During Monday’s White House press briefing, John Kirby, the coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, urged journalists not to report on leaked Pentagon classified documents circulating online.
According to The Daily Wire, the U.S. government is responding to what some believe to be the biggest breach of classified secrets since the Edward Snowden saga. On Sunday, the Pentagon released a statement stating that they are working to assess the validity and national security impact of images appearing on social media.
These images allegedly show secret details about China, Russia’s war in Ukraine, surveillance efforts, etc. U.S. officials have engaged with allies, partners, and Congress about the disclosure.
“Without confirming the validity of the documents, this is information that has no business in the public domain,” Kirby said from the podium after facing repeated questions about the documents.
The source of the apparent leak remains unclear, and the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the matter following a referral from the DoD. Kirby confirmed there is suspicion that at least some of the images of documents may have been doctored.
“It has no business — if you don’t mind me saying — on the front pages of newspapers or television,” he added. “It is not intended for public consumption, and it should not be out there,” added Kirby.
On Sunday, Israel denied intelligence that claimed the country’s Mossad intelligence agency encouraged protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reforms plan. President Joe Biden is staying briefed on the situation, and Kirby said, “We don’t know. We truly don’t know,” when asked about the suspected leak’s containment and ongoing threat.
