On April 14, 2023, Jack Douglas Teixeira (Jack Teixeira), the man suspected of leaking documents revealing so much of secrets about Ukraine – Massachusetts Air National Guardsman, made his first federal court appearance after being arrested on April 13, 2023 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The documents Jack Douglas Teixeira allegedly shared were extremely sensitive, and one included “described the status of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including troop movements, on a particular date” which is “based on sensitive US intelligence, gathered through classified sources and methods, and contains national defense information”.
Fox News noted that “the Department of Defense says” the documents “contain ‘sensitive and highly-classified material’”, and that the suspect was “charged with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and willful retention of classified documents”.
BREAKING NEWS: Classified leak suspect, dad tell each other 'I love you' after he is charged in federal courthttps://t.co/fcZlBKpHob
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 14, 2023
BREAKING: Jack Teixeira’s parents declined to comment on the charges against their son as they exited federal court. @wbz pic.twitter.com/bTHxBROWmK
— Anna Meiler (@AnnaMeiler) April 14, 2023
The slew of highly classified Pentagon intelligence documents that were leaked earlier this year in a private chat room before finding their way onto popular social media platforms appear to indicate that the Biden administration has not been completely upfront with the American people regarding its actions in Ukraine.
But as more journalists and experts examine the leaked materials, most of which were US intelligence assessments of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, they have discovered a number of discrepancies between what Biden administration officials have told the American public and what appears to have actually happened.
Michael Tracey, a journalist, noted some of them on Twitter: “Zelensky ordering attacks inside Russia – Presence of US/NATO special forces in Ukraine – US spying on top Ukraine officials – Ukraine attacking Belarus”.
“But everyone’s ENRAGED the government is no longer concealing these things”, Tracey added.
Just a few items confirmed by the leaked docs:
– Zelensky ordering attacks inside Russia
– Presence of US/NATO special forces in Ukraine
– US spying on top Ukraine officials
– Ukraine attacking BelarusBut everyone's ENRAGED the government is no longer concealing these things
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) April 14, 2023
To that point, on Thursday night’s primetime show, Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused the Biden administration of attempting to “cover-up” the outcome of intelligence failures likely caused by the leaks.
Carlson lambasted the media for failing to scrutinize the content of the leaked intelligence, which apparently indicates that military leaders have reservations about the Ukrainian army’s ability to effectively combat Russia, due to perceived weaknesses.
“If you want to get really sick to your stomach, go pull a transcript from the Pentagon briefing today where news reporters asked flacks from the Pentagon, what are we gonna do to keep information like this secret in the future? Not one question about the substance of the information,” Carlson said. “We are fighting a war against Russia directly, really? Don’t they have the biggest arsenal in the world? Not one question. How can we help you keep it secret?”
Notes the DC Enquirer: “When the Russo-Ukraine War started in 2022, President Biden vowed that there would be no US boots on the ground in Ukraine yet the documents reveal this is not so. There are 14 American special operations personnel operating in Ukraine”.
Also, according to NewsNation, there is a host of problems with the state of Ukrainian armed forces, including “how close Ukraine’s vital air defense systems are to running out of missiles — with stocks expected to be exhausted as soon as late this month or May, absent significant resupply. That would open Ukraine’s skies to more of the Russian air and artillery strikes that already have devastated cities and infrastructure”.
As per the leaked documents, the assessment of the war casts doubts on the Ukrainian army’s capacity to mount a fully successful offensive. It noted that “enduring deficiencies in training and munitions supplies will likely hinder progress and increase casualties during the offensive”.
Furthermore, the leaks reveal that the US government is engaged in surveillance of both friends and foes, including allies who are not involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. One leaked document discusses the possibility of Israel providing lethal aid to Ukraine, while another reveals the Mossad’s role in supporting the anti-judicial reform movement.
The leaked intelligence also appears to include embarrassing material about Russia as well.
As reported by the Moscow Times, an independent Russian newspaper, leaked information includes an assessment stating that “US intelligence appears to have penetrated nearly every Russian military body including the General Staff, the Defense Ministry, and the GRU military intelligence agency, as well as the private mercenary group Wagner.” And the leaked intel also exposed Chinese considerations about sending arms to Russia, The Guardian reported.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News, the FBI interviewed a member of a social media platform on April 10, 2023 who reported that an individual, later identified as Teixeira, began sharing “what appeared to be classified information” on the platform as early as December 2022.
The member noted that the postings appeared in a group focused on discussing “geopolitical affairs and current and historical wars”.
