A former CIA employee, Asif W. Rahman, has been charged by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly leaking highly classified intelligence regarding Israel's military plans against Iran. The indictment, reported by The New York Times, highlights serious breaches of national security procedures.
Rahman, who held a top-secret security clearance, was arrested in Cambodia and faces charges of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information. The leaked documents, prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), contained sensitive information on Israeli military activities, including potential responses to missile attacks from Iran.
Key documents revealed that Israel might possess nuclear weapons—an assertion the country has publicly denied. The leaks have intensified scrutiny on the CIA's handling of classified information and raised questions about the agency's vetting protocols for personnel with high-level clearances.
The FBI initiated an investigation into the leaks last month, leading to Rahman's arrest after linking him to the unauthorized disclosures. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges of preventing insider threats within U.S. intelligence agencies, particularly as over a million Americans hold top-secret clearance.
Rahman now faces serious federal charges and will be transferred to Virginia for trial, with implications that could affect U.S.-Israel relations.