, said that investigators ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ have found the electronic fingerprint of the leak, as many documents have been leaked along with the facts shared in online forums.

“I think it will probably be resolved,” said Atkinson, who also works for the Justice Department. “This does not appear to me to be the perfect crime.”

Others are less confident.

Daniel Hoffman, a former senior CIA undercover officer, said that if the release of the documents was part of a disinformation effort by Russia or another country, those responsible could have intentionally included misleading clues, including false time stamps.

“It’s going to be a big challenge to figure out what’s going on. We may never know [who leaked the documents]Hoffman said.

LISTENING | Stephanie Carvin, a former national security analyst, told CBC News:

There may be clues in photos posted to social media, but as with time stamps and other details, investigators should be wary of deliberate attempts to sow confusion.

Officials have told Reuters that the breadth of topics covered in the document, which touches on the war in Ukraine, as well as China, the Middle East and Africa, suggests it could have been leaked by the Americans rather than their allies.

Investigators are considering several theories, from someone who misplaced the documents to an insider actively seeking to undermine US national security interests, US officials told Reuters.

Amanda Sloat, the National Security Council’s senior director for Europe, told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. has been engaging with its allies about the new alleged leaks.

“I think we already have involvement in the administration with many allies and partners, but we can’t talk specifically with them [what] the president is going to raise the prime minister this morning,” .

He was responding to a question about whether US President Joe Biden would raise the issue at a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his visit to Northern Ireland on Wednesday.