Who is 'Jack the Leaker'? How needle of suspicion had pointed at Teixeira
Airman in the Massachusetts Air National Guard Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested in a probe into the case of leaked military intelligence, says FBI. Teixeira appeared in court for the first time on Friday facing charges of unauthorizedly retaining and transmitting national defense information and unauthorizedly removing and retaining classified documents.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), on Thursday, made an arrest related to the leak of US military intelligence documents, When a 21-year-old member of the US Air Force National Guard was taken into custody “without incident”. Pentagon officials said they were still assessing the scale and scope of the leak of the classified information on the war in Ukraine, and on its US allies.
An online sleuthing group, Bellingcat, the New York Times and the FBI jointly followed ‘digital breadcrumbs’ leading to a negligent Teixeira who had left a train of breadcrumbs which resulted in his identity being revealed.
A ‘breadcrumb trail’ is a graphical control element used as a navigational aid in user interfaces and on web pages. It allows users to keep track and be aware of their locations within programs, documents, owebsites. Teixeira was charged with unauthorizedly retaining and transmitting national defense information and unauthorizedly removing and retaining classified documents.
Officials have repeatedly warned, however, that some of the documents had been doctored and may be used in disinformation campaigns.On April 9, Bellingcat publicly identified the Discord server where Teixeira allegedly posted the classified documents. The New York Times reportedly matched Texeira’s kitchen where the documents were allegedly photographed to Texeira’s social media profile. Adding intrigue to the already deepening mystery, the Times said its journalists were gathered at the Texeira home in Dighton, Massachusetts when a 6-man-strong FBI team barged into his residence.
The court affidavit signed on Friday by FBI special agent Patrick Lueckenhoff reveals that the investigators were parallelly pushing ahead with their own line of probe and had already honed in on the suspect.
On top of the Thug Shaker Central group, copies of some of the documents surfaced on another Discord server of well-known YouTuber Wow Mao. Other than Teixeira sharing them, others may have picked them up, exposing themselves and by implication, the suspect himself, much beyond the close-knit group of 20-odd users of the original Discord group. There onwards, the leaked papers surface on online Right-wing message board 4chan and smaller Telegram constituents, including one that had an edited image with incorrect casualty figures.
THE LOCATION OF THE DOCUMENTS
OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, the leaked documents have showed up on many social media platforms. Independent investigative news portal Bellingcat said the papers were likely to have been posted initially on lesser-known Internet sites, including a popular messaging board for gaming buffs. Closer scrutiny followed after it was found that they were posted more widely to the far-Right noticeboard, 4chan, and pro-Russian messaging groups on Telegram.
According to the Times, most of the documents looked like they had been folded to fit smaller dimensions before being taken away. It is extremely likely that they were taken out of their location and stuffed into a pocket or a briefcase.
WHAT DID THE PAPERS REVEAL?
- Ukraine’s Air Defence is at Risk: Ukraine is, at present, using the Soviet-era S-300 and Bulk air defence systems to battle the Russian Air Force. But the leaked papers reveal that the country would likely exhaust its firepower by mid-April or May if it is not supplied with enough munitions. This could provide an impetus to Russia’s war effort, and that country could use its fighter jets and bombers to penetrate Ukraine’s feeble air defence to tilt the outcome of the battle in its favour.
- Ukraine Narrowly Escaped Defeat: The leaked papers reveal that the Russian forces nearly encircled the Ukrainian military in Bakhmut town—the scene of fierce fighting for several months now— in late-February 2023. Ukraine’s Director of Military Intelligence described the situation as “catastrophic”. Another senior-ranking Ukrainian military official said the soldiers’ morale was low at the time as there was not enough ammunition to carry on the fight. The Ukrainian forces did succeed in the end to push away the Russian troops with the help of its elite units, but the strategic cost for Ukraine was extremely high since it has been looking to save its best-trained and equipped soldiers for a counter-offensive that it expects to come in the next few weeks or months.
- Russian Incentive to Destroy Tanks: In an attempt to boost the morale of its soldiers, Russia has been offering huge monetary benefits. The leaked papers revealed, “Financial incentives would be offered for the capture and destruction of foreign tanks, and videos of tanks being destroyed would be widely distributed to reduce the confidence of Ukraine and the West and reassure Russian troops of their ability to overcome this new weaponry.”
LIFE AND TIMES OF TEIXEIRA
VIDEO GRABS SHOWED heavily armed officers in Massachusetts ushering a young man—wearing a grey T-shirt and bright red shorts, his head bowed and hair close-cropped—into a waiting car.
While the authorities have parted with very few details on Teixeira, information about his life started appearing in the US media following his arrest.
Teixeira was a member of the intelligence wing of the state National Guard, says a New York Times report. According to the National Guard’s official Facebook page, says Teixeira was one among many who were promoted to Airman First Class in July 2022. He had joined the Air National Guard in September 2019 as a ‘Cyber Transport Systems Journeyman’. His job was to help in the maintenance of the Air Force’s “vast, global communications network”—be it as a repairman for the network hub at a base in the state, or as a worker laying a fibre-optic cable at an overseas installation.
Teixeira was also the leader of a small gaming chat group on the Discord platform. The Washington Post had earlier reported that the online group was formed in 2020 amid the raging coronavirus pandemic. The two-dozen-odd young men and boys formed a tight-knit group united by their love for military gear, guns and religion. Membership was by invitation only, the Post said.
One member said, “We all grew very close to each other, like a tight-knit family… We depended on each other.” At the centre of that family was Teixeira, whom the members knew as OG.
By Girish Linganna
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K'taka to convene inter-departmental meeting on food contamination
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Thursday said it would convene a meeting of all departments concerned and Bengaluru legislators to address concerns over rising food contamination, including chemicals and heavy metals found in vegetables, milk and poultry products.
Responding to a discussion in the Assembly, Forest and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the government recognises the seriousness of pollution affecting food, air and water, particularly in the state capital Bengaluru.
"There is pollution in food, in air, in water and even in milk. In Bengaluru the problem is increasing day by day," Khandre said, adding that the government will call a meeting -- possibly next week , after consulting deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to discuss the issue with legislators and experts.
He said pollution in water bodies and inadequate sewage treatment infrastructure were major causes. Bengaluru, with a population of about 1.4 crore, requires around 1,800 MLD (million litres a day) of sewage treatment capacity but currently has about 1,200 MLD, he said, noting that delays in building treatment plants and land constraints have worsened the situation.
The minister also pointed to issues such as solid waste management, untreated sewage flowing into lakes, construction-related pollution and the need for stronger public awareness on environmental protection.
The debate began after BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan raised concerns about food contamination, citing reports of high levels of heavy metals and pesticide residues being found in commonly consumed vegetables.
The Malleswaram MLA told the House that residues of more than 200 pesticides and over 11 heavy metals had been detected in vegetables and leafy greens.
"Levels of heavy metals like lead, chromium, copper and iron are more than 20 times higher than permissible limits in some samples, posing a serious threat to public health," Narayan, a former deputy CM, said.
According to him, vegetables such as beans, beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, chilli and cucumber showed alarming contamination levels.
The findings were based on studies conducted under directions from the National Green Tribunal and the Central Pollution Control Board, with participation from the state pollution control authorities and agricultural experts.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said food safety had become a serious public health concern in Bengaluru, pointing to a rise in lifestyle and organ-related diseases.
"Today milk, eggs, poultry and vegetables have all become a problem. We need a monitoring centre to test and regulate food quality," the BJP leader said.
Ashoka alleged that vegetables arriving from surrounding districts were often contaminated and said steroid use in poultry farming and polluted water used for fodder cultivation could also affect food safety.
He urged the government to create a monitoring mechanism involving departments such as agriculture, horticulture, veterinary services, health and the pollution control board.
Supporting the demand, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said the issue could not be handled by a single department.
"Agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and veterinary departments all have to work together because the food consumed in Bengaluru is produced in rural areas," Kharge said.
He noted that pollution of soil, air and water, pesticide residues, veterinary drugs and chemicals migrating from plastic food packaging could all contribute to contamination.
The government, he said, had already begun issuing orders to curb unsafe practices in food outlets, such as the use of artificial colouring in 'Kebabs' and plastic materials in cooking.
Kharge added that the state was working on a circular economy policy that includes sustainable waste management, recycling and grey-water treatment, while also expanding solid waste management initiatives in rural areas.
During the discussion, Ashwath Narayan also suggested adopting advanced sewage recycling technologies and improving tertiary treatment of wastewater to reduce contamination risks.
Khandre assured the House that the government would study the reports cited by legislators and hold consultations with relevant departments to formulate guidelines and preventive measures.
