The second shoe dropped. Since this story, about potentially classified chats about strikes on Houthi terrorists in Yemen were leaked in real time to a lefty journalist, continues to be in the news (thanks to enthusiastic Democrats and a hapless Trump team) this is my third piece on the “Signalgate” mini-, scandal.
Why Trump security team didn’t come clean and admit they screwed up from the get-go, is a case of violating PR Basics 101.
I noted most of the top Trump team users included in the chat in my first piece, such as Mike Waltz the National Security Advisor, Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National intelligence and John Ratcliff, the CIA Director as well as VP JD Vance.
Worth noting as well, of all the key national security leaders included “principals committee” on the chat, the only military attendee, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was not on the chat
The principals committee is the highest level of the National Security Council, composed of cabinet members and their equivalents. The principals often debate various courses of action and present it to the president for a final decision.
When this story first broke, I wrote about it here and downplayed its significance based on the information available. I later wrote another piece delving more into the Signal encrypted messaging app itself and its growing list of users.
My latter piece explains how vulnerable, or not, Signal is based on publicly available unclassified information. Some with classified knowledge may disagree.
Throughout my initial analysis I noted that it did not appear classified information was transmitted via the encrypted chat, and that if it was that would be a breach of security protocols since the app, while nominally secure, was not authorized for this government use.
To me the inadvertent addition of Jefferey Goldberg the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, was always a secondary issue—stupid beyond belief, but a breach of cybersecurity hygiene not basic policies.
As the story unfolded, Trump officials on the chat insisted that no classified material was disseminated on the chat. In one case, DNI Gabbard, told Congress that no classified “intelligence” was mentioned in the chats, leaving the door open for other classified information.
However, reflexively and stupidly, the Trump team stuck to the script that neither “war plans,” as Goldberg had labeled the discussions, nor classified materials had been revealed. The entire time I waited to see when Goldberg would drop the other shoe, meaning the texts that showed what the Trump team was denying.
And now he has. The Atlantic posted the full text chain here. And while, Some such as Pete Hegseth deflect by focusing on the Atlantic’s terminology changing from “war plans” to “attack plans,” the texts don’t look good for Team Trump.
As Politico reported:
Days of denials and downplaying from the administration dared Goldberg to disclose the full details of the chat. Every Trump official involved claimed there was no classified material discussed. While the right sought to denigrate Goldberg — a favorite target of President Donald Trump — the left prodded the publication to release the texts.
After some hemming and hawing about whether that was the right course of action, Goldberg and The Atlantic published a piece this morning that included screenshots of the chat.
WAR OF WORDS: Trump officials defended the chat in recent days by insisting that what was unwittingly discussed in Goldberg’s presence did not amount to war plans. (Interestingly, The Atlantic’s piece this morning used the term “Attack Plans” — a fact that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and the DOD comms shop were eager to point out.)
Whichever term you find appropriate, the level of detail for a group chat taking place on an unofficial government platform is remarkable. Jaw-dropping. Astounding. Choose your own word, if you’d like.
In one instance, Hegseth, while ticking through a detailed timeline for the upcoming strike, notes at one point: “THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP.”
He also discusses ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 strikes and the launch of MQ-9 strike drones, as well as times for sea launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, and later a fairly specific Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) on the impact and effectiveness of the strikes.
“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”
“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”
“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”
“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”
“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”
The strike plan could be considered top secret—the highest classification level—because it fits the legal definition of “information providing indication or advance warning that the U.S. or its allies are preparing an attack,” according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s official classification tiers.
And per The Atlantic:
At 1:48 p.m., Waltz sent the following text, containing real-time intelligence about conditions at an attack site, apparently in Sanaa: “VP. Building collapsed. Had multiple positive ID. Pete, Kurilla, the IC, amazing job.” Waltz was referring here to Hegseth; General Michael E. Kurilla, the commander of Central Command; and the intelligence community, or IC. The reference to “multiple positive ID” suggests that U.S. intelligence had ascertained the identities of the Houthi target, or targets, using either human or technical assets.
Six minutes later, the vice president, apparently confused by Waltz’s message, wrote, “What?”
At 2 p.m., Waltz responded: “Typing too fast. The first target – their top missile guy – we had positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building and it’s now collapsed.”
I will leave it up to the reader to decide how serious a breach this was.
The New York Post notes the thoughts of one national security expert:
The “classified” operational details covered the “method of targeting,” the timeline for the operation and who pulled the trigger on the Houthi targets, according to Dan Meyer, a national security partner at New York law firm Tully Rinckey.
“The pilots were using their sensors, using their triggers to confirm identification and they let the drones deliver the weapons,” said Meyer, a 25-year veteran of national security law and former official at the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General.
“Really scary that that went out over Signal because that reveals a method of targeting that you can read online in some places, but you really don’t want to know in specific instances when ‘trigger-based’ targeting is being done,” Meyer said.
Meyer explained that the other texts were “pretty detailed.”
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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I think it was a gross oversight. And, I do believe it will be fixed. I also believe it will not happen again. Whoever included Goldberg is not functioning in the administrations be interest. They need to be found and appropriate accountability provided. Goldberg does show he is not for America. He is for himself, his political party and could have done the right thing. He showed his colors. Of course dems are and will continue to demonize everything the administration will do. It does show there is at least one bad actor somewhere in the admin. However, this can be fixed with proper procedures.
Jesus! You should just get on over to MSDNC…….
These guys are some women are to young inexperienced don’t belong in government, bondi needs removed in less than a month she can’t deliver must have been bought or threatened which ever she doesn’t have the experience strength to fight these corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, and the three that talked over the internet need gone it is not safe, never will be, get back to rooms that are definitely safe talk face to face, we get hacked way to much to allow any plans done on internet, when and if this country learns how to protect national security, secrets, plans, that are to protect us then do things face to face, these guys failed in less than a month already messed up big time and even lied no None news outlets should ever have anyway of seeing or hearing, reading, security secrets, till it is carried out done and over, Trump better look deeper into these issues, I don’t trust 4 that he has put into to important offices, and they all have been caught lying and doing wrong
Democrats and the commy news media are as un-American as any group has ever been. The democrat party is on its way to extinction and this effort of theirs along with Goldberg will ensure their demise.
Well let’s see. We have people saying the same thing in private they say in public, there was nothing classified, no sources or methods revealed, no times and place of forthcoming actions. Whole thing should be deemed Not for publication, but nothing rising to the level of the Pentagon Papers!
Planned
Accident
Hacking
NOT vetting staffers
Issue new phones
Scrap Signal
Do classified meetings F2F
Cut staffing admin
I’ve had signal after Bush and the Un-Patriot act and then Obama passing laws to take our rights away and tap our phones, computers and track our every movement. It’s a great way to communicate ever since I started using it but I got phished yesterday! Someone with the initial “M” wanted me to add them to my list a total stranger so it proved to me that someone could have easily phished that meeting as in whom ever was setting it up screwed up. I also heard today that that the fascist lady that runs NPR runs signal but I have to do some research.
If material is deemed to be classified why hasn’t Goldberg been charged with leaking this material to the public. A true patriot would have advised the group he should not have been included
The Trump team should bring up details about Hillary’s security leaks as well as the FBI etc, and they should go through all previous Signal Chat sessions from the Biden administration and see what was in them.
Tempest in a teapot! When leftists have nothing (which is usually the case) they feel the necessity to manufacture some failure or scandal. There was NO classified information whatever in the Signal piece.
I’ve been in enough business meetings to recognize a planning discussion meeting, “what are your thoughts”, “your suggestions” , etc. and during the meeting the door opens and a person says it’s been decided and is a go right now (by the big cheese). Well, meeting over. Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Now, my real thoughts. Who set up the meeting, usually a secretary or clerk, etc. Who sent out the notice of the meeting? And, why did this person have this enemy’s tele no, and manage to include the number. That person had no reason to even have this enemy’s tele no in the room or on his/her desk, not even in their home. They should be fired. You don’t accidently send out any company business to a rival or competitor (unless it is planned by the boss) because it is not your job of setting up a meeting to have phone nos of your enemy so easily attainable. There’s no red button except for the big cheese. Now, why did the journalist keep on listening. He should have hung up after speaking and saying I can hear you guys, and you have a connection problem. Say your name so the FBI knows you are on accidently done by their end so you don’t get arrested for getting into the connection deliberately for spying. If there was actually a wrong connection than the govt office needs to check those lines and numbers.
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