A Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official was arrested on Tuesday and charged for allegedly leaking classified documents regarding Israel’s plans to attack Iran after the U.S. adversary fired over 180 ballistic missiles against Israel in October.
According to The New York Times, Asif W. Rahman, who works for the CIA overseas, was arrested in Cambodia on Tuesday after being indicted on federal charges last week. The outlet reported that Rahman was arraigned at a federal courthouse in Guam for two counts of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information.
The New York Times reported that the CIA agent had access to Sensitive Compartmented Information and a top-secret security clearance. The outlet also reported that the indictment against Rahman shows that the classified documents leak took place around October 17.
According to court documents obtained by The New York Times, the classified information leaked by Rahman was based on satellite imagery from October 15 and October 16 that was compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
The classified information leaked by Rahman was intended to only be shown to the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand as part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, according to The New York Times.
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According to The Daily Wire, federal officials discovered the leak of the classified documents after U.S. intelligence documents were published on a pro-Iran Telegram account. The outlet noted that the classified documents included a summary of the Israeli military’s preparations ahead of its expected retaliatory strike against Iran. The documents revealed that the Israeli military was moving munitions and planes and was holding “a large exercise.”
Israel’s retaliatory strike against Iran was conducted after Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles into Israel on October 1.
Following Rahman’s arrest on Tuesday, Mick Mulroy, who previously worked as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, told The New York Post that protecting classified materials should remain the “highest priority” for U.S. intelligence agencies.
“It is very troubling to know that a CIA officer may of been involved in leaking this highly classified information,” Mulroy said. “Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence, but if true, this is a serious security breach and there is no excuse for it.”
