WASHINGTON: The US Department of Justice on Saturday said it has begun an investigation into a trove of leaked US documents, many related to Ukraine, that have spread to the internet.

The breach appears to include assessments and secret intelligence reports that touch not only on Ukraine and Russia but also highly sensitive analyses of US allies.

“We have been in communication with the Department of Defence related to this matter and have begun an investigation,” a Justice Department spokesperson said.

A steady drip of dozens of leaked documents and slides have made their way onto Twitter, Telegram, Discord and other social media and chat sites in recent days, and new documents continue to surface.

Israel rejects claim Mossad backed protests against overhaul of judiciary

The Pentagon said on Friday it was “actively reviewing the matter” and that it had formally referred the apparent breach to the Justice Department.

US officials told the Washington Post that some documents appeared to be manipulated but many were consistent with CIA World Intelligence Review reports that are shared at high levels within the White House, Pentagon and State Department.

Defence analysts say any breach of internal classified US documents would be both damaging and potentially embarrassing.

In addition, the leak would prove valuable to Moscow by showing how deep US intelligence has penetrated parts of the Russian military apparatus, US media said.

Other documents include apparent information about internal debate within the governments of US allies.

Issues raised’

On Sunday, a South Korean presidential official said, South Korea is aware of news reports about a leak of several classified US military documents and it plans to discuss “issues raised” as a result of the leak with the United States.

One of the leaked documents, showed details about internal discussions among top South Korean top officials about US pressure on Seoul to help supply weapons to Ukraine, and its policy of not doing so.

The document, which does not appear to have a date on it, said that South Korea had agreed to sell artillery shells to help the United States replenish its stockpiles, insisting that the “end user” should be the US military. But internally, top South Korean officials were worried that the United States would divert them to Ukraine.

The report was based in part on signals intelligence, which suggests that the United States had been spying on one of its most important South Korean allies.

The South Korean presidential official, speaking to reporters, declined to respond to questions about US spying or to confirm any details from the leaked documents.

Asked if South Korea planned to lodge a protest or demand an explanation from the United States, the official, who declined to be identified, said the government would review precedents and cases involving other countries.

South Korea has signed major deals providing hundreds of tanks, aircraft and other weapons to Nato member Poland since Russia invaded Ukraine. But President Yoon Suk Yeol has said that a South Korean law that forbids supplying weapons to countries engaged in conflict makes it difficult to send arms to Ukraine.

The South Korean official said there was no change to South Korea’s policy.

Yoon is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden on April 26 during a state visit to Washington.

Israel’s government rejected claims raised in documents that leaders of its foreign intelligence service Mossad had supported nationwide protests against a proposed overhaul of Israel’s judiciary.

The New York Times on Saturday published that Mossad leadership had encouraged its staff and Israeli citizens to join the mass protests.

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the report was “mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever”. “The Mossad and its senior officials did not and do not encourage agency personnel to join the demonstrations against the government, political demonstrations or any political activity,” it said.

Netanyahu’s overhaul plan has sparked unprecedented public anger since his coalition of hard-right and religious parties came to power late last year, and has also caused alarm among Israel’s Western allies.

The proposed legislation would enable parliament to override Supreme Court decisions and hold control over judicial appointments.

After weeks of intensifying demonstrations, Netanyahu in late March relented and said he would delay the contested reforms to allow for compromise talks with opposition parties.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2023