Who gave away the secrets of American weapons? Pentagon Subjects Top Military Officials to Polygraphs | Today’s news
Some of the US military’s most senior officers have been subjected to polygraph tests as the Pentagon launches an unusually wide-ranging investigation into the source of sensitive leaks about America’s stockpile of advanced weapons.
Pentagon subjects top military officials to polygraph tests over weapons leaks
Several dozen senior military officials underwent tests earlier this summer after media reports revealed classified details about the country’s supply of sophisticated munitions, according to US officials briefed on the investigation. The scope of the investigation was highly unusual.
Polygraph exams are not uncommon for senior military and civilian officials with access to classified material. But officials told CBS News that the number of people involved in the latest investigation was rare, reflecting Pentagon concerns about the sensitivity of information leaked to the media.
Read also | Lutnick will review the Pentagon’s agreements with Cerberus companies
The investigation focused on reports detailing the pace at which the US used some of its most advanced and sophisticated weapons during the Iran war. The disclosure raised questions about the status of US munitions stocks at a time of sustained military operations and placed potentially sensitive information about US capabilities in the public domain.
Dozens interviewed, no reported failures
The tests reportedly involved several dozen officials, including personnel connected to the US Central Command and other combatant commands.
According to sources cited by CBS News, the questions went beyond a narrow examination of one alleged disclosure and covered a range of national security matters. Crucially, none of the officials were reported to have failed questions specifically designed to determine whether information had been leaked to the media.
Still, the probe underscored the level of anxiety surrounding the leaks.
Only a limited group of people had access to some of the classified information related to the weapons stockpile, one source told CBS News. Investigators were concerned enough to consider whether a person with access to the material could potentially be acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence agency.
Read also | Pete Hegseth conquers the Pentagon
Donald Trump was said to be furious over the revelations, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The Pentagon says the leaks are being taken seriously
The Pentagon did not comment on the identities of those under investigation or the exact details of the investigation.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said the department did not discuss internal personnel or investigative matters, but stressed that leaks of classified national security information were handled with the utmost seriousness.
“Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and our troops deployed around the world,” Parnell said in a statement to CBS News.
Not every senior military leader has been subjected to a polygraph. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, for example, has not been tested, according to a senior Pentagon official.
Wider intervention against leaks
The lie detector operation comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stepped up efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible for unauthorized disclosures.
In July, Hegseth announced that the Pentagon and the Department of Justice had established a joint task force to investigate suspected leaks of sensitive government information to the press, expanding an effort that originally began within the defense secretary’s own office.
Read also | Anthropic is back on Trump’s “right side” after Pentagon row, Lutnick says
Reports citing officials briefed on the investigation said roughly 50 members of the joint staff were among those subjected to questioning and polygraph examinations. The investigation was linked to reports of dwindling stocks of key munitions during the conflict with Iran.
This episode placed a special spotlight on the leadership positions of the Pentagon.
For the Trump administration, this is a dual concern: identifying who leaked the information and preventing further revelations about the country’s military capabilities.
While there have been no reported bugs in issues related to the leak, the extensive search for answers seems to have created more uncertainty than the culprit for now.
The Pentagon’s investigation is still ongoing.
