US defence secretary under investigation for Yemen strike messaging

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WASHINGTON: The US Defense Secretary, Pet Hegasith, is under investigation after investigating the Messaging App Signal to discuss plans for airstrikes on Yemen, raise questions on security and protocol.

In a memorandum addressed to Hegsit, the Inspector General’s Office said it would review whether the use of Hagsit’s signal Met Defense Department’s guidelines is related to information.

Hegsith has repeatedly said that no information was revealed in the chat, although it includes the launch of US airstrikes and some targeting details that are considered a close guard before a surprising military operation like Yemen.

Details of the chat were mistakenly included in the conversation after Jeffrey Goldberg last week by Atlantic Magazine, which resulted in a shameful incident that included President Donald Trump’s most senior national security official.

The case has also renewed the Hegsit examination, who easily won the Senate verification after just one review, which raised serious questions about their experience, mood and ideas about women in the fight.

Acting Inspector General, Steven Stibans, wrote, “The purpose of this diagnosis is to determine that the Secretary of Defense and other DOD personnel have complied with DOD policies and procedures for the use of trade messaging requests for the government business.”

“In addition, we will review the classification and compliance with the record needs.”

Hegsit texts about plans to kill the Houthi militant leader in Yemen two hours before the military operation began, and details were added about when the F18 fighter jets as well as marine cruise missiles would launch.

‘Sian on Opexic’ ‘

According to the Atlantic Ocean, the text of Hegsith began titled “Team Update” and these details were included.

“Time (1144 ET): Weather is conducive. Only certified W/St. Work We are to go for Mission Launch”

“1215 et al: F-18s launch (first strike package)”

“1345: ‘F-18 F-18 strike window begins (the target terrorist is its known location so it should be on time-will-be, strike drone launch (MQ-9S).”

“1410: Further F18S Launch (Second strike package)”

“1415: drones on the strike (this is when the first bombs will definitely fall, the first ‘trigger -based’ underlined under the targets)”

“The 1536 F18 second strike is starting-in addition, the first sea-based Tammas started.”

On the end of the text chain, Hegseth said the mission was “clean on Opseic” – an acronym for operational security – which had no leakage, even though the reporter was on text China.

If the Houthi leaders knew that the strike was coming, they would probably have been able to escape, possibly in crowded areas where it is more difficult to target, and the number of potential civilian casualties can be considered much more.

The Pentagon Overseas Committee of the Senate, Jack Reid’s top Democrat, said a leakage could endanger US pilots.

Red said in a statement, “The potentially fatal consequences of secretary Hegsith’s error are cold.”

“If his chat messages were obtained by intelligence or another opponent, it would allow them to replace weapons to target our pilots with dangerously accurate intelligence.”

In a sign of sensitivity, the US Army’s central command provided less details about the ongoing works in Yemen, including basic information such as the number of strikes so far.

Asked about the details of the campaign that began March 15, a defensive official – providing a written response on condition of anonymity – Told Writers:

“Sink work will not provide details about strikes until the operation is over and there is no additional risk to US personnel or its assets.”

Acting Inspector General, Stibans, said the review will be held at the Central Command Headquarters in Washington, DC as well as in Tampa, Florida.

“We request that you nominate two points of contact within five days for this diagnosis,” he wrote in the memo, which was also addressed by the deputy of Hegsit.

Although the US Defense Secretary is less investigating for the Inspector General, the office recently investigated Hagsit’s predecessor, President Joe Biden’s Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, who was admitted to his secret hospital last year.

Stubbins became the acting inspector general in January when Trump fired the former head of the Defense Department’s independent care and other agency Watch Dog during his first week in his first week.