Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
An informed source revealed to Reuters that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared details of an attack on Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen via a messaging group that included his wife, brother, and personal lawyer.
This issue raises questions about Hegseth’s use of a non-secure messaging system to discuss sensitive security information, at a critical time for him, as senior Pentagon officials were dismissed last week during an internal investigation into information leaks.
In a separate conversation, details of the attack, similar to those reported by The Atlantic magazine last month, were revealed, with its editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, inadvertently included in a Signal app chat. The informed person stated that the second discussion involved about a dozen people and focused on administrative issues rather than military planning.
The source also indicated that the conversation included details about the airstrike schedule. Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, had attended sensitive meetings with foreign military counterparts, according to photos released by the Pentagon.
Furthermore, Hegseth’s brother is a liaison officer between the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon. The Trump administration had aggressively sought to address leaks, a stance Hegseth enthusiastically adopted at the Pentagon.
In response, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that media outlets are taking complaints from disgruntled former employees as a source for their articles. He asserted that the administration has achieved significant accomplishments for US veterans and will not back down.
On the other hand, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly affirmed that “the recently dismissed leakers continue to distort the truth.”
In a tense atmosphere, Democratic lawmakers criticized Hegseth, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for his dismissal, stating that he is endangering lives. Senator Tammy Duckworth, who suffered injuries in the Iraq War, emphasized the need for his resignation.
These developments come days after Dan Caldwell, one of Hegseth’s advisors, was dismissed following investigations into Pentagon leaks. Caldwell expressed disappointment at the way his service at the Pentagon ended, citing unwarranted attacks on his reputation.
Subsequently, Darren Selnick and Colin Carroll, less experienced officials, were placed on administrative leave and dismissed last Friday.
