[Text/Observer Network Chen Sijia] Last month, it was reported that several senior officials of the Trump administration had been exposed for using non-confidential commercial chat software to discuss military plans and accidentally pulled an American journalist into the group chat, causing a nationwide uproar in the United States. However, US media reports claimed that this was not the only "leak." US Defense Secretary Hackett also released details of military operations in a private group chat.

According to a report by The New York Times on April 20, multiple sources revealed that on March 15, the day when the US military carried out airstrikes against Houthi armed groups in Yemen, Hackett posted detailed action plans in a group chat that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer. This news has raised questions about Hackett, as his family members clearly should not have been privy to the details of US military operations.

The sources disclosed that before he officially assumed the position of defense secretary, Hackett created a Signal chat group named "Defense | Team Huddle" in January this year. It includes himself and key figures in the Pentagon's "inner circle." This group chat does not include other cabinet officials of the Trump administration and mainly discusses daily administrative affairs or schedules.

Hackett usually accesses this group chat using his personal mobile phone. The members of this group chat also include his wife Jennifer Rauchet Hackett (Jennifer Rauchet Hegseth), his brother Phil Hackett (Phil Hegseth), and his personal lawyer Tim Parlatore (Tim Parlatore).

The report cited sources as saying that on Eastern Time, March 15, the day of the US military airstrikes against Houthi armed groups in Yemen, Hackett posted detailed action plans of the US military in an advanced official group chat that accidentally included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine. At approximately the same time, he also posted the same information in the "Defense | Team Huddle" group chat.

Clearly, Hackett's family and lawyer should not have access to these highly sensitive military secrets. Hackett voluntarily posted detailed information about the F/A-18 fighter jet airstrikes against the Houthi armed groups in the group chat, which has sparked doubts about whether Hackett strictly adheres to security protocols.

US Defense Secretary Hackett and his wife Jennifer - AP News

Jennifer, Hackett's wife, is a former Fox News producer and is not an employee of the US Department of Defense. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that in February and March this year, Jennifer accompanied Hackett to meetings with foreign military officials. The content discussed at both meetings involved sensitive information, raising concerns among critics about information security.

Hackett's brother and lawyer both work at the Pentagon. Phil Hackett is a senior advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the liaison officer to the Department of Defense. Tim Parlatore was appointed last month as a commander in the Navy Judge Advocate General's Office. However, The New York Times pointed out that there is no clear reason why these two individuals need to know real-time information about US military operations.

As of now, the Department of Defense spokesperson has not commented on this爆料. However, a Trump administration official insisted that there was no information leak. He told The New York Times: "The fact is that there was an informal group chat before his closest advisors were confirmed. But no confidential information was ever discussed in that group chat."

A source revealed that before the start of the airstrike, Hackett's aides warned him not to post sensitive information in the Signal group chat. It is unclear what response Hackett made. The aides also suggested that Hackett use his government mobile phone to handle work matters in the "Defense | Team Huddle" group chat, but Hackett seemed never to have taken their advice.

Last month, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, disclosed that several senior officials, including National Security Advisor Waltz and Defense Secretary Hackett, used commercial chat software Signal to discuss classified military plans and accidentally pulled him into the group chat, allowing him to learn about the US military's plan to attack Houthi armed groups in Yemen in advance.

Waltz denied "intentionally" pulling an American journalist into the confidential group chat but admitted full responsibility for the incident. Waltz said: "The entire responsibility lies with me. I set up the group chat, and my duty is to ensure everything is coordinated properly."

Despite repeated denials from Waltz and Hackett that classified information was shared in the group chat, several former officials of the US Department of Defense told The New York Times that obviously, information such as the type of aircraft used in the airstrike and the take-off time falls under classified information. If this information is leaked to hostile forces, it could endanger the lives of US military pilots involved in the airstrike.

In response to requests from Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Democratic Senator Jack Reed, acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins of the Department of Defense has announced an investigation into the chat software leak incident. It is expected that Stebbins will review the information posted by officials like Hackett in Signal group chats and assess whether it complies with Pentagon standards for using commercial chat software for official business.

It is unclear whether Stebbins' review will involve Hackett's private group chat.

Beyond the political turmoil caused by the chat software leak incidents, the Department of Defense has recently launched investigations into other multiple leaks, plunging the Pentagon into chaos.

According to reports by The Hill, since last month, the Pentagon has initiated multiple investigations to determine how sensitive information such as the deployment of the second US aircraft carrier to the Red Sea, the planned military operation against the Panama Canal, the visit of "Department of Government Efficiency" head Musk to the Pentagon, and the US suspension of intelligence collection for Ukraine was exposed by the media.

The investigation has affected three senior Pentagon officials: Dan Caldwell, Hackett's senior advisor; Darin Snellnick, deputy director of the Office of the Secretary of Defense; and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Varberg. Sources stated that these three senior officials were accused of "unauthorized disclosure of national security information" and were dismissed on local time April 18.

However, Caldwell, Snellnick, and Carroll subsequently issued a joint statement denying the allegations of leaking information, expressing "great disappointment" with the way the Department of Defense handled the matter. They stated that they are still unaware of the specific reasons for their investigation and whether the investigation is ongoing or if there is indeed an investigation into the "leak incident."

Politico noted that this has left Hackett without three important senior advisors. A senior US defense official believed that the situation within the Pentagon has spiraled out of control, "There is a complete collapse happening inside the building, which actually reflects the secretary's leadership ability. Those around Hackett are people who don't care about his interests."

This article is an exclusive contribution by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495573057399783977/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and welcome your feedback in the button below to express your stance.