Serious US Security Breach: Democrats Demand Investigation

Serious US Security Breach: Democrats Demand Investigation dw.com • 1 hour • 2 minutes read A journalist was able to follow the preparations for a US attack in Yemen via a group chat. The US opposition is demanding a comprehensive investigation into the alleged security lapse by the Trump administration. Senate Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks of the administration's security lapse. Senate Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has sharply condemned the alleged security lapse by the administration of US President Donald Trump. At a session of the House of Representatives, the influential politician spoke of one of the "most blatant breaches of military secrecy" in a long time. A "comprehensive investigation" is now needed to determine how it could have happened. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the renowned US magazine "The Atlantic," said he was accidentally added to a chat group of leading government officials on the online service Signal. Goldberg had thus received the top-secret operational plan for the attacks on the Houthi militia in Yemen on March 15 in advance from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to Goldberg, the plan contained "precise information" about the weapons, targets, and timing of the attacks. The journalist later reported the incident in his magazine. "This has to be a joke" Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton shared Goldberg's article on the online platform X and wrote: "This has to be a joke." During the 2016 US election campaign, then-presidential candidate – and current President – ​​Donald Trump repeatedly accused her of sending emails from a private account, thereby violating security rules. Other Democrats, such as Chris Coons, Elizabeth Warren, and Jack Reed, also expressed dismay at the operational security failures. Typically, there are strict regulations governing how the US government handles confidential and top-secret information concerning national security. "Doubt until the bombs dropped" Goldberg had already received the invitation to the Signal group on March 11 from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The group then had 18 members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Ratcliffe, and Vice President J.D. Vance. In his article, Goldberg describes in detail the exchanges between the participants in the chat – including exact times and original quotes. According to Goldberg, he had doubts about the authenticity of the plan until the actual attack on targets in Yemen. While it is not uncommon for US security officials to communicate with each other via Signal, the journalist states that the app is primarily used for planning meetings and other logistical matters – and not for "detailed and highly confidential discussions about an impending military action." White House confirms, Hegseth denies The White House in Washington confirmed the Atlantic editor-in-chief's statements regarding the top-secret operational plan on Monday. White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes stated that the government is currently investigating how "an unwanted number" was added to the chat group. Defense Secretary Hegseth himself later vehemently denied Goldberg's report. "No one texted war plans," he replied to a reporter's question at the airport in Hawaii.