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Pentagon Gives Polygraph Tests to Dozens of Staff Over Media Leaks, Report Says

From Al Jazeera · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • About 50 military and civilian members of the US Joint Staff underwent polygraph tests as investigators sought the source of unauthorized leaks, The New York Times reported.
  • The inquiry focused on reports about sharp declines in supplies of long-range missiles and Patriot air-defense interceptors, which US officials disputed.
  • The investigation has intensified tensions inside the Pentagon as President Donald Trump calls for tougher action against leaks.

About 50 members of the US Joint Staff have been subjected to lie detector tests in an aggressive investigation into leaks about the country’s weapons reserves, The New York Times reported.

The inquiry followed reports describing severe declines in supplies of key weapons, including long-range missiles and Patriot air-defense interceptors. The reports focused on the strain that military operations involving Iran had placed on US stockpiles. US officials rejected the accounts and insisted that supplies remained sufficient.

extremely seriously and investigates accordingly

· Sean ParnellThe Pentagon spokesperson described the department’s response to leaks of national security information.

The polygraph examinations took place last month. People familiar with the inquiry told the newspaper that investigators want not only to identify those who disclosed classified information, but also to discourage future leaks. Legal and military experts described the scale of the effort as unprecedented, saying senior US armed forces personnel have not faced widespread polygraph testing in modern history.

Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world.

· Sean ParnellParnell emphasized the importance of protecting classified information.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell declined to discuss specific administrative or investigative actions. He said the department takes leaks of national security information “extremely seriously and investigates accordingly”. Parnell added: “Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world.”

The Joint Staff has between 1,500 and 2,000 military and civilian employees and coordinates operational strategy, policy and war planning with combat commands worldwide. President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded a crackdown on unauthorized disclosures and has called critical coverage of ammunition shortages and the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict “treasonous”. The leaks have contributed to deep distrust inside the Pentagon, which current and former officials have linked to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s management style.

treasonous

· Donald TrumpTrump used the term to describe critical media coverage of ammunition shortages and the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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