When US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used the encrypted Signal app to discuss classified details of US military strikes in Yemen, he did not just break protocol – he shattered the foundation of trust that underlies both national and, perhaps more importantly, international security apparatuses.
The incident itself was troubling enough: sensitive operational information shared over a commercial messaging app, with a reporter who was “inadvertently” included, in addition to a host of others, in what should have been a highly restricted conversation. But Hegseth’s response to the breach, calling it a hoax, proved even more concerning.
Rather than acknowledging the gravity of the situation, he attacked the journalist’s character and dismissed any suggestion of wrongdoing. He repeated that he did nothing wrong and the attack was a success, as if that justifies his sloppy actions, actions that he vehemently denied.
Mike Waltz, the national security advisor to the president who is primarily responsible for this breach, initially blamed the reporter who did the right thing by waiting to report the information he had received.
In a conspiracy theory threat-laden retort to the event, Waltz seemed to blame the reporter, while President Donald Trump minimized the event as a “witch hunt.” On American television, members of the United States security establishment kept blame-shifting and delving into “whataboutism,” for example, “Didn’t Hillary Clinton use a personal phone?” rather than addressing the real issue.
Confidential Yemen attack details included in chat
The texts the reporter received included specific, detailed, real-time bombing updates like: “ ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s).” But the texts also included other important details that should not have been discussed.
This wasn’t just a minor procedural misstep on the part of the US security team. Just a few months prior, the FBI indicated that Russian hackers had targeted and likely had access to the Signal app.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the breach potentially compromised Israeli intelligence assets by including critical information about a specific target and his location, which was provided by an Israeli operative on the ground in Yemen.
Implications of a security breach
The implications of such a compromise cannot be overstated – it puts a target on the back of one of ours, puts the lives of our other assets at risk, and undermines the trust of international partnerships.
Hegseth and Waltz’s defensive posturing reminds one of a child caught misbehaving, adamantly denying wrongdoing even as the evidence mounts. But this is not about stolen cookies, a broken jar, or the behavior of a drunk fraternity pledge – it’s about national security at the highest levels.
When top American defense and security officials handle classified information with such cavalier disregard for established security protocols, it raises alarming questions about the competence of an entire international security infrastructure.
More concerning still is what this breach reveals about the culture within America’s defense establishment. When high-ranking officials feel comfortable enough to share classified operations on a consumer messaging app, we must ask ourselves what other security protocols are being ignored behind closed doors.
This incident might be just the tip of the iceberg – a visible symptom of a deeper institutional problem.
The fallout from this breach will likely reverberate through international intelligence communities for years to come. Both the military and the public deserve better than officials who treat sensitive intelligence like casual group chat fodder.
This incident demands not just an apology. What is required is a thorough review of communication protocols at the highest levels of the US defense establishment and how it partners with others, especially Israel, if information can be strategically and secretly shared in the future.
The writer is a psychologist and strategic consultant who specializes in trauma and abuse. He is the director of ADC Psychological Services in Netanya and Hewlett, NY, and is on staff at Northwell, New Hyde Park, NY.