Ukraine Invasion: Part 39

[MagicFox]

38 filled up quick. Welcome all to 39 🇺🇦

This is a "gifted link" to the latest Washington Post article about the leaks.

Discord Leaked Documents

Russia said the US was "conducting deadly bio-experiments on the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine". According to Irina Yarovaya, co-chair of the parliamentary commission for "investigating the activity of biolaboratories in Ukraine", at least 4,000 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were subjected to US bioexperiments, and about 20 servicemen died in Kharkiv laboratories, and another 200 were hospitalized

Assuming that Ukrainians are too war weary and sensitive to Russian propaganda, is this directed at Americans? Trying to create more social divisions and sow seeds of craziness against Biden’s administration? Is it MTG who believes in alien’s? So the Russians are in with a good shot at convincing her of these claims.

I think it's part of the Russian disinformation campaign to both its own people and to (eg) the African countries, continuing to try to portray itself as freeing Ukrainian from the nasty American imperialist forces

Not sure anyone, even themselves, believes it any more, but the doublespeak is so ingrained now, they can't stop themselves

@notimagain appreciate your excellent detective work around the France/Poland ammo supply debacle.

I wish people would stop quibbling and just send the ammo to Ukraine double-quick. 🙏

They've made an arrest in the leaks case.

https://twitter.com/CherylFiandaca/status/1646580366000488451

Bet he’s shitting a brick! Sounds like he’s been a massive idiotic bellend rather than being pro-Russia.

MissConductUS, thanks for the gift of the link to the WP article.

The article says the leak came from one single person who had classified access to many different docs and was a continuous leak over a period of time. The leak was not just on Ukraine but other classified topics as well. If so, it looks like the Pentagon papers published on the original Discord gaming group site are genuine. Hopefully, the information is now outdated.

I hope that the person responsible is put on trial for treason.

The source of the leak is believed to be 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, who is reportedly a member of the intelligence wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and leader of an online group in which the leaked documents were shared. A "young charismatic man" who was attempting to impress friends. Not believed to be a whistleblower or a foreign agent.

I am confused how a 21 year old would have such profilic and free access to classified docs.

It does beg questions I agree. I’m UK Civil Service and very few people would have such prolific access to security marked “top secret” documents across a range of subject areas. In my Dept most secret documents can only be viewed in specific rooms and printed on certain computers by individuals with specific access/clearance. And even then the paper is bright pink.

UK expert Michael Clarke explains there is a difference in the way UK and US treat classified docs, which chimes with your experience in the UK:

https://news.sky.com/story/jack-teixeira-leader-of-online-group-behind-us-military-document-leaks-is-national-guardsman-12856543

"But defence and security expert Professor Michael Clarke said that the leak could be an issue with the number of people who have access to classified documents in the US.

Unlike the UK, which has a "need to know" policy in relation to intelligence information, in the US they have a "dare to share" philosophy which means an estimated 1.3 million people have access to secret and top secret documents.

Speaking to the Sky News Daily Podcast, he said: "In the American system, it is 'dare to share' which is to get everybody on board with a common picture of what we're talking about and, of course, it's based on the idea that proper Americans are patriotic enough not to leak material.

"But if 1.3 million people have got access to some form of secret material then even a small proportion - 0.1% of those people - if they are geeks who want to be a bigshot amongst their friends, as this person probably did…then some people like that will emerge from the system.""

NBC has a bit more detail and a short video clip of the Attorney General making an announcement about it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna79577

I know some people in the New York Air National Guard, and I would never have thought that they had access to ground combat intel like this. It's just not relevant to their mission. I suspect there is much more to the story about how this airman had access to all of those documents.

I know some people in the New York Air National Guard, and I would never have thought that they had access to ground combat intel like this. It's just not relevant to their mission. I suspect there is much more to the story about how this airman had access to all of those documents.

Below is taken from the WP article you linked to. :

OG’s [suspect Jack Teixeira] documents look to have been printed on ordinary paper and were creased after having been folded in four. Sometimes, the photographs OG took of the documents appeared to have been taken over a bed. Items such as Gorilla Glue, a scope manual and nail clippers appeared in the margins. Other previously unreported images reviewed by The Post showed printed documents lying on top of a glowing red keyboard.

A bed? Looks like the docs may have been removed from the office and taken home. If so, could be by OG or could be by someone OG knew ... Just my pure speculation, of course. Intrigued by Gorilla Glue, not a common brand in the UK.

Remembering how tight the UK “need to know” was back in the day I’m another one puzzled by the depth and breadth of info this character seems to have had access to…I’ve learnt more about certain things (including the full details some stuff I was involved on) that went on in the 70s and 80s from recently unclassified stuff that is now on wiki than I ever got told at the time.

Did this character have some sort of comms/custodian role?

Intrigued by Gorilla Glue, not a common brand in the UK.

Gorilla Glue is brilliant. Gorilla tape is even better. We have both in the kitchen junk drawer for fixing whatever needs fixing.

https://www.gorillatough.com/

Did this character have some sort of comms/custodian role?

I guess we'll see. The MA ANG is an air force reserve unit. Any intel they handle should be related to their core mission (patrol, air cargo transport, etc.). The Ukrainain army order of battle is just wildly out of their lane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/102nd_Intelligence_Wing

@MissConductUS Gorilla Glue and Tape looks amazing. Great slogan: 'For the Toughest Jobs on Planet Earth'. My Pritt Stick is not worthy

It's been around in the UK for a good few years now. It expands so I use it largely for glueing chair leg and stretcher joints that have become loose

Not sure about all the sticky stuff, I’ll stick to drooling over those P-47s in the image upthread…..

Big fan of both Gorilla-glue and tape here! It’s been in the UK for a while.

I need to get with the times ...

Handsome, aren't they? I bet they would be fun to take out for a spin. Hopefully, that wing has been assigned newer aircraft since that picture was taken.

hehheh, I was thinking the same thing when I saw the propellers. Thankfully further down the page, I think they are now flying F-15s

Not normally a fan of Stacey Dooley but currently watching an excellent documentary with the British army training Ukrainian recruits.

Or does he even exist? Or was he “fed” stuff. Will he be hidden away and paid and given a new identity. Etc etc

Seriously. Haven’t any of you ever read John Le Carre?

On British army training Ukraine, I have to say I teared up a bit at this video.

Glory to the defenders