A US government employee who worked in some way for the CIA faces charges over an online leak of classified documents on from Israel possible plans for retaliation against Iran.
Federal prosecutors charged Asif Rahman, who held one of the highest levels of security clearance, with two counts of illegally transmitting national defense information after classified government documents linked to the possible plans attacks on Israel have surfaced online, according to court documents and two close sources. with the case. Two sources familiar with the matter said Rahman worked for the CIA, but did not say whether he was a contractor or employee.
According to court records, Rahman illegally disclosed the information on October 17 from locations outside the United States, including Cambodia. The documents Rahman is accused of leaking are not specified in court documents, but sources confirmed to CBS News that the leaked documents related to possible attack plans. News of Rahman’s arrest was first reported by The New York Times.
However, it remains unclear whether Rahman was the source of the classified documents or whether he acted alone.
He was indicted last week in the Eastern District of Virginia and is expected to make his first appearance in federal court in Guam for deportation proceedings on Thursday.
Federal investigators from the Pentagon and the FBI launched a probe last month after documents apparently belonging to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency were posted on a Telegram channel at a time when Israel was considering a retaliatory strike against Iran, they said. sources told CBS News. The documents posted online appear authentic, the sources said.
The Justice Department declined to comment.
and Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.
