The Pentagon's inspector general has revealed that some of the Western-supplied weapons and equipment supplied to Ukrainian forces ended up in the hands of arms traffickers, criminals, and volunteer fighters.

Western-supplied weapons stolen in Ukraine: Pentagon report

<p>The Surat Diamond Bourse in the Indian state of Gujarat, has claimed the title of the world's largest office building, surpassing the Pentagon, according to a CNN report.</p>

<p>Situated in Surat, known as the gem capital of the world and a major hub for diamond cutting, this newly constructed building will serve as a comprehensive centre&nbsp;for diamond professionals.</p>

<h2><strong>A hub for diamond trade</strong></h2>

<p>Spread across 35 acres of land, the Surat Diamond Bourse is a 15-storey complex consisting of nine interconnected rectangular structures.</p>

<p>Designed by the Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis, the building offers over 7.1 million square feet of floor space, accommodating more than 65,000 diamond professionals, including cutters, polishers, and traders. It aims to be a "one-stop destination" for the diamond industry.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-and-scorpene-submarine-deals-didnt-figure-in-indo-french-joint-statement-heres-why-617080">Rafale and Scorpene submarine deals didn’t figure in Indo-French joint statement. Here’s why</a></p>

<h2><strong>Inauguration and significance</strong></h2>

<p>The official inauguration of the Surat Diamond Bourse is scheduled for November this year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi presiding over the ceremony.</p>

<p>The construction of the building spanned four years, and its completion marks a significant milestone for the diamond industry, bringing a major trading hub to Surat and reducing the need for professionals to travel to Mumbai.</p>

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<h2><strong>Designed for efficiency and demand</strong></h2>

<p>The Surat Diamond Bourse was designed to meet the growing demand within the diamond industry. The architectural layout, featuring interconnected structures with a central spine, provides an optimal trading environment. All the office spaces within the building were already purchased by diamond companies before construction commenced, reflecting the high demand and market anticipation.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India has expressed intentions of buying marine jets, says France</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>Promoting convenience and economic growth</strong></h2>

<p>The establishment of the Surat Diamond Bourse is a not-for-profit initiative promoted by SDB Diamond Bourse, with the aim of developing and promoting the diamond trade in Surat, Gujarat.</p>

<p>The project is expected to save thousands of diamond professionals from the daily commute to Mumbai, enhancing convenience and potentially boosting the economic growth of the region.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

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The Surat Diamond Bourse in the Indian state of Gujarat, has claimed the title of the world's largest office building, surpassing the Pentagon, according to a CNN report.

The Surat Diamond Bourse in the Indian state of Gujarat, has claimed the title of the world's largest office building, surpassing the Pentagon, according to a CNN report. Situated in Surat, known as the gem capital of the world and a major hub for diamond cutting, this newly constructed building will serve as a comprehensive centre for diamond professionals. A hub for diamond trade Spread across 35 acres of land, the Surat Diamond Bourse is a 15-storey complex consisting of nine interconnected rectangular structures. Designed by the Indian architecture firm Morphogenesis, the building offers over 7.1 million square feet of floor space, accommodating more than 65,000 diamond professionals, including cutters, polishers, and traders. It aims to be a "one-stop destination" for the diamond industry. Also read | Rafale and Scorpene submarine deals didn’t figure in Indo-French joint statement. Here’s why Inauguration and significance The official inauguration of the Surat Diamond Bourse is scheduled for November this year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi presiding over the ceremony. The construction of the building spanned four years, and its completion marks a significant milestone for the diamond industry, bringing a major trading hub to Surat and reducing the need for professionals to travel to Mumbai. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Surat Diamond Bourse (@surat_diamond_bourse) × Designed for efficiency and demand The Surat Diamond Bourse was designed to meet the growing demand within the diamond industry. The architectural layout, featuring interconnected structures with a central spine, provides an optimal trading environment. All the office spaces within the building were already purchased by diamond companies before construction commenced, reflecting the high demand and market anticipation. Also watch | India has expressed intentions of buying marine jets, says France Promoting convenience and economic growth The establishment of the Surat Diamond Bourse is a not-for-profit initiative promoted by SDB Diamond Bourse, with the aim of developing and promoting the diamond trade in Surat, Gujarat. The project is expected to save thousands of diamond professionals from the daily commute to Mumbai, enhancing convenience and potentially boosting the economic growth of the region. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Indian building takes crown as world's largest office, surpassing US Pentagon

The Pentagon was the world's largest office building for 80 years. But that title has now been taken by a building in Gujarat's Surat. Surat Diamond Bourse, a diamond trade centre now became the world's largest office building.

Indian building overtakes US Pentagon as the World's largest office building

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidXzcGqgOs5kNS" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>In what comes as another embarrassing moment for the Pentagon and the US government, millions of military emails were directed to the West African nation of Mali, over the course of a decade, despite multiple warnings - exposing highly sensitive information to a Russian ally.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The error happened due to a small confusion arising due to domain naming and the culprit is a missing letter, 'I'. Instead of typing ".MIL", the suffix to all military email addresses, the officers typed ".ML" which is the country identifier for Mali. The mistake was overlooked and resulted in a steady flow of sensitive emails being sent to ".ML" domain inboxes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to various media reports, the messages shared range from tax returns to medical reports to diplomatic documents to official travel arrangements for top officers to highly sensitive passwords.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>No attention was paid to warnings&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Experts said even if the data was unclassified, the sustained access meant that intelligence could be generated by joining the dots.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What's more concerning in the entire fiasco is that the US government received multiple warnings for the breach and yet did nothing to sort the issue.</p>

<p>The first instance of such a data leak was reported almost a decade ago by Johannes Zuurbier, a Dutch internet entrepreneur who had the contract to manage Mali’s country domain, the Financial Times (FT) newspaper reported.</p>

<p>The risk of data landing in the wrong hands was exacerbated when Zuubier’s contract expired and the domain reverted to the Malian government</p>

<p>The Amsterdam-based entrepreneur approached US officials repeatedly, including through a defence attaché in Mali, a senior adviser to the US national cyber security service, and even White House officials.</p>

<p>“This risk is real and could be exploited by adversaries of the US," he wrote in a letter to the US government officials.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since January this year, Zuurbier claims to have collected close to 117,000 misdirected messages that were sent to the wrong domain, by the time his contract expired.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One email that was misdirected to Mali this year included the travel plans for General James McConville, the chief of staff of the US Army, and his delegation for a then-forthcoming visit to Indonesia in May.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/leaked-pentagon-documents-provide-snapshot-of-us-intelligence-officials-watching-china-582213" target="_blank"><strong>Watch | Leaked Pentagon documents provide snapshot of US intelligence officials watching China</strong></a></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Pentagon releases statement</strong></h2>

<p>After the controversy snowballed, the Department of Defence released a statement saying it was looking into the matter.</p>

<p>“The Department of Defence is aware of this issue and takes all unauthorised disclosures of controlled national security information or controlled unclassified information seriously,” the Pentagon said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lt. Commander Tim Gorman, a spokesman for the Pentagon added that mails sent directly from the .mil domain to Malian addresses “are blocked before they leave the .mil domain and the sender is notified that they must validate the email addresses of the intended recipients”.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-of-us-military-information-sent-to-russian-ally-mali-for-years-due-to-typo-report-616709" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | Thousands of US military emails mistakenly sent to Russian ally Mali due to ‘typo’</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Previous instances of Pentagon suffering info leak</strong></h2>

<p>Notably, this is not the first instance when the Pentagon has been caught in stormy waters for the leak of sensitive documents. Earlier this year, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman named Jack Teixeira was caught after the largest classified intelligence leaks in US history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Teixeira allegedly leaked the sensitive documents in a chatroom for gamers, Thug Shaker Central, on Discord, an instant messaging platform, primarily used by the gaming community. According to reports, Teixeira leaked highly sensitive information, including details about troop movement in Russia’s war with Ukraine.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Teixeira said in the chat group that he was able to access the documents because he worked on a “military base". The accused was referring to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base where he was assigned the task to manage and troubleshoot computers and communications systems for the Air Force.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jack-teixeira-the-young-charismatic-air-national-guardsman-suspected-of-leaking-secret-us-documents-582242" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | Who is Jack Teixeira, the 'young, charismatic' Air National guardsman arrested in US documents leak case?</strong></a></p>

<p>Incidentally, Teixeira had been leaking the classified documents for several months but it was only earlier this year that the US authorities became aware of such a breach. After US media carried the reports, a manhunt was launched to nab the mole.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Mailbox leak after misconfiguration</strong></h2>

<p>Similarly, in February, reports claimed that for full two weeks, an exposed server belonging to the defence department spilt internal military emails to the open internet before being fixed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The said server was hosted by tech giant Microsft on&nbsp;Azure government cloud for Department of Defence customers. These servers are physically separated from the commercial customers and as such can&nbsp;be used to&nbsp;share sensitive but unclassified government data.</p>

<p>The exposed&nbsp;mailbox server carried three terabytes of internal military emails, belonging to the US Special Operations Command, or USSOCOM, the US military unit tasked with conducting special military operations. Investigations found that a misconfiguration had left the server without any password, allowing anyone with internet access to peer through the sensitive mailbox data, just by knowing the IP address.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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In what comes as another embarrassing moment for the Pentagon and the US government, millions of military emails were directed to the West African nation of Mali, over the course of a decade, despite multiple warnings - exposing highly sensitive information to a Russian ally.

In what comes as another embarrassing moment for the Pentagon and the US government, millions of military emails were directed to the West African nation of Mali, over the course of a decade, despite multiple warnings - exposing highly sensitive information to a Russian ally. The error happened due to a small confusion arising due to domain naming and the culprit is a missing letter, 'I'. Instead of typing ".MIL", the suffix to all military email addresses, the officers typed ".ML" which is the country identifier for Mali. The mistake was overlooked and resulted in a steady flow of sensitive emails being sent to ".ML" domain inboxes. According to various media reports, the messages shared range from tax returns to medical reports to diplomatic documents to official travel arrangements for top officers to highly sensitive passwords. No attention was paid to warnings Experts said even if the data was unclassified, the sustained access meant that intelligence could be generated by joining the dots. What's more concerning in the entire fiasco is that the US government received multiple warnings for the breach and yet did nothing to sort the issue. The first instance of such a data leak was reported almost a decade ago by Johannes Zuurbier, a Dutch internet entrepreneur who had the contract to manage Mali’s country domain, the Financial Times (FT) newspaper reported. The risk of data landing in the wrong hands was exacerbated when Zuubier’s contract expired and the domain reverted to the Malian government The Amsterdam-based entrepreneur approached US officials repeatedly, including through a defence attaché in Mali, a senior adviser to the US national cyber security service, and even White House officials. “This risk is real and could be exploited by adversaries of the US," he wrote in a letter to the US government officials. Since January this year, Zuurbier claims to have collected close to 117,000 misdirected messages that were sent to the wrong domain, by the time his contract expired. One email that was misdirected to Mali this year included the travel plans for General James McConville, the chief of staff of the US Army, and his delegation for a then-forthcoming visit to Indonesia in May. Watch | Leaked Pentagon documents provide snapshot of US intelligence officials watching China × Pentagon releases statement After the controversy snowballed, the Department of Defence released a statement saying it was looking into the matter. “The Department of Defence is aware of this issue and takes all unauthorised disclosures of controlled national security information or controlled unclassified information seriously,” the Pentagon said. Lt. Commander Tim Gorman, a spokesman for the Pentagon added that mails sent directly from the .mil domain to Malian addresses “are blocked before they leave the .mil domain and the sender is notified that they must validate the email addresses of the intended recipients”. Also read | Thousands of US military emails mistakenly sent to Russian ally Mali due to ‘typo’ Previous instances of Pentagon suffering info leak Notably, this is not the first instance when the Pentagon has been caught in stormy waters for the leak of sensitive documents. Earlier this year, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman named Jack Teixeira was caught after the largest classified intelligence leaks in US history. Teixeira allegedly leaked the sensitive documents in a chatroom for gamers, Thug Shaker Central, on Discord, an instant messaging platform, primarily used by the gaming community. According to reports, Teixeira leaked highly sensitive information, including details about troop movement in Russia’s war with Ukraine. Teixeira said in the chat group that he was able to access the documents because he worked on a “military base". The accused was referring to the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base where he was assigned the task to manage and troubleshoot computers and communications systems for the Air Force. Also read | Who is Jack Teixeira, the 'young, charismatic' Air National guardsman arrested in US documents leak case? Incidentally, Teixeira had been leaking the classified documents for several months but it was only earlier this year that the US authorities became aware of such a breach. After US media carried the reports, a manhunt was launched to nab the mole. Mailbox leak after misconfiguration Similarly, in February, reports claimed that for full two weeks, an exposed server belonging to the defence department spilt internal military emails to the open internet before being fixed. The said server was hosted by tech giant Microsft on Azure government cloud for Department of Defence customers. These servers are physically separated from the commercial customers and as such can be used to share sensitive but unclassified government data. The exposed mailbox server carried three terabytes of internal military emails, belonging to the US Special Operations Command, or USSOCOM, the US military unit tasked with conducting special military operations. Investigations found that a misconfiguration had left the server without any password, allowing anyone with internet access to peer through the sensitive mailbox data, just by knowing the IP address. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Explained: The funny yet shocking story of leaked Pentagon mails to Mali

It is now decided to take concrete steps to ensure safety of its top secret documents and this comes after multiple leaks of Pentagon's classified documents surfaced, where these documents were found over the internet.

US to tighten safety of classified documents, Pentagon announces safety measures | World DNA

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidBQYNYXylnow8" /><meta charset="utf-8" />Despite having high ambitions, Chinese President Xi Jinping remains undecided on Taiwan's unification timeline, according to a top Pentagon official. US military officer, Army General Mark Milley said Xi has not made up his mind on whether to order a military unification programme by 2027 or not.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to an audience at the National Press Club in Washington, General Milley said Xi had been challenging his military to develop the capability to undertake the unification process when the time comes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"He [Xi] has stated publicly that he has challenged the People’s Liberation Army to develop the military capability to unify Taiwan with China by 2027. So he didn’t say, ‘I’ve decided to attack and invade’," Milley explained.</p>

<p>Milley noted Xi didn't outrightly say he was going to invade Taiwan, albeit, he insinuated by giving his military a timeframe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“He said, you generals, you develop the capability to do that; we’ll make the decision later. There’s a very subtle distinction there,” he added.</p>

<h2><strong>US military should accelerate modernisation&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Milley called upon the US military to accelerate military modernisation to retain superiority and deter Beijing from invading Taiwan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“You want to make sure that every single day President Xi wakes up and says today’s not that day, and that decision never comes,” Milley said.</p>

<p>“The faster we move [on military modernisation], the faster we can retain military superiority, then I believe … we are more likely than not to deter war...and if war does happen, we will prevail.”</p>

<p>The statement by the Pentagon officials comes a few days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meeting with Xi wherein the former said Washington did not support Taiwan's independence bid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;"At the same time, we and many others have deep concerns about some of the provocative actions that China has taken in recent years going back to 2016," Blinken told reporters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the meeting between Blinken and Xi, the Chinese president urged the US not to "hurt China's legitimate rights and interests", a sign towards potential flashpoints such as Taiwan.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/china-taiwan-unification-xi-jinping-mark-milley-b2367710.html" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | US, China want to stabilise relationship, says Blinken after meeting Xi</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Will never renounce option to use force in Taiwan: Xi&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>While Washington believes the Chinese president is undecided, Xi, on multiple occasions has made it clear that Taiwan's unification remains his ultimate aim.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year, addressing the 20th party congress, a once-in-a-five-year event, Xi said the Taiwan matter was for the Chinese people only to decide.</p>

<p>“The resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people themselves, to be decided by the Chinese people," said Xi.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pentagon-says-beijing-remains-undecided-on-taiwans-unification-610871"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Pentagon says Beijing remains undecided on Taiwan's unification</strong></a></p>

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<p>The CCP leader added that China reserves the option of “taking all measures necessary” against separatist forces.</p>

<p>“We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort. But, we will never promise to renounce the use of force. And we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary.”</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>


Despite having high ambitions, Chinese President Xi Jinping remains undecided on Taiwan's unification timeline, according to a top Pentagon official. US military officer, Army General Mark Milley said Xi has not made up his mind on whether to order a military unification programme by 2027 or not.

Despite having high ambitions, Chinese President Xi Jinping remains undecided on Taiwan's unification timeline, according to a top Pentagon official. US military officer, Army General Mark Milley said Xi has not made up his mind on whether to order a military unification programme by 2027 or not. Speaking to an audience at the National Press Club in Washington, General Milley said Xi had been challenging his military to develop the capability to undertake the unification process when the time comes. "He [Xi] has stated publicly that he has challenged the People’s Liberation Army to develop the military capability to unify Taiwan with China by 2027. So he didn’t say, ‘I’ve decided to attack and invade’," Milley explained. Milley noted Xi didn't outrightly say he was going to invade Taiwan, albeit, he insinuated by giving his military a timeframe. “He said, you generals, you develop the capability to do that; we’ll make the decision later. There’s a very subtle distinction there,” he added. US military should accelerate modernisation Milley called upon the US military to accelerate military modernisation to retain superiority and deter Beijing from invading Taiwan. “You want to make sure that every single day President Xi wakes up and says today’s not that day, and that decision never comes,” Milley said. “The faster we move [on military modernisation], the faster we can retain military superiority, then I believe … we are more likely than not to deter war...and if war does happen, we will prevail.” The statement by the Pentagon officials comes a few days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meeting with Xi wherein the former said Washington did not support Taiwan's independence bid. "At the same time, we and many others have deep concerns about some of the provocative actions that China has taken in recent years going back to 2016," Blinken told reporters. During the meeting between Blinken and Xi, the Chinese president urged the US not to "hurt China's legitimate rights and interests", a sign towards potential flashpoints such as Taiwan. Also read | US, China want to stabilise relationship, says Blinken after meeting Xi Will never renounce option to use force in Taiwan: Xi While Washington believes the Chinese president is undecided, Xi, on multiple occasions has made it clear that Taiwan's unification remains his ultimate aim. Last year, addressing the 20th party congress, a once-in-a-five-year event, Xi said the Taiwan matter was for the Chinese people only to decide. “The resolution of the Taiwan issue is a matter for the Chinese people themselves, to be decided by the Chinese people," said Xi. WATCH | Pentagon says Beijing remains undecided on Taiwan's unification × The CCP leader added that China reserves the option of “taking all measures necessary” against separatist forces. “We will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort. But, we will never promise to renounce the use of force. And we reserve the option of taking all measures necessary.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Beijing remains undecided on Taiwan's unification: Top Pentagon official

<p>A spokesperson for the Pentagon said Tuesday that it overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine over the last two years by a whopping $6.2 billion. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s spokeswoman revealed that the accounting error took place as military officials took into account the replacement cost rather than the book value of the weapons pulled from the Pentagon stocks to be delivered to the war-torn nation.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: Pentagon says it overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion<a href="https://t.co/GesSDyU1xV">pic.twitter.com/GesSDyU1xV</a></p>
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) <a href="https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/1671297929200685056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>This adjustment has now led to a surplus in American coffers which the administration plans to use in future security packages meant to shore up Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. Of $6.2 billion, there was an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the previous year ending September 2022.<br />
<br />
“It’s just going to go back into the pot of money that we have allocated&nbsp;for the future Pentagon stock drawdowns,” the spokeswoman said.</p>

<h2><strong>Ukraine’s new counter-offensive against Russia</strong></h2>

<p>In the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, new developments have emerged as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive against the Kremlin's occupying forces. This move aims to reclaim the territory that has been under Russian control since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Fake image of explosion at Pentagon briefly goes viral</strong></p>

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<p>However, Ukrainian forces are encountering challenges such as heavily mined areas and fortified defences, as stated by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces.</p>

<h2><strong>Russia’s assault on Ukraine</strong></h2>

<p>Simultaneously, Russia has intensified its assault on the Kyiv region by deploying numerous Shahed exploding drones. This attack has exposed vulnerabilities in the air defence system of Ukraine, which has been engaged in warfare for nearly 16 months. Ukrainian officials reported that they successfully intercepted and destroyed 32 out of the 35 drones launched by Russia early on Tuesday.</p>

<h2><strong>USA’s military aid to Ukraine so far</strong></h2>

<p>Initially estimated on June 13, the US had pledged over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. However, with the new calculation, it appears that the actual amount of aid provided by the US is less than $34 billion.</p>

<p>It is difficult for officials to determine the exact remaining funds available for drawdowns or the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which offers long-term funding for the procurement of various weapons, including larger air defence systems.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-daniel-ellsbergs-history-defining-disclosure-with-pentagon-papers-that-rocked-white-house-605431"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Explained | Daniel Ellsberg's history-defining expose of Pentagon Papers that rocked White House</strong></a></p>

<p>In response to Russia's invasion, the US has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine, totalling approximately $113 billion. Some of this financial support has been allocated to replenishing US military equipment that was deployed to the frontlines.</p>

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A spokesperson for the Pentagon said Tuesday that it overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine over the last two years by a whopping $6.2 billion. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s spokeswoman revealed that the accounting error took place as military officials took into account the replacement cost rather than the book value of the weapons pulled from the Pentagon stocks to be delivered to the war-torn nation.

A spokesperson for the Pentagon said Tuesday that it overestimated the value of weapons it sent to Ukraine over the last two years by a whopping $6.2 billion. Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s spokeswoman revealed that the accounting error took place as military officials took into account the replacement cost rather than the book value of the weapons pulled from the Pentagon stocks to be delivered to the war-torn nation. BREAKING: Pentagon says it overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billionpic.twitter.com/GesSDyU1xV — The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) June 20, 2023 × This adjustment has now led to a surplus in American coffers which the administration plans to use in future security packages meant to shore up Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. Of $6.2 billion, there was an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the previous year ending September 2022. “It’s just going to go back into the pot of money that we have allocated for the future Pentagon stock drawdowns,” the spokeswoman said. Ukraine’s new counter-offensive against Russia In the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, new developments have emerged as Ukraine launches a counteroffensive against the Kremlin's occupying forces. This move aims to reclaim the territory that has been under Russian control since the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Watch: Fake image of explosion at Pentagon briefly goes viral × However, Ukrainian forces are encountering challenges such as heavily mined areas and fortified defences, as stated by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces. Russia’s assault on Ukraine Simultaneously, Russia has intensified its assault on the Kyiv region by deploying numerous Shahed exploding drones. This attack has exposed vulnerabilities in the air defence system of Ukraine, which has been engaged in warfare for nearly 16 months. Ukrainian officials reported that they successfully intercepted and destroyed 32 out of the 35 drones launched by Russia early on Tuesday. USA’s military aid to Ukraine so far Initially estimated on June 13, the US had pledged over $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. However, with the new calculation, it appears that the actual amount of aid provided by the US is less than $34 billion. It is difficult for officials to determine the exact remaining funds available for drawdowns or the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which offers long-term funding for the procurement of various weapons, including larger air defence systems. Also read: Explained | Daniel Ellsberg's history-defining expose of Pentagon Papers that rocked White House In response to Russia's invasion, the US has approved four rounds of aid to Ukraine, totalling approximately $113 billion. Some of this financial support has been allocated to replenishing US military equipment that was deployed to the frontlines. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

US overestimated value of weapons sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion: Pentagon

<p>A 2021 audio recording of Donald Trump acknowledging that he kept a confidential Pentagon document after exiting from the office is in possession of federal prosecutors, CNN quoted citing officials in knowledge of the matter.</p>

<p>The US-based news outlet said that it did not hear the audio recording, but cited the official to suggest that Trump deliberately kept confidential information beyond his time as the president. The classified documents detail a "potential attack on Iran."</p>

<p>The recording is believed to be about two minutes long, with the sources telling CNN that it was a small part of a much longer meeting that took place in July 2021 at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.</p>

<p>It is being reported that several attendees at the July meeting did not have the necessary security clearance to be privy to discussions about the classified material.</p>

<p>The audio recording includes comments by Trump discussing his desire to publicly share information about the potential Iran attack, but acknowledging that he could not declassify the information at that point since he was no longer president, according to CNN's sources.</p>

<h2><strong>Donald Trump caught on tape admitting he kept classified documents: Report</strong></h2>

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<p>Special counsel Jack Smith, who has been leading the Department of Justice’s investigation into Trump, has been focused on the meeting as part of the criminal investigation into the 45th president’s handling of national security secrets.</p>

<p>Official sources believe that this recording would serve as an “important” piece of evidence in a possible case against Trump, who has repeatedly asserted he could retain presidential records and “automatically” declassify documents.</p>

<h2><strong>Trump’s spokesperson reacts</strong></h2>

<p>Reacting to the report, a Trump spokesperson said in a statement: “Leaks from radical partisans behind this political persecution are designed to inflame tensions and continue the media’s harassment of President Trump and his supporters. It’s just more proof that when it comes to President Trump, there are absolutely no depths to which they will not sink as they pursue their witch hunts.”</p>

<p>The Department of Justice began investigating Trump's mishandling of documents publicly in August 2022, when FBI agents raided the former US president’s Mar-A-Lago home in Florida to uncover a trove of documents, many of which were classified.</p>

<p>Federal investigators have already asked high-level witnesses about the Iran document in front of a federal grand jury.</p>

<p>Recently, a report by the Wall Street Journal noted that Smith, who is nearing the end of his testimony and evidence-gathering phase into Trump's handling of classified documents, is nearing a decision on whether or not to bring criminal charges against the former president.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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A 2021 audio recording of Donald Trump acknowledging that he kept a confidential Pentagon document after exiting from the office is in possession of federal prosecutors, CNN quoted citing officials in knowledge of the matter.

A 2021 audio recording of Donald Trump acknowledging that he kept a confidential Pentagon document after exiting from the office is in possession of federal prosecutors, CNN quoted citing officials in knowledge of the matter. The US-based news outlet said that it did not hear the audio recording, but cited the official to suggest that Trump deliberately kept confidential information beyond his time as the president. The classified documents detail a "potential attack on Iran." The recording is believed to be about two minutes long, with the sources telling CNN that it was a small part of a much longer meeting that took place in July 2021 at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. It is being reported that several attendees at the July meeting did not have the necessary security clearance to be privy to discussions about the classified material. The audio recording includes comments by Trump discussing his desire to publicly share information about the potential Iran attack, but acknowledging that he could not declassify the information at that point since he was no longer president, according to CNN's sources. Donald Trump caught on tape admitting he kept classified documents: Report Special counsel Jack Smith, who has been leading the Department of Justice’s investigation into Trump, has been focused on the meeting as part of the criminal investigation into the 45th president’s handling of national security secrets. Official sources believe that this recording would serve as an “important” piece of evidence in a possible case against Trump, who has repeatedly asserted he could retain presidential records and “automatically” declassify documents. Trump’s spokesperson reacts Reacting to the report, a Trump spokesperson said in a statement: “Leaks from radical partisans behind this political persecution are designed to inflame tensions and continue the media’s harassment of President Trump and his supporters. It’s just more proof that when it comes to President Trump, there are absolutely no depths to which they will not sink as they pursue their witch hunts.” The Department of Justice began investigating Trump's mishandling of documents publicly in August 2022, when FBI agents raided the former US president’s Mar-A-Lago home in Florida to uncover a trove of documents, many of which were classified. Federal investigators have already asked high-level witnesses about the Iran document in front of a federal grand jury. Recently, a report by the Wall Street Journal noted that Smith, who is nearing the end of his testimony and evidence-gathering phase into Trump's handling of classified documents, is nearing a decision on whether or not to bring criminal charges against the former president. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Trump caught on tape admitting he kept classified Pentagon document after leaving White House: Report

<p>Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite communications service Starlink has secured a contract with the Department of Defense to provide satellite services to Ukraine, according to an announcement made by the Pentagon on Thursday.&nbsp;In October, Musk, SpaceX CEO, expressed concerns about the ongoing funding for Starlink in Ukraine, citing the substantial monthly cost of $20 million to maintain the service. This contract provides a financial boost and support for the future of Starlink in Ukraine.</p>

<p>The Pentagon stated that they are actively collaborating with various global partners to ensure that Ukraine has resilient satellite and communication capabilities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type," the Pentagon said in a statement.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/highly-decorated-australian-soldier-loses-case-against-media-giants-amidst-grave-war-crimes-allegations-599163">Highly-decorated Australian soldier loses case against media giants amidst grave war crimes allegations</a></p>

<p>The terms of the contract were not disclosed by the Pentagon, citing operational security as the reason&nbsp;and the critical nature of these systems.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Starlink in Ukraine battleground</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Starlink has already been utilised by Ukrainian troops for various purposes, including battlefield communications. Since the start of the war in 2022, SpaceX has been providing Starlink internet service to Ukraine and its military through private donations and a separate contract with a US foreign aid agency.&nbsp;Starlink operates a rapidly expanding network of over 4,000 satellites in low Earth orbit.</p>

<h2><strong>Russia's attempts to block services in Ukraine</strong></h2>

<p>Russia has made attempts to disrupt and block internet services in Ukraine, including targeting Starlink in the region. However, SpaceX has implemented measures to safeguard the service's software and counteract these attacks.</p>

<h2><strong>Starlink not intended to be used as a weapon:&nbsp;Company's president</strong></h2>

<p>SpaceX has implemented measures to prevent the Ukrainian military from utilizing its Starlink satellite internet service for drone control in the region, as stated by Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president. Speaking at a conference in Washington in February, Shotwell emphasised that Starlink was never intended for weaponisation purposes.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tragedy-in-indias-haryana-minor-girl-strangulates-younger-brother-as-she-felt-parents-loved-him-more-599137">Tragedy in India's Haryana: Minor girl strangulates younger brother as she felt parents loved him more</a></p>

<p>While Starlink has supported Ukraine's military by providing broadband communications for defence against Russian forces, Shotwell clarified that the unintended and unauthorized use of the service by the Ukrainian military for drone operations was not part of any agreement.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Singer Sia reveals Autism diagnosis, reflects on personal journey | Details</strong></p>

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<p>Reports had emerged suggesting that the Ukrainian military had utilized Starlink for drone control, enabling effective reconnaissance, target acquisition, and airstrikes. In response to these developments, Shotwell acknowledged that SpaceX has taken action to limit the Ukrainian military's ability to employ Starlink for such purposes.</p>

<p>However, specific details regarding the measures undertaken by SpaceX were not disclosed by Shotwell during a conversation with reporters.</p>

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Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite communications service Starlink has secured a contract with the Department of Defense to provide satellite services to Ukraine, according to an announcement made by the Pentagon on Thursday.

Elon Musk's SpaceX satellite communications service Starlink has secured a contract with the Department of Defense to provide satellite services to Ukraine, according to an announcement made by the Pentagon on Thursday. In October, Musk, SpaceX CEO, expressed concerns about the ongoing funding for Starlink in Ukraine, citing the substantial monthly cost of $20 million to maintain the service. This contract provides a financial boost and support for the future of Starlink in Ukraine. The Pentagon stated that they are actively collaborating with various global partners to ensure that Ukraine has resilient satellite and communication capabilities. "Satellite communications constitute a vital layer in Ukraine's overall communications network and the department contracts with Starlink for services of this type," the Pentagon said in a statement. Also Read | Highly-decorated Australian soldier loses case against media giants amidst grave war crimes allegations The terms of the contract were not disclosed by the Pentagon, citing operational security as the reason and the critical nature of these systems. Starlink in Ukraine battleground Starlink has already been utilised by Ukrainian troops for various purposes, including battlefield communications. Since the start of the war in 2022, SpaceX has been providing Starlink internet service to Ukraine and its military through private donations and a separate contract with a US foreign aid agency. Starlink operates a rapidly expanding network of over 4,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. Russia's attempts to block services in Ukraine Russia has made attempts to disrupt and block internet services in Ukraine, including targeting Starlink in the region. However, SpaceX has implemented measures to safeguard the service's software and counteract these attacks. Starlink not intended to be used as a weapon: Company's president SpaceX has implemented measures to prevent the Ukrainian military from utilizing its Starlink satellite internet service for drone control in the region, as stated by Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president. Speaking at a conference in Washington in February, Shotwell emphasised that Starlink was never intended for weaponisation purposes. Also Read | Tragedy in India's Haryana: Minor girl strangulates younger brother as she felt parents loved him more While Starlink has supported Ukraine's military by providing broadband communications for defence against Russian forces, Shotwell clarified that the unintended and unauthorized use of the service by the Ukrainian military for drone operations was not part of any agreement. Watch | Singer Sia reveals Autism diagnosis, reflects on personal journey | Details × Reports had emerged suggesting that the Ukrainian military had utilized Starlink for drone control, enabling effective reconnaissance, target acquisition, and airstrikes. In response to these developments, Shotwell acknowledged that SpaceX has taken action to limit the Ukrainian military's ability to employ Starlink for such purposes. However, specific details regarding the measures undertaken by SpaceX were not disclosed by Shotwell during a conversation with reporters. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

SpaceX's Starlink secures Pentagon contract to provide satellite services to Ukraine

<p>The Pentagon said on Monday (May 29) that China has declined an invitation for a meeting between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu. The proposal was for the meeting to take place in Singapore.</p>

<p>"Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore this week," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement, referring to the People's Republic of China.</p>

<p>"The PRC's concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish (the Defense Department's) commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People's Liberation Army," Ryder said.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Is the US&nbsp;prepared to fight in space amid threat posed by ‘provocative’ Russia &amp; China?</strong></p>

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<p>AFP quoted an unnamed senior US defence official who described the declined invitation as "just the latest in a litany of excuses."</p>

<p>The official reportedly said that since 2021, China has "declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defence for key leader engagements, multiple requests for standing dialogues, and nearly ten working-level engagements."</p>

<p>The US government had sanctioned Li Shangfu in 2018 over China's purchase of Russian weapons. However, Pentagon says that sanctions do not prevent Austin from conducting official business with him.</p>

<p>Austin will travel to Singapore later this week to attend Shangri-La dialogue, a defence summit. Austin had met Li's predecessor Wei Fenghe at the summit last June.</p>

<p>Austin and Wei met again in Cambodia later in 2022, but tensions between Washington and Beijing soared this year over issues including Taiwan and an alleged Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by a US warplane after traversing the country.</p>

<h2><strong>Race for alliances</strong></h2>

<p>US officials including Austin have been working to strengthen and forge new alliances and partnerships in Asia in order to counter increasingly assertive moves by China. However, there are also signs that both sides are attempting to lessen the strain in relations.</p>

<p>US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Vienna earlier this month, and President Joe Biden recently said ties between Washington and Beijing should thaw "very shortly," citing the spy balloon incident as a factor that had boosted tensions.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-to-send-first-civilian-into-space-on-tuesday-who-is-the-civilian-astronaut-597660">China to send first civilian into space on Tuesday. Know who he is</a></strong></p>

<p>China and the US are also competing to gain influence among Pacific island nations. China has made forays into what was previously considered the backyard of Australia and New Zealand. Alarmed by China's political will to forge new alliances, US has lately shown readiness to build ties with Pacific island nations.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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The Pentagon said on Monday (May 29) that China has declined an invitation for a meeting between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu.

The Pentagon said on Monday (May 29) that China has declined an invitation for a meeting between US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu. The proposal was for the meeting to take place in Singapore. "Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore this week," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement, referring to the People's Republic of China. "The PRC's concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish (the Defense Department's) commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People's Liberation Army," Ryder said. Watch | Is the US prepared to fight in space amid threat posed by ‘provocative’ Russia & China? × AFP quoted an unnamed senior US defence official who described the declined invitation as "just the latest in a litany of excuses." The official reportedly said that since 2021, China has "declined or failed to respond to over a dozen requests from the Department of Defence for key leader engagements, multiple requests for standing dialogues, and nearly ten working-level engagements." The US government had sanctioned Li Shangfu in 2018 over China's purchase of Russian weapons. However, Pentagon says that sanctions do not prevent Austin from conducting official business with him. Austin will travel to Singapore later this week to attend Shangri-La dialogue, a defence summit. Austin had met Li's predecessor Wei Fenghe at the summit last June. Austin and Wei met again in Cambodia later in 2022, but tensions between Washington and Beijing soared this year over issues including Taiwan and an alleged Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by a US warplane after traversing the country. Race for alliances US officials including Austin have been working to strengthen and forge new alliances and partnerships in Asia in order to counter increasingly assertive moves by China. However, there are also signs that both sides are attempting to lessen the strain in relations. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Vienna earlier this month, and President Joe Biden recently said ties between Washington and Beijing should thaw "very shortly," citing the spy balloon incident as a factor that had boosted tensions. Also Read | China to send first civilian into space on Tuesday. Know who he is China and the US are also competing to gain influence among Pacific island nations. China has made forays into what was previously considered the backyard of Australia and New Zealand. Alarmed by China's political will to forge new alliances, US has lately shown readiness to build ties with Pacific island nations. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

China declines invitation to meet US Defence Secretary Austin: Pentagon

A fake image of an explosion at the pentagon briefly went viral on Monday. In a bid to control possible damages, the Pentagon officials quickly took to public platforms to deny it as an 'AI-generated lie'. The images were widely shared by the publication r-t, the erstwhile Russian times and even a verified twitter account with over 3 million followers promulgated it before finally deleting the tweet.

Fake image of explosion at Pentagon briefly goes viral

Could Artificial Intelligence start a war? AI caused dangerous tremors last night with a fake photo of a blast near the Pentagon. Molly Gambhir tells you what happened next.

Gravitas | Pentagon blast: Could artificial intelligence start a war?

<p>The world paused briefly when the visuals of an explosion in Pentagon's premises began making rounds on social media on Monday. The image, which began circulating on Twitter on May 22, showed an explosion on a grass lawn outside the Pentagon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The original post has since been removed.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Pentagon explosion visuals: Did an explosion really happen?</strong></h2>

<p>The US Department of Defense has clarified that there has been no explosion in and even in the vicinity of the Pentagon's premises.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A Department of Defense spokesperson was quoted as saying by Forbes that the image purportedly showing an explosion in Pentagon's premises is a piece of "misinformation". The Arlington Fire department shortly tweeted that there is "NO explosion or incident" at or near the Pentagon reservation.</p>

<h2><strong>'No immediate danger or hazards to public': Arlington Fire department</strong></h2>

<p>The Arlington fire department clarified that there is 'no immediate danger or hazards to the public' around the Pentagon.</p>

<p>So far, the source of the viral image remains undetermined.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>AI-generated deep fakes in spotlight</strong></h2>

<p>The deep fakes generated by Artificial Intelligence have been in the spotlight for their life-like depictions of absolutely real people and subjects. They have spread on social media like wildfire.</p>

<p>The proliferation of such deep fakes has increased after a series of highly-powerful AI technologies, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, became public.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-pope-francis-gets-an-artificial-intelligence-makeover-internet-stunned-576681">In Pics | Pope Francis gets an Artificial Intelligence-makeover; Internet stunned</a></strong></p>

<p>The AI's life-like depictions include Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga coat as well as AI-generated viral images of former President Donald Trump resisting authorities during a fake arrest.</p>

<p>The image depicting a blast inside Pentagon's premises too has been described as a deepfake.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;AI-generated pic of Pope Francis in bougie puffer jacket goes viral</strong></p>

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<p>Meanwhile, last week, the words of caution related to the regulation of Artificial Intelligence came from none other than Samuel Altman, the CEO of most-successful A.I. startup of the day, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.</p>

<p>In a US Senate hearing last week, Altman said:"If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong."</p>

<p>Altman proposed the formation of a US or global agency that would license the most powerful AI systems and have the authority to "take that license away and ensure compliance with safety standards."</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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The world paused briefly when the visuals of an explosion in Pentagon's premises began making rounds on social media on Monday. The image, which began circulating on Twitter on May 22, showed an explosion on a grass lawn outside the Pentagon.

The world paused briefly when the visuals of an explosion in Pentagon's premises began making rounds on social media on Monday. The image, which began circulating on Twitter on May 22, showed an explosion on a grass lawn outside the Pentagon. The original post has since been removed. Pentagon explosion visuals: Did an explosion really happen? The US Department of Defense has clarified that there has been no explosion in and even in the vicinity of the Pentagon's premises. A Department of Defense spokesperson was quoted as saying by Forbes that the image purportedly showing an explosion in Pentagon's premises is a piece of "misinformation". The Arlington Fire department shortly tweeted that there is "NO explosion or incident" at or near the Pentagon reservation. 'No immediate danger or hazards to public': Arlington Fire department The Arlington fire department clarified that there is 'no immediate danger or hazards to the public' around the Pentagon. So far, the source of the viral image remains undetermined. AI-generated deep fakes in spotlight The deep fakes generated by Artificial Intelligence have been in the spotlight for their life-like depictions of absolutely real people and subjects. They have spread on social media like wildfire. The proliferation of such deep fakes has increased after a series of highly-powerful AI technologies, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, became public. ALSO READ | In Pics | Pope Francis gets an Artificial Intelligence-makeover; Internet stunned The AI's life-like depictions include Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga coat as well as AI-generated viral images of former President Donald Trump resisting authorities during a fake arrest. The image depicting a blast inside Pentagon's premises too has been described as a deepfake. ALSO WATCH | AI-generated pic of Pope Francis in bougie puffer jacket goes viral × Meanwhile, last week, the words of caution related to the regulation of Artificial Intelligence came from none other than Samuel Altman, the CEO of most-successful A.I. startup of the day, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. In a US Senate hearing last week, Altman said:"If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong." Altman proposed the formation of a US or global agency that would license the most powerful AI systems and have the authority to "take that license away and ensure compliance with safety standards." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Artificial Intelligence manufactures explosion of Pentagon, authorities huddle to clarify

Pentagon overvalued US equipment that it has sent to Ukraine, according to a source-based report by news agency Reuters - the accounting error was around $3 billion. The major accounting error comes at a time when the US is in the middle of an unprecedented debt crisis.

US makes accountability error of $3 billion, military aid to Ukraine overvalued: Report | World DNA

<p>The United States, among other Western nations, sent million-dollar worth of military aid to Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia in the ongoing war which began after Moscow launched a "special military" operation on February 24 last year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the Pentagon overestimated the value of the ammunition, missiles and other equipment it sent to Ukraine, news agency Reuters reported on Thursday citing a Senate aide and a defence official.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The source-based report stated that the Pentagon and State Department officials told congressional staff members on Thursday that the error-free and revised accounting frees up $3 billion worth of weapons — it means more weapons could be given from existing stocks to Ukraine for its defence against Russian forces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by the news agency, one of the senior defence officials said that "we've discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we've given" to Ukraine, the sources said that the officials and the Senate aide spoke on the condition of anonymity. The report mentioned that Congress is being notified of the accounting adjustment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The defence official said that the amount of overestimated weaponry might exceed $3 billion as the Pentagon conducts a detailed probe. The top defence officials said as quoted that in its accounting, the Pentagon used replacement cost to value the aid of the weapon, instead of the weaponry's value when it was purchased and depreciated. &nbsp;</p>

<p>US Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "The Department of Defense's change in evaluating the costs of arms sent to Ukraine is a major mistake."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Its effect would be to underestimate future needs for our European allies. Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over Putin. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal," Wicker added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine war | Wagner Chief: Forces inside Bakhmut are still advancing&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>US aid to Ukraine</strong></h2>

<p>The US has sent precision weapons to Ukraine. Earlier this month, the US announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country's air defences and provide it with additional artillery ammunition.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At that time, the US Defense Department said in a statement that the package underscores the continued US commitment to Ukraine "by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air defense systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US has sent in 37 Presidential Drawdown Authority packages including High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, Javelin anti-tank weapons and a Patriot surface-to-air missile system, and more.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the senior defence officials said that "the services - the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines - were using, the current replacement cost of the item". &nbsp;</p>

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The United States, among other Western nations, sent million-dollar worth of military aid to Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia in the ongoing war which began after Moscow launched a "special military" operation on February 24 last year.

The United States, among other Western nations, sent million-dollar worth of military aid to Ukraine to help in its fight against Russia in the ongoing war which began after Moscow launched a "special military" operation on February 24 last year. But the Pentagon overestimated the value of the ammunition, missiles and other equipment it sent to Ukraine, news agency Reuters reported on Thursday citing a Senate aide and a defence official. The source-based report stated that the Pentagon and State Department officials told congressional staff members on Thursday that the error-free and revised accounting frees up $3 billion worth of weapons — it means more weapons could be given from existing stocks to Ukraine for its defence against Russian forces. As quoted by the news agency, one of the senior defence officials said that "we've discovered inconsistencies in how we value the equipment that we've given" to Ukraine, the sources said that the officials and the Senate aide spoke on the condition of anonymity. The report mentioned that Congress is being notified of the accounting adjustment. The defence official said that the amount of overestimated weaponry might exceed $3 billion as the Pentagon conducts a detailed probe. The top defence officials said as quoted that in its accounting, the Pentagon used replacement cost to value the aid of the weapon, instead of the weaponry's value when it was purchased and depreciated. US Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: "The Department of Defense's change in evaluating the costs of arms sent to Ukraine is a major mistake." "Its effect would be to underestimate future needs for our European allies. Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over Putin. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal," Wicker added. WATCH | Russia-Ukraine war | Wagner Chief: Forces inside Bakhmut are still advancing × US aid to Ukraine The US has sent precision weapons to Ukraine. Earlier this month, the US announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country's air defences and provide it with additional artillery ammunition. At that time, the US Defense Department said in a statement that the package underscores the continued US commitment to Ukraine "by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air defense systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term." The US has sent in 37 Presidential Drawdown Authority packages including High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, Javelin anti-tank weapons and a Patriot surface-to-air missile system, and more. One of the senior defence officials said that "the services - the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines - were using, the current replacement cost of the item". WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Pentagon made an accounting error. It overvalued Ukraine's weapons aid by $3 billion

The Pentagon revealed Thursday that it has overcounted the value of the military aid the United States has sent Ukraine by at least $3 billion.

Pentagon accounting error overvalued Ukraine weapons aid by $3 billion

<p>The director of the Pentagon's new unidentified flying object (UFO) office said that the United States government is tracking more than 650 potential cases of so-called "unidentified aerial phenomena," but the official&nbsp;also noted that there's no proof of aliens yet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are several unproven claims of UFO sightings, but the Pentagon director quashed the buzz over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) linked to claims of extraterrestrial life or of alien visits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sean Kirkpatrick, who is the director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee on Wednesday that so far, there's "no concrete evidence of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics".&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-not-ufo-this-mysterious-spiral-in-alaska-is-something-else-583959">&nbsp;Not UFO or alien, this 'mysterious' spiral in Alaska is something else</a></strong></p>

<p>As quoted by US-based media outlets, Kirkpatrick said, "Of those over 650, we've prioritised about half of them to be of anomalous interesting value, and now we have to go through those and go 'How much of those do I have actual data for?"</p>

<p>Kirkpatrick noted that even so, UAP cases frequently "resolve into reasonably explainable origins" when a plethora of scientific evidence is available.</p>

<p>Kirkpatrick said during the hearing that "I want to underscore today that only a very small percentage of UAP reports display signatures that could reasonably be described as anomalous."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The majority of unidentified objects reported to AARO demonstrate mundane characteristics of balloons, [uncrewed] aerial systems, clutter, natural phenomena or other readily explainable sources," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Alien spaceship lurking in our solar system?</strong></p>

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<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Kirkpatrick asked people to submit the evidence if they received any evidence of otherworldly visitation or alternative theories. These claims and evidence must be submitted to peer review in scientific journals.&nbsp;</div>

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<p>He further said that AARO is "working very hard" to do the same," Kirkpatrick stated. "That is how science works, not by blog or social media."</p>
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The director of the Pentagon's new unidentified flying object (UFO) office said that the United States government is tracking more than 650 potential cases of so-called "unidentified aerial phenomena," but the official also noted that there's no proof of aliens yet.

The director of the Pentagon's new unidentified flying object (UFO) office said that the United States government is tracking more than 650 potential cases of so-called "unidentified aerial phenomena," but the official also noted that there's no proof of aliens yet. There are several unproven claims of UFO sightings, but the Pentagon director quashed the buzz over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) linked to claims of extraterrestrial life or of alien visits. Sean Kirkpatrick, who is the director of the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee on Wednesday that so far, there's "no concrete evidence of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics". ALSO READ | Not UFO or alien, this 'mysterious' spiral in Alaska is something else As quoted by US-based media outlets, Kirkpatrick said, "Of those over 650, we've prioritised about half of them to be of anomalous interesting value, and now we have to go through those and go 'How much of those do I have actual data for?" Kirkpatrick noted that even so, UAP cases frequently "resolve into reasonably explainable origins" when a plethora of scientific evidence is available. Kirkpatrick said during the hearing that "I want to underscore today that only a very small percentage of UAP reports display signatures that could reasonably be described as anomalous." "The majority of unidentified objects reported to AARO demonstrate mundane characteristics of balloons, [uncrewed] aerial systems, clutter, natural phenomena or other readily explainable sources," he added. WATCH | Gravitas: Alien spaceship lurking in our solar system? Kirkpatrick asked people to submit the evidence if they received any evidence of otherworldly visitation or alternative theories. These claims and evidence must be submitted to peer review in scientific journals. He further said that AARO is "working very hard" to do the same," Kirkpatrick stated. "That is how science works, not by blog or social media." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Pentagon: 'No credible evidence' of aliens yet, but tracking over 650 potential UFO cases

New details continue to emerge from the top secret documents, now better known as the Pentagon leaks. According to the Washington Post, one of the documents say that Chinese military may soon deploy a high altitude spy drone that travels at least three times the speed of sound.

Pentagon leaks: China readies supersonic spy drone unit, says leaked documents | World News | WION

<p>A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the US Department of Defense (DOD) spends around one billion dollars every year to develop what is known as “directed energy” weapons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The weapons in question essentially fire concentrated electromagnetic energy or simply known as lasers. However, this military technology is also something that the American taxpayers are now paying at least a billion dollars for. So this is how it is being used.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the report, the DOD has developed high-energy lasers that have “successfully shot down drones in demonstrations.” The GAO who reportedly visited these defence facilities also found how the US military is working on making laser weapons small and light enough to be used by one person.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Pentagon too is experimenting with high-powered microwave weapons which could potentially penetrate solid objects and this technology has several implications including, disrupting the enemy’s power source, sensors and other electronics, said the GAO.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Similarly, a Congressional Research Service (CRS), a non-partisan organisation which conducts research for lawmakers, in its analysis, last year, found that these high-energy lasers and microwave weapons could be useful for short-range air defence, against drones as well as to counter rocket, artillery and mortar fire, reported CBS News.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CRS also found that these lasers are not only affordable but also more efficient than conventional weapons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the GAO noted how various branches of the US military have already tested these powerful lasers. Reportedly, the US Navy has tested them on drones and small boats while the Air Force has developed a laser which can be attached to its aircraft.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“DOD has pursued these potentially transformative technologies for decades because they could provide considerable advantages,” stated the GAO, in its report. It added, “They can deliver destructive or disruptive effects to targets at the speed of light and have potentially significant advantages over kinetic weapons, such as missiles, including lower per-use cost.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the GAO report finds that the departments have had difficulty “getting these technologies out of the lab and into the field for several reasons” which include determining how to use them for different missions. Additionally, the DOD’s “efforts to transition prototypes to acquisition programs face challenges,” said the government agency.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
But this is not the only hurdle that these weapons face, as directed energy weapons also have legal and functional limitations, including some laser systems being restricted under international treaties.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For example, the United Nations has banned laser weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness, while previous prototypes have reportedly been affected by atmospheric conditions like rain or fog.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Therefore, before these “direct energy” weapons can be put to actual use on missions, simply powering them remains a challenge, not to mention the development of new tactics to deploy this novel weaponry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“As a novel technology, (directed energy) weapons require the development of new tactics, techniques and procedures — processes by which the warfighter knows how best to use a particular technology in an operational environment,” the GAO noted.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
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A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the US Department of Defense (DOD) spends around one billion dollars every year to develop what is known as “directed energy” weapons.

A report by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the US Department of Defense (DOD) spends around one billion dollars every year to develop what is known as “directed energy” weapons. The weapons in question essentially fire concentrated electromagnetic energy or simply known as lasers. However, this military technology is also something that the American taxpayers are now paying at least a billion dollars for. So this is how it is being used. According to the report, the DOD has developed high-energy lasers that have “successfully shot down drones in demonstrations.” The GAO who reportedly visited these defence facilities also found how the US military is working on making laser weapons small and light enough to be used by one person. The Pentagon too is experimenting with high-powered microwave weapons which could potentially penetrate solid objects and this technology has several implications including, disrupting the enemy’s power source, sensors and other electronics, said the GAO. Similarly, a Congressional Research Service (CRS), a non-partisan organisation which conducts research for lawmakers, in its analysis, last year, found that these high-energy lasers and microwave weapons could be useful for short-range air defence, against drones as well as to counter rocket, artillery and mortar fire, reported CBS News. The CRS also found that these lasers are not only affordable but also more efficient than conventional weapons. Meanwhile, the GAO noted how various branches of the US military have already tested these powerful lasers. Reportedly, the US Navy has tested them on drones and small boats while the Air Force has developed a laser which can be attached to its aircraft. “DOD has pursued these potentially transformative technologies for decades because they could provide considerable advantages,” stated the GAO, in its report. It added, “They can deliver destructive or disruptive effects to targets at the speed of light and have potentially significant advantages over kinetic weapons, such as missiles, including lower per-use cost.” However, the GAO report finds that the departments have had difficulty “getting these technologies out of the lab and into the field for several reasons” which include determining how to use them for different missions. Additionally, the DOD’s “efforts to transition prototypes to acquisition programs face challenges,” said the government agency. But this is not the only hurdle that these weapons face, as directed energy weapons also have legal and functional limitations, including some laser systems being restricted under international treaties. For example, the United Nations has banned laser weapons specifically designed to cause permanent blindness, while previous prototypes have reportedly been affected by atmospheric conditions like rain or fog. Therefore, before these “direct energy” weapons can be put to actual use on missions, simply powering them remains a challenge, not to mention the development of new tactics to deploy this novel weaponry. “As a novel technology, (directed energy) weapons require the development of new tactics, techniques and procedures — processes by which the warfighter knows how best to use a particular technology in an operational environment,” the GAO noted. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Pentagon spends $1 billion every year to develop ‘directed energy’ weapons

<p>After various revelations pertaining to Russia and Ukraine surfaced in the US intelligence leaks, there is one reference that moves the spotlight to China and its purported spy balloons.&nbsp;The latest from a trail of Pentagon leaks reveals&nbsp;that US authorities were aware of up to four Chinese surveillance balloons beyond the one they shot down in February.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to a document allegedly leaked on a Discord chatroom by Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States this year, known as Killeen-23, carried a variety of sensors and antennas the US government still had not identified more than a week after shooting it down.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The 21-year-old Teixeira was detained on Thursday and charged with espionage on suspicion of leaking multiple top-secret papers.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-train-carrying-hazardous-material-derails-in-maine-due-to-track-washout-582858">US: Train carrying hazardous material derails in Maine due to track washout</a></p>

<p>According to Washington Post, the reports into the Chinese spy balloon did not go into detail regarding the exact time the balloons were released.</p>

<p>Other balloons that were mentioned in the documents include "Bulger-21" and "Accardo-21."</p>

<p>The balloon which was first hit by US in February is designated as "Killeen-23" in the leaked documents. It is unknown if the "Bulger-21" and "Accardo-21" balloons mentioned in the records were the same ones that sailed over the US carrier group or fell into the South China Sea.</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sudan-army-and-rsf-clashes-leave-27-dead-including-3-un-staffers-dozens-injured-582861">Sudan: Army and RSF clashes leave 56 civilians, dozens of fighters dead</a></p>

<p>The surveillance balloons were named alphabetically, from A to Z, and after notorious criminals such as mobsters Tony Accardo and Donald Killeen.</p>

<p>Earlier, annotated images of Killeen-23 in a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) document unearthed the most crucial details of the Chinese spy balloon.</p>

<p>Post citing, US officials said the balloon could produce enough power to run "any" surveillance system, including a radar that could see through clouds and thin material.&nbsp;Bulger-21 was equipped with cutting-edge surveillance technology and travelled the world from December 2021 to May 2022, according to officials.</p>

<p>Analysts noticed that Accardo-21 featured identical hardware as well as a "foil-lined gimbaled" sensor. In response to the Post's revelation, the Pentagon and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | What is next in Syrian Civil War?; The rapid development of AI | This World</strong></p>

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<p>The Chinese spy balloon saga also carries a domestic political weightage. Republicans had harshly criticised the US President Joe Biden's administration in February for failing to deflate the Chinese spy balloon in a timely manner. They claimed that this gave the Chinese government more time to snoop.<br />
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After various revelations pertaining to Russia and Ukraine surfaced in the US intelligence leaks, there is one reference that moves the spotlight to China and its purported spy balloons.

After various revelations pertaining to Russia and Ukraine surfaced in the US intelligence leaks, there is one reference that moves the spotlight to China and its purported spy balloons. The latest from a trail of Pentagon leaks reveals that US authorities were aware of up to four Chinese surveillance balloons beyond the one they shot down in February. According to a document allegedly leaked on a Discord chatroom by Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States this year, known as Killeen-23, carried a variety of sensors and antennas the US government still had not identified more than a week after shooting it down. The 21-year-old Teixeira was detained on Thursday and charged with espionage on suspicion of leaking multiple top-secret papers. Also Read | US: Train carrying hazardous material derails in Maine due to track washout According to Washington Post, the reports into the Chinese spy balloon did not go into detail regarding the exact time the balloons were released. Other balloons that were mentioned in the documents include "Bulger-21" and "Accardo-21." The balloon which was first hit by US in February is designated as "Killeen-23" in the leaked documents. It is unknown if the "Bulger-21" and "Accardo-21" balloons mentioned in the records were the same ones that sailed over the US carrier group or fell into the South China Sea. Also Read | Sudan: Army and RSF clashes leave 56 civilians, dozens of fighters dead The surveillance balloons were named alphabetically, from A to Z, and after notorious criminals such as mobsters Tony Accardo and Donald Killeen. Earlier, annotated images of Killeen-23 in a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) document unearthed the most crucial details of the Chinese spy balloon. Post citing, US officials said the balloon could produce enough power to run "any" surveillance system, including a radar that could see through clouds and thin material. Bulger-21 was equipped with cutting-edge surveillance technology and travelled the world from December 2021 to May 2022, according to officials. Analysts noticed that Accardo-21 featured identical hardware as well as a "foil-lined gimbaled" sensor. In response to the Post's revelation, the Pentagon and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment. Watch | What is next in Syrian Civil War?; The rapid development of AI | This World × The Chinese spy balloon saga also carries a domestic political weightage. Republicans had harshly criticised the US President Joe Biden's administration in February for failing to deflate the Chinese spy balloon in a timely manner. They claimed that this gave the Chinese government more time to snoop. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US intel leaks raise concerns over true capabilities of Chinese spy balloons

A 21-year-old national guardsman was charged Friday with orchestrating the most damaging leak of US classified documents for a decade, an embarrassing breach that raises tough questions over the junior official's access to high-level secrets.

21-Year-Old Guardsman charged with leak of US classified documents

Federal officials in the United States are still looking into the Pentagon leaks. A 21-year-old U.S. Air Force national guard member who is charged in the crime made an appearance Friday in a federal court in Boston.

Pentagon Leak Case: Teixeira appears in Boston court

<p>The 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a newly minted member of the U.S. Air Force, is now the global face of the most explosive document leak of the decade. The suspected leaker of hundreds of photographs of highly classified U.S. military documents, Teixeira comes from a family of US defence veterans. So far, the leaks have revealed secrets about gaps in Ukrainian air defences amid its war with Russia. The leaks are also a damning exposé&nbsp;of the United States as it revealed how Washington D.C. spies on countries it officially deems as its allies and partners.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following the leaks, the Biden administration will reportedly overhaul the way it surveils the internet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Texeira's youth can be understood from the fact that the boy was born just two years before Mark Zuckerberg released Facebook in 2004, and has been raised through a period when the internet's becoming a global town square has defined elections, pop cultures and geopolitics all over the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jack-teixeira-the-young-charismatic-air-national-guardsman-suspected-of-leaking-secret-us-documents-582242">Who is Jack Teixeira, the 'young, charismatic' Air National guardsman arrested in US documents leak case?</a></strong></p>

<p>The young man of boyish looks was assigned the task to manage and troubleshoot computers and communications systems for the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, according to the US Air Force. Teixeira has been charged with unauthorised removal of classified national defence information.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The footage captured by news helicopters circling over Teixeira's family home in Dighton, Massachussettes, showed him holding his hands behind his head as he was led away by law enforcement authorities.</p>

<h2><strong>Jack Teixeira: Devout Catholic who had racist outbursts</strong></h2>

<p>A friend of Jack Teixeira's widely cited in the US media, described him as patriotic.&nbsp;In the videos of Teixeira on a Discord server, he is seen &nbsp;shouting racist and antisemitic slurs before firing a rifle.</p>

<p>The friend said he met Teixeira before 2020 on a Discord server where they talked about guns and libertarian politics, and bonded over their shared interest in Glock handguns and Catholicism.</p>

<p>Later, the friend joined a new Discord server that Teixeira started called Thug Shaker Central, which became home to a group of about two dozen people, including many teenagers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Pentagon Intel Leak: Ukrainian air defence in peril</strong></p>

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<p>Teixeira has been described as a "pretty normal guy" outside the server.</p>

<p>He had a "slight temper" and was "more of a mentor than a leader," the friend is quoted as saying by the Washington Post.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Jack Teixeira and war in Ukraine</strong></h2>

<p>Teixeira reportedly started sharing classified documents on the Discord server around February 2022, at the beginning of the war in Ukraine. He saw it as a "depressing" battle between "two countries that should have more in common than keeping them apart," reports in the US media say.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sharing the classified documents was meant "to educate people who he thought were his friends and could be trusted" free from the contested information on the internet, Teixeira's friend cited in the U.S. media said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It was pretty obnoxious to see kids who grew up in the suburbs argue about a conflict an ocean away," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Teixeira played a game of (de)classifieds</strong></h2>

<p>Photographs of some of the documents first appeared on Discord app channels focused on the Minecraft computer game and followers of a minor YouTube celebrity, known as wow_mao, according to Bellingcat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The photographed documents then eventually made their way to the image board 4Chan, then pro-Russian Telegram channels and Twitter. The New York Times first reported on the documents last week.</p>

<h2><strong>What next?</strong></h2>

<p>The Biden administration is now looking at expanding how it monitors social media sites and chatrooms after U.S. intelligence agencies failed to spot classified Pentagon documents, allegedly originating from Jack Teixeira's Discord server, circulating online for weeks. &nbsp;according to a senior administration official and a congressional official briefed on the matter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Nobody is happy about this," a senior official in the Biden administration was quoted as saying by NBC News.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The U.S. intelligence is now looking at finding new ways to scrub platforms like Discord in search of relevant material to avoid a similar leak in the future, a congressional official is cited as saying by the news outlet.</p>

<p>The U.S. deems monitoring and watching a public chatroom as fair game of intelligence gathering. However, law enforcement agencies don’t have the legal authority to monitor a private online chatroom without probable cause.</p>

<p>At the same time, the US law enforcement authorities balance national security with civil liberties.</p>

<p>Jack Teixeira joined the Air National Guard in September 2019 and worked as a cybersecurity systems journeyman, a position in which he held the highest level security clearance granted by the federal government for top secret information. He is due to appear in a Boston federal courtroom on Friday, April 14.</p>

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The 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a newly minted member of the U.S. Air Force, is now the global face of the most explosive document leak of the decade. The suspected leaker of hundreds of photographs of highly classified U.

The 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, a newly minted member of the U.S. Air Force, is now the global face of the most explosive document leak of the decade. The suspected leaker of hundreds of photographs of highly classified U.S. military documents, Teixeira comes from a family of US defence veterans. So far, the leaks have revealed secrets about gaps in Ukrainian air defences amid its war with Russia. The leaks are also a damning exposé of the United States as it revealed how Washington D.C. spies on countries it officially deems as its allies and partners. Following the leaks, the Biden administration will reportedly overhaul the way it surveils the internet. Texeira's youth can be understood from the fact that the boy was born just two years before Mark Zuckerberg released Facebook in 2004, and has been raised through a period when the internet's becoming a global town square has defined elections, pop cultures and geopolitics all over the world. ALSO READ | Who is Jack Teixeira, the 'young, charismatic' Air National guardsman arrested in US documents leak case? The young man of boyish looks was assigned the task to manage and troubleshoot computers and communications systems for the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air National Guard Base, according to the US Air Force. Teixeira has been charged with unauthorised removal of classified national defence information. The footage captured by news helicopters circling over Teixeira's family home in Dighton, Massachussettes, showed him holding his hands behind his head as he was led away by law enforcement authorities. Jack Teixeira: Devout Catholic who had racist outbursts A friend of Jack Teixeira's widely cited in the US media, described him as patriotic. In the videos of Teixeira on a Discord server, he is seen shouting racist and antisemitic slurs before firing a rifle. The friend said he met Teixeira before 2020 on a Discord server where they talked about guns and libertarian politics, and bonded over their shared interest in Glock handguns and Catholicism. Later, the friend joined a new Discord server that Teixeira started called Thug Shaker Central, which became home to a group of about two dozen people, including many teenagers. ALSO WATCH | Pentagon Intel Leak: Ukrainian air defence in peril × Teixeira has been described as a "pretty normal guy" outside the server. He had a "slight temper" and was "more of a mentor than a leader," the friend is quoted as saying by the Washington Post. Jack Teixeira and war in Ukraine Teixeira reportedly started sharing classified documents on the Discord server around February 2022, at the beginning of the war in Ukraine. He saw it as a "depressing" battle between "two countries that should have more in common than keeping them apart," reports in the US media say. Sharing the classified documents was meant "to educate people who he thought were his friends and could be trusted" free from the contested information on the internet, Teixeira's friend cited in the U.S. media said. "It was pretty obnoxious to see kids who grew up in the suburbs argue about a conflict an ocean away," he added. Teixeira played a game of (de)classifieds Photographs of some of the documents first appeared on Discord app channels focused on the Minecraft computer game and followers of a minor YouTube celebrity, known as wow_mao, according to Bellingcat. The photographed documents then eventually made their way to the image board 4Chan, then pro-Russian Telegram channels and Twitter. The New York Times first reported on the documents last week. What next? The Biden administration is now looking at expanding how it monitors social media sites and chatrooms after U.S. intelligence agencies failed to spot classified Pentagon documents, allegedly originating from Jack Teixeira's Discord server, circulating online for weeks. according to a senior administration official and a congressional official briefed on the matter. "Nobody is happy about this," a senior official in the Biden administration was quoted as saying by NBC News. The U.S. intelligence is now looking at finding new ways to scrub platforms like Discord in search of relevant material to avoid a similar leak in the future, a congressional official is cited as saying by the news outlet. The U.S. deems monitoring and watching a public chatroom as fair game of intelligence gathering. However, law enforcement agencies don’t have the legal authority to monitor a private online chatroom without probable cause. At the same time, the US law enforcement authorities balance national security with civil liberties. Jack Teixeira joined the Air National Guard in September 2019 and worked as a cybersecurity systems journeyman, a position in which he held the highest level security clearance granted by the federal government for top secret information. He is due to appear in a Boston federal courtroom on Friday, April 14. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained | What Jack Teixeira's game of Pentagon (de)classifieds means for internet surveillance

The FBI has arrested a 21-year-old National Guard airman in connection with the leak of classified US government and military documents. The leaked documents revealed intelligence about the war in Ukraine and US spying on allies.

Pentagon leaks: Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder flags 'criminal act' | WION

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