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Polygraphs in leak hunt
The United States ordered roughly 50 members of the Joint Staff to take polygraph tests after leaks to journalists about dwindling US stocks of advanced weapons, including long-range missiles and Patriot interceptors, according to The New York Times and CBS News reporting.
“About 50 people were tested”
The tests were conducted in August after news reports detailed diminished stocks of crucial munitions, and investigators asked military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff whether they disclosed classified information to members of the press and about diminished US munitions stocks.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department “does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly,” as President Donald Trump was described as furious about the disclosures.
The New York Times reported that the Joint Staff has between 1,500 and 2,000 officers and officials, coordinating operations, policy and war plans with combatant commanders around the world, while CBS News reported that several dozen people were tested earlier in the summer, including officials at US Central Command and other combatant commands.
Access, foreign asset fears
CBS News reported that a very small set of people had access to the classified details on the munitions, raising concerns over whether anyone could be acting as a foreign intelligence asset, and it said no one failed the leak-related questions.
A senior Pentagon official told CBS News that chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine was not subjected to a polygraph, even as the scope of testing was described as extremely rare.
The Express Tribune said Trump denied the reported strategic shortages, insisting the military possesses “massive amounts” of weaponry, and it quoted Trump warning that those responsible would be “hunted down” and face severe prison sentences.
The Times of India reported that the investigation centered on leaks about dwindling US stocks of advanced weapons and said the FBI was not involved in the latest round of polygraph tests, with the US military conducting the investigation itself.
Task force and deterrence
In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon and Justice Department formed a joint task force to identify and prosecute suspected leakers, and he said “Leaked information risks lives.”
“Leaked information risks lives.”
CBS News reported that Hegseth gave the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel, led by Earl Matthews, broad authority to demand information, records and assistance for leak investigation, with personnel directed to prioritize requests within two days.
The New York Times described the polygraph sweep as an “unparalleled inquiry” and said it came in the wake of news reports about the war with Iran and the U.S. military’s diminished stocks of munitions, with the show of force aimed at not just ferreting out anyone who shared information but intimidating others.
Al Jazeera reported that legal and military experts said the scale of the investigation is unprecedented, and it said the aggressive push was designed not only to identify the individuals behind the disclosures but also to deter potential future leakers.