A man was charged in the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly leaking highly classified intelligence regarding Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, an agency source said Thursday. Asif W. Rahman, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was indicted last Thursday for willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information. The charge involves leaked documents last October which revealed embarrassing details on Israel’s military activities and nuclear programmes.
Indictment and Arrest
Rahman was caught Tuesday in Cambodia and will be arraigned in Guam. But the Justice Department wants a federal judge to order Rahman transferred to Virginia for trial. At the time he worked for the CIA, Rahman held a top-secret security clearance and was entrusted with Classifield Compartmented Information. This allowed him the power to peruse some of America’s most classified intelligence.
Leaked Documents and Their Contents
According to court documents, Rahman was accused of unauthorized disclosure of “top secret” documents, exclusively set aside for U.S. government use, to the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance that includes Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. One of them is attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), with information on Israeli munitions movements. Another one from the National Security Agency (NSA) talks about Israeli Air Force exercises of air-to-surface missiles.
Another leaked document reveals that Israel might possess nuclear weapons-a claim it has categorically denied in public. The document shows that there has been no proof found by the U.S. that Iran is target by Israel as a nuclear target, opening up into a little sensitive affair between the two countries.
Rahman’s Employment and Security Clearance
As a CIA employee, Rahman had access to some of the most sensitive national security information. A source familiar with his background said he was graced with a top-secret security clearance, which brought him easy access to intelligence based on sensitive U.S. and international affairs. His position at the CIA would have let him access the highly classified details concerning Israel’s military plans.
Charges against Rahman breach national security procedures seriously. The Justice Department indictment gives importance to the leak of classified information, in particular, regarding American alliances and military operations.
Media Coverage
It was The New York Times that first broke the story about the indictment of Rahman. Further reports from CNN spilled over some details of the leaked documents, and its significance in international relations, especially between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.
(Includes inputs from online sources)
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