The agency hired a muzzie and allowed him to have access to classified information. What could go wrong?
A CIA official has been charged with leaking highly classified US intelligence about Israel’s potential plan to retaliate against Iran for a missile strike earlier this year.
Asif W. Rahman, who worked overseas for the agency and held a top-secret security clearance, was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia on Tuesday and indicted under the Espionage Act, the New York Times reported.
His arrest comes after the top secret materials started circulating online last month detailing Israel’s apparent intention to hit back at Iran after the country launched a barrage of missiles back on Oct. 1.
The files, which were prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, in part detailed satellite imagery tied to the potential Israeli strike, as well as the various kinds of missiles on hand. They were posted by a telegram account called “Middle East Spectator.”
Retired Israel Defense Forces Brigadier General Amir Avivi warned that the leak could have repercussions on Israel-US relations, as the Jewish state places great trust in America when it shares its plans.
“I think it’s crucial that Israel knows that when they give information or the transformation, it’s not leaked, and there must be strong trust [that intel is going] to be treated the way it should be treated,” Avivi told The Post. “It’s a very serious event.”
The top secret files were only meant to be seen by those with proper clearance in the US and the other members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance — Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Retired Gen. Jack Keane, a former US Army vice chief of staff and chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, said it was “outrageous” that a government employee with high clearance was behind the leak.
While Keane said the leak had a minimal impact, as it did not reveal key aspects of the operation Israel went through on Oct. 26, it was still serious nonetheless.
“Now that they’ve actually caught this guy, it serves as a deterrent” from future government leaks, Keane told The Post.
The Middle East Spectator said it had received the documents through an anonymous source — and that it had no connection to the original leaker, nor could it verify the authenticity of the documents.
The FBI had revealed last month that it was probing the source of the leak, saying at the time it was “working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and intelligence community.”……..The intelligence described in the documents was based on satellite imagery taken from Oct. 15-16.
Investigators believe the leak took place in Cambodia, according to court papers.
Rahman’s clearance with the CIA meant he had access to sensitive compartmentalized information, which is typical of employees who handle classified materials.
In the wake of his arrest, Mick Mulroy — the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East — stressed that safeguarding such materials should be the “highest priority” for an intelligence agency or employee.
According to reports, Rahman, 34, graduated from Yale University in 2013, and his name appeared on multiple issues of the Yale student newspaper. In the paper, his hometown was listed as Cincinnati, Ohio. His citizenship hasn’t been confirmed.
He’s a muzzie, so his loyalty doesn’t lie with the US.