Local time on April 3, multiple US officials who requested anonymity told The Washington Post that the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Timothy Haugh, and Deputy Director Wendy Noble, have both been dismissed. The reasons for their dismissals are unclear.

In addition, Timothy Haugh was also serving as the head of the US Cyber Command before his dismissal. The NSA is one of the most important intelligence agencies in the United States and falls under the Department of Defense. The US Cyber Command is responsible for conducting offensive and defensive cyber operations while monitoring the cybersecurity of the Department of Defense.

William Hartmann, the deputy director of the US Cyber Command, will fill the vacancy left by Timothy Haugh and serve as the acting director of both the NSA and the Cyber Command.

Timothy Haugh (File Photo) CNN

It is currently unclear whether Timothy Haugh's dismissal is related to the "group chat leak" incident, but Haugh was not among the members listed in the involved group chat.

Previously, Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, reported on March 24 that on March 11, he was pulled into a classified group chat about combat plans against the Houthi rebels in Yemen by someone named "Michael Waltz," who shares the same name with the current US National Security Advisor.

The user in the group chat who shared the same name with US Defense Secretary Higgesth sent a message revealing the US military's combat plan to strike the Houthi rebels in Yemen two hours later, including target details, attack order, and specific weapons to be deployed by the US side. This allowed him to know about the upcoming air strike plan before the US military action. Once this matter became public, it quickly sparked controversy. Democrats quickly criticized Trump over this issue, demanding the resignation of those involved.

On the other hand, Laura Loomer, a loyal supporter of President Trump and an extreme right-wing activist, claimed on social media on March 3 that the two were dismissed because they were "disloyal" to President Trump.

Loomer also claimed that she urged Trump to dismiss Timothy Haugh during her meeting with him on the same day, as Haugh was "carefully selected" by former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, who has had tense relations with Trump for many years.

Currently, both the US Cyber Command and the NSA have declined to comment on these reports.

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

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7489369418649322038/

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