US Secretary of Defence Pete Hagel has raised serious concerns about compliance with national security protocols after it was revealed that he shared sensitive military information in an unofficial Signal chat with his wife, brother and lawyer. The New York Times reports this with reference to four independent sources.
Hughes, a former Fox News host and veteran who had no previous experience in high government, maintained personal channels of communication even after his appointment. One of these chats, the “Defence | Team Huddle,” included his wife Jennifer, who is not a Pentagon employee, as well as his brother Phil and lawyer Tim Parlatore.
It was in this chat that plans for future airstrikes against Yemeni Houthi rebels were discussed, including the exact time of departure of F/A-18 Hornet fighters. The scandal gained momentum after another Gagset chat accidentally included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, causing the information to leak.
Despite repeated warnings from advisers about the risks of using unofficial messengers for military communications, Hagesse continued to discuss sensitive details via Signal. The Pentagon’s inspector general is currently conducting an internal investigation, and several of the minister’s advisers have already been fired over suspected unauthorised data leaks.
The scandal has called into question Hughes’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence during one of the most tense periods of international security.
