A massive security lapse occurred after a journalist was included accidentally in a private signal chat where top administration officials discussed US military plans targeting Yemen’s Houthis, according to Reuters.
It was confirmed by the White House and the blunder was first detailed in The Atlantic. The incident occurred just days before US President Donald Trump authorized airstrikes against Yemen on March 15.
Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief revealed that he was mistakenly added to the group called “Houthi PC small group”. In that group, high-level US officials including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed the operational details.
The text chain consisted of discussions about targets, weapons, and attack sequencing, according to a report by The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg.
The National Security Council has confirmed that the text chain seems to be real. However, the US President claimed he knew nothing about the breach, dismissing The Atlantic as ‘not much of a magazine’.
Officials Debate Timing Of The Strikes
Interestingly, internal debates on the timing of the military operation were exposed in the conversation. Goldberg stated that Vice President Vance expressed concerns about the financial fallout and potential oil price spikes, writing, “There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary.”
However, Hegseth pushed for immediate action, emphasizing the need to restore United States deterrence against Iran-backed Houthis.
Confirmation Of Breach
At 11:44 a.m. on March 15, Goldberg stated that Hegseth published a detailed war plan, saying that the first bombs would be dropped at 1:45 p.m. Eastern time. And, just as the message, explosions were reported in Yemen two hours later.
US Officials Confirm Validity of Chat
After leaving the group, Goldberg said and when he contacted for the comment, National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes confirmed the validity of the chat, saying, “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”
Legal And Security Fallout
Security experts have raised concerns over the administration’s way of handling classified information.
The use of Signal, an encrypted but unofficial messaging application, to coordinate military operations may have violated the Espionage Act and federal records laws.
Jason R. Baron, a former director at the National Archives, said, “All government employees are prohibited from using electronic messaging applications such as Signal for official business unless those messages are forwarded or copied to an official government account.”
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