CIA Officer Arrested in Cambodia for 'Deadly Serious' Leak of Classified US Docs on Israel
An overseas CIA officer was arrested Tuesday in Cambodia and charged with leaking highly classified U.S. intelligence on Israel’s military plans for a strike on Iran, according to the New York Times.
The Times identified the officer as Asif W. Rahman. He was indicted last week on two counts of "willful retention and transmission of national defense information" and transported to federal court in Guam to face the charges.
The leaked documents, which showed Israeli military movements in preparation for a retaliatory strike on Iran last month, sparked an international firestorm, with both American and Israeli officials accusing the Biden-Harris administration of working to hamstring Israel’s sensitive operations. One senior Biden-Harris official described the leak as "deadly serious" and part of "a concerted campaign to leak what at least seems to be classified information by anti-Israel elements."
The materials—compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency—revealed Israeli Air Force movements and munitions ahead of the counterstrike, which was delayed as a result. Israel ultimately made good on its promise to strike Iran late last month, destroying large swaths of Tehran’s air defense systems and several military installations.
Rahman held a top-secret security clearance and could access the information as part of his CIA duties. The documents first emerged publicly on a Telegram channel tied to the Iranian regime.
While the leak served to further erode already tense diplomatic relations between the United States and Israel, the Jewish state made clear that it would not be deterred from a strike on Iran as payback for Tehran's two massive ballistic missile attacks this year.
"After we attack in Iran, they will understand in Israel and elsewhere what your preparations have included," former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said shortly after the classified documents became public. "Everyone will understand your strength, the process of preparation and training—any enemy that tries to harm the State of Israel will pay a heavy price."
The leak also ignited congressional investigations, with Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) ordering the Biden-Harris administration to brief Congress every two weeks until the leaker was caught.
"This leak is an outrageous betrayal of an ally and a breach of trust that will undermine our relationship with partners for years to come," Cotton said last month in a letter to the White House. "I am deeply concerned as to whether your administration will adequately address this serious security breach."
While many thought the documents were seized from the Pentagon or State Department, overseas CIA officials can easily access the same classified systems. Rahman will now face charges of violating the U.S. Espionage Act, which carries a 20-year prison sentence.
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