Former CIA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Leaking Classified Information on Israeli Attack Plans
A former CIA analyst, Asif Rahman, pleaded guilty in federal court in Virginia on Friday to charges of leaking classified information related to a planned Israeli military operation against Iran. Rahman, 34, was arrested in November after classified documents appeared on the Telegram messaging app.
The charges stem from Rahman's misuse of his access to top-secret information, as he printed and altered classified materials to leak them to unauthorized individuals. The documents in question contained sensitive details from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, which revealed Israel's military preparations in response to a missile attack from Iran.
Prosecutors stated that the leak prompted Israel to delay its attack plans and caused significant national security concerns. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Rahman, who began working at the CIA in 2016, was noted to have a strong academic background, having graduated from Yale University in three years.
The case highlights ongoing challenges concerning the protection of classified information within intelligence agencies and the implications of its unauthorized dissemination.
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