【By Chen Sijia, Observer Net】Since President Trump began his second term, "loyalty" has become an important criterion for appointing officials. According to a report by the Washington Post on October 1, the U.S. Department of Defense plans to implement stricter confidentiality agreements and conduct random lie detector tests to combat leaks. Analysts believe this may be to ensure the loyalty of defense officials to the Trump administration.

The report cited a draft memo from the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Steve Van Bergh, stating that more than 5,000 military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff must sign a confidentiality agreement prohibiting the "release of non-public information without authorization or through established procedures."

Another document revealed that the Pentagon will establish a random lie detection mechanism for officials. In the document, Van Bergh pointed out that staff members in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff have access to classified information but are not currently required to undergo random lie detector tests. According to the proposed policy, these staff members will face random lie detector tests and regular security interview sessions.

The Washington Post reported that in intelligence agencies, lie detector tests are a standard safety procedure every few years, and agencies such as the FBI have begun using detectors to identify individuals who leak information to the media. However, according to Van Bergh's documents and statements from former senior U.S. officials, random lie detector tests at the Pentagon are unprecedented.

Van Bergh wrote in the memo: "Protecting sensitive information is crucial for our national security, the safety of our combat forces, and protecting the critical decision-making space of our senior leaders." He stated that officials who violate the regulations will face penalties, including punishment for active-duty military personnel who refuse to sign the confidentiality agreement through the military justice system.

The relevant documents did not specify the exact scope of these new measures, but they hinted that they could cover everyone from four-star generals to administrative assistants. A knowledgeable official said the documents are still under review and have not been approved yet.

Under U.S. federal law, disclosing classified information to unauthorized individuals is a criminal act. U.S. law also prohibits disclosure of sensitive but non-classified information, with violators facing administrative or criminal penalties.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, Sean Parnell, refused to comment on these plans, stating only in a statement that the Washington Post's report was "untrue and irresponsible."

The Pentagon, China Visual

From the perspective of analysts, the new confidentiality measures aim to eliminate officials who are not loyal or who provide information to the media. Mark Zaid, an American lawyer, said: "This seems to be more about ensuring loyalty to the Department of Defense and the leadership of the Trump administration rather than countering any foreign espionage activities."

Zaid has defended several officials targeted by the Trump administration. He analyzed: "There was a reason why people were not previously required to take lie detector tests. I would question why now require lie detector tests and overly broad confidentiality agreements? Besides intimidating staff and ensuring stricter control, what other purposes could there be?"

A former senior U.S. defense official told the Washington Post: "The real purpose is not about foreign intelligence issues, but suppressing those they believe are leaking to the media... These are all intimidating tactics, and the core intention is to create as much fear as possible in the workplace."

This former official also believes that the Pentagon's proposed new measures overlap with existing policies. "If you have contact with the media, you should disclose these contacts. If you have speaking activities, regardless of whether the activity is classified or not, your speech must be reviewed. If you participate in intelligence projects, you are already bound by (confidentiality obligations)."

Since the start of Trump's second term, the U.S. government has experienced multiple leaks, with multiple sensitive pieces of information being exposed by U.S. media, causing a major shake-up in Pentagon personnel. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Defense used detectors to find people who leaked information to the media, but the initiative was temporarily halted by the White House.

The Trump administration leadership has also faced leaks. In March, several senior U.S. officials were exposed for using non-classified commercial messaging apps to discuss military secrets and mistakenly added a U.S. journalist to a group chat, allowing them to learn in advance about the U.S. air strike against Houthi rebels in Yemen. U.S. Defense Secretary Esper was also exposed for using commercial messaging apps to handle official business and releasing details of military operations in private group chats.

The Washington Post reported that Esper is strengthening restrictions on U.S. media to prevent leaks. The U.S. Department of Defense recently issued a new regulation requiring journalists reporting on the U.S. military to sign an agreement not to request or collect any information that has not been explicitly authorized for release, including non-classified information. Violators may face revocation of their licenses.

Esper also instructed the U.S. Department of Defense to evict news organizations' offices from the Pentagon and cancel some long-standing think tank activities and forums that the department had participated in. In July, the Pentagon issued a statement saying that exiting these activities aimed to "ensure that the U.S. Department of Defense does not provide reputation and credibility to organizations, forums, and activities that are contrary to the values of the Trump administration."

This article is an exclusive article by Observer Net. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7556542410428301833/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the 【like/dislike】 button below.