BUT THERE IS NOTHING CONTEMPORANEOUS THAT I'M AWARE
OF THAT'S OF GREAT CONSEQUENCE.
>> NOTHING CONTEMPORANEOUS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS IN HIS MIND.
IN MY MIND IT MEANS IT IS AFFECTING SOMETHING HAPPENING
NOW. EVERYBODY KNOWS BASED ON THE
INFORMATION THAT IT IS AFFECTING THE UKRAINE CONFLICT,
BOTH WITH REGARD TO REPORTS ON UKRAINIAN READINESS, THE STATUS
OF AMMUNITION, ALL THE WAY UP TO WHAT I THINK IS THE MOST
DAMAGING PART SO FAR, OUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND HAVE
ACCESS TO THE RUSSIAN MILITARY AND RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE.
IF THOSE ARE CLOSE DOWN THAT WILL IMPACT OUR ABILITY TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT RUSSIA IS DOING AND HOW WE AS A WESTERN
ALLIANCE RESPOND. SO IT IS CONTEMPORANEOUS AND
DAMAGING.
>> OF COURSE, THE BIG QUESTION WE ARE ALL ASKING IS HOW DOES A
21-YEAR-OLD HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION LIKE THIS?
WE THINK ABOUT THE EDWARD SNOWDEN CASE, WE NEED TO START
WATCHING OUT FOR THE I.T. GUY NOW OR WHAT?
>> WELL, YES.
IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT HE DID, VARIOUS REPORTS ARE CALLING HIM
A PERSON WHO MAINTAINED CLASSIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEMS, AND THERE IS A REASON TO HAVE A SECURITY CLEARANCE.
BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE
MATERIAL. NOT LEAST OF WHICH -- AND I
DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HE GOT ACCESS TO FINISHED PRODUCTS.
FINISHED PRODUCTS FROM THE JOINT STAFF, THE OPERATIONS
CENTER. THIS IS A PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM AT DOD WITH OVER CLASSIFICATION BUT THIS IS
AN EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER PROBLEM, WHICH IS OVER DISTRIBUTION.
IT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
>> MR. SECRETARY, ALSO A QUESTION FOR YOU REGARDING THE
ACCESS FOR A 21-YEAR-OLD TO HAVE, ISN'T THIS THE ACCESS
THAT A LOT MORE INDIVIDUALS HAVE FOLLOWING 9/11?
IS THIS POTENTIALLY A MOMENT IN TIME WHERE THE U.S.
NEEDS TO LOOK AT RATCHETING UP THAT ACCESS IN TERMS OF WHO IS
ALLOWED TO HAVE IT? MAYBE THE NET HAS BEEN CAST TO
WIDE.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IN THIS CASE IF HE WAS
MAINTAINING COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT I DO NOT KNOW WHY HE
WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO FINISHED INTELLIGENCE PRODUCTS, BUT
BEYOND THAT EVEN IF HE DID THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HAVING ACCESS AND THE NEED TO KNOW.
IN THIS CASE IT IS A STRETCH TO WONDER WHY A 21-YEAR-OLD AND
SOMEONE IN THE NATIONAL GUARD NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS
GOING ON WITH REGARD TO WHAT THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP IS
THINKING OR IN ISRAEL. THERE IS NO REASON WHATSOEVER
FOR SOMEONE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
THAT SHOULD BE KEPT TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS, THE TYPE OF
PEOPLE THAT I DEALT WITH. CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF
STAFF AND OTHERS NEED THAT ACCESS.
>> SOUNDS LIKE A CALL FOR NEW PROTOCOL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SEE IT THAT WAY, BUT YOU AND I SPOKE AT
LENGTH FOLLOWING THE TRUMP DOCUMENTS CASE. BEING EXPOSED.
NOW PRESIDENT BIDEN, MIKE PENCE, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE
HAS GOT CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS IN A CLOSET OR A GARAGE SOMEWHERE.
IS IT TIME FOR NEW RULES?
>> WITH THIS CASE, THE LOOP NEEDS TO BE CLOSED WITH REGARD
TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVING ACCESS. THEN WE NEED TO LOOK AT
PROTOCOL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID IN
2020 WAS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE GOT BRIEFED ON THE RESPONSIBLE
REASON DUTIES. THE THIRD THING IS WE NEED TO
LOOK AT OUR INSIDER THREAT TECHNOLOGY.
THINGS THAT GIVE US CLUES AND CUES ABOUT WHEN SOMEONE IS
DOWNLOADING INFORMATION THAT THEY SHOULD NOT OR PRINTING OFF
INFORMATION THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE PRINTING OFF.
THAT IS A WAY FOR US TO DETERMINE INSIDER THREATS TO
THE SYSTEM.
>> WE SPOKE WITH SECRETARY LEON PANETTA YESTERDAY ABOUT THE
SITUATION EXACTLY.
HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? THIS INDIVIDUAL HAD HARD COPIES.
BUT DON'T THESE DOCUMENTS GO IN A BURN BAG?
HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO LEAVE AN OFFICE?
>> THESE ARE GREAT QUESTIONS AND THIS IS WHAT THE
INVESTIGATION WILL TEASE OUT. IS HOW DID HE DO THIS?
WAS HE SUPPOSED TO BE SUPERVISED, WAS HE LEFT ALONE,
HOW DID HE HAVE ACCESS TO THE MATERIALS?
HE SHOULD NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO PRINT ANYTHING OFF, SO I THINK
WE NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS, I ASSUME THE CHAIN OF
COMMAND WILL BE LOOKED AT WITH REGARD TO WHO HE WAS REPORTING
TO BUT THE IMMEDIATE THING IS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE SCALE
AND SCOPE BECAUSE WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE DAMAGE.
AND I WANT TO FIND OUT WAS HE WORKING WITH ANYONE AND WHAT
MOTIVATED HIM. I HOPE THERE IS NO FOREIGN
INFLUENCE GOING ON HERE, THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING LIKE THAT,
BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE REALLY TROUBLING.
>> I WANT TO GET TO YOU MORE ON THE CONTENTS OF THESE DOCUMENTS.
THE PRESIDENT USED THE WORD CONTEMPORANEOUS.
WITH THAT SAID, DO YOU BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE'RE HEARING?
YOU MENTIONED THE CASE WITH EGYPT, WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT
SOUTH KOREA. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS GONE OUT
OF ITS WAY TO SAY SOME OF THIS IS NOT TRUE AND THERE IS A
POSSIBLY THAT SOME OF THESE DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN ALTERED OR
DOCTORED FROM A DIFFERENT ACTOR, MAYBE RUSSIA PUT THEM
BACK ONLINE SOMEHOW OR LEAD THEM INTO THE HANDS OF THIS
YOUNG MAN. WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT ON THAT,
DO THEY BELIEVE THAT THESE DOCUMENTS ARE REAL?
>> FEW THOUGHTS. SENIOR OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THEY
LOOK AUTHENTIC, THAT THEY ARE AUTHENTIC.
OTHERS HAVE SAID THAT SOME HAVE BEEN ALTERED.
BUT WE CANNOT RULE OUT THE FACT THAT MAYBE THE RUSSIANS OR
SOMEONE ELSE OTHER DOCUMENTS INTO THIS ROBE IF YOU WILL TO
CREATE SOME TYPE OF DISINFORMATION.
SO I DON'T THING WE KNOW UNTIL WE GO THROUGH EACH DOCUMENT
PIECE BY PIECE AND VERIFY AUTHENTICITY.
YOU JUST CANNOT ACCEPT ANYTHING AT FACE VALUE, YOU HAVE TO GO
THROUGH AND EVALUATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
>> YES, THAT SEEMS TO BE A MASSIVE CONCERN.
THE OTHER ONE IS WHAT HAPPENS NOW IN TERMS OF WHAT THE U.S.
SAYS TO OUR FOREIGN ALLIES? WHAT IS THE RESPONSE?
DO THEY NOW TRUST AMERICA OR IS THIS PRETTY MUCH JUST WE KNOW
YOU HAVE BEEN SPYING ON US, WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN AND IT IS
STATUS QUO?
>> THE TRUST FACTOR ALWAYS TAKES TIME TO BUILD BACK UP
AFTER YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN IT. EVERYBODY IS SPYING ON
EVERYBODY. INTELLIGENCE IS IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, BUT THE SHARING OF SECRETS AND THE FACT
THAT WE ALLOWED SOMEBODY TO LET OUT LEAKS IS GOING TO BE A
PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE TO REBUILD THAT TRUST. AND AS I MENTIONED,
THE INSIGHTS THAT WE HAVE AND THE ACCESS THAT WE HAVE TO
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE IN THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, IT IS VERY
LIKELY THAT THOSE SOURCES, THOSE THINGS WILL BE BURNED.
THEN WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BUILD THAT BACK AS WELL.
THIS WILL TAKE TIME BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THE SCOPE AND THE
SCALE OF THE DAMAGE YET AND THAT WILL TAKE TIME TO DO