THE SQUIZ
American national security agencies are trying to discover how over 100 documents containing highly classified military and intelligence information were leaked. Reports say some documents began showing up on online platforms 4chan and Discord in March, and a bigger leak was revealed by the New York Times on Friday. They cover reports on the goings-on in Israel, China, South Korea, Canada, the Middle East, and recent tensions in the Indo-Pacific. But the most sensitive docs are about Russia’s war on Ukraine, with officials worried the leaked US intel could help Russian efforts. Ukrainian officials have already confirmed they have altered some military operations. The pressure’s now on the US Department of Justice to figure out who’s behind the leaks, and its allies want answers… The Aussie Government yesterday said it’s “concerned about the disclosure” and we’re “seeking further information”.

GIMME THE TOP LINES…
It’s said to be the largest leak of US classified material since the WikiLeaks release in 2013… The leaked info is mostly photographs of intelligence briefing papers dating back more than a month. And because we live in the age of misinformation, much has been said about whether the documents are real or a ploy to help Russia and other nations/players who aren’t fans of America. Mykhailo Podolyak (an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky) says the leaks contain “fictional information” and “there is not the smallest doubt that this is yet another element of hybrid warfare”. Kyiv says the documents – which include details on US/NATO plans to help Ukraine with the upcoming counteroffensive it’s launching – are a Russian plot to “sow doubt” about Ukraine’s efforts. Officials in Moscow also said the documents are full of trickery, but they say Ukraine’s behind them. That’s all been debunked by Pentagon officials though – they say the leaked documents are authentic.

SO, WHO’S BEHIND IT?
Dunno, but investigators have a few theories… A leak from pro-Russian sources was considered, but experts say that’s unlikely given the range of international intel that was dropped. Former senior Pentagon official Michael Mulroy says the focus “is on this being a US leak, as many of the documents were only in US hands”. Reports say investigators are looking into whether it was a single person or a group of people, and they’re looking into potential motivations ranging from a disgruntled employee striking out to an insider who wants to undermine US security. And with the breach being labelled “a nightmare for the Five Eyes” (aka the intelligence alliance between Oz, the US, Canada, Kiwiland, and the UK), key agencies have already begun to review their practices of sharing intel internally.