As a historian, I am always excited when new documents are unveiled even if they pertain to events that happened decades or centuries ago. But document leaks about an ongoing conflict are quite a different matter. The recent leak of documents from the Pentagon indicate that we are in a brave new world of intelligence leaks.
Armed FBI officers have arrested a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard over the alleged leak of classified military intelligence online.
Federal investigators on Thursday arrested Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old air national guardsman, who they believe is linked to leaked classified U.S. intelligence documents, revealing government secrets about the Ukraine war. https://t.co/FQlf4h9lfz pic.twitter.com/TWerxrDyWD
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 13, 2023
Authorities raided the Massachusetts home of 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a member of the Guard’s intelligence wing, on Thursday 13 April.
Video showed the suspect in handcuffs as he was marched by heavily-armed federal agents from a home in North Dighton, Massachusetts, wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
The documents were released on various social media outlets such as Twitter, Telegram, Discord and 4chan.
Journalists and government agencies scoured the cyberspace to pick them up. Some of the documents have been obviously false and doctored but many are, in fact, genuine.
Even if the British, the French and the Ukrainians have been quick to deny their veracity, Pentagon officials themselves have confirmed the authenticity of at least some of the documents.
Narrative wars
But what of the content of the documents and what they reveal about the state of the war in Ukraine? As expected, various sides have attempted to use the leaked information to vindicate their arguments.
Yang Sheng — Leaked US, NATO documents on Ukraine’s military operation show ‘serious disunity within the West’https://t.co/HRgI1UBFVw
— Camilo Rodríguez (@CamiloGuezRodri) April 9, 2023
Yang Sheng, a senior reporter for Global Times, an online outlet close to the Chinese government, was quick to claim that the leak showed “serious disunity within the West” and that it had helped “damage the morale of the Ukrainian military and the confidence of Western countries in continuing to support Kiev.”
Anatol Lieven, a leading figure at the Quincy Institute, said the leak’s revelation of American and European boots on the ground raised “serious issues of legality and democratic accountability” for the Western governments. In line with the think tank’s general direction, Lieven used the leak to raise caution about the West’s support for Kiev.
Narrative wars aside, what do the leaked documents tell us about the state of the war?
Much focus has been on the damage brought about by leaking of information that could be useful to Russian military planners — especially ahead of the spring, when drying of the mud is expected to be followed by new Ukrainian offensives. But a ‘military secret’ leaked to the whole world doesn’t have much use for the adversary.
Western resolve evident
Looking at the leaked docs more closely, we can see how they speak to the resolve of the United States and its Nato allies to back Ukraine, despite the careful stance of President Biden who has been clear that the US doesn’t want to be implicated in a direct confrontation with the nuclear-powered Russia.
