Pentagon Launches Inquiry into Use of Signal by Cabinet Officials
Investigation focuses on the use of the messaging app Signal for sensitive military communications regarding Yemen.
The Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Defense has initiated an investigation into the use of the commercial messaging application Signal by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in relation to planning airstrikes against the Houthi movement in Yemen.
This was reported by news agency Reuters on Thursday.
The disclosure of the app's use surfaced last week in the magazine _The Atlantic_, which noted that for unclear reasons, Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz had added the magazine's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a Signal group.
This group featured senior members of the Trump administration discussing plans for the airstrikes.
Participants in the conversation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Within the discussions, Hegseth shared sensitive information regarding the timing of jet takeoffs and bomb drops in Yemen.
Such information is typically classified due to the potential risk of it being exploited by adversaries to target military aircraft.
U.S. officials are generally restricted to sharing classified information exclusively through specially designated communication systems.
Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins stated in a public declaration that the objective of the inquiry is to assess the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other defense personnel adhered to policies regarding the use of commercial messaging applications for official matters.
He mentioned that the investigation will also evaluate compliance with classification requirements and data retention policies.
According to _The Atlantic_, Waltz had configured the messages in the Yemen chat group to disappear automatically, which raises concerns as such communications, similar to those in the Netherlands, fall under the category of government documents that are required to be archived.
Additionally, news outlet _Politico_ reported on Wednesday that Waltz had established at least twenty other Signal groups to coordinate official communications on various issues, including matters related to Ukraine, China, Gaza, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
This was reported by news agency Reuters on Thursday.
The disclosure of the app's use surfaced last week in the magazine _The Atlantic_, which noted that for unclear reasons, Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz had added the magazine's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, to a Signal group.
This group featured senior members of the Trump administration discussing plans for the airstrikes.
Participants in the conversation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
Within the discussions, Hegseth shared sensitive information regarding the timing of jet takeoffs and bomb drops in Yemen.
Such information is typically classified due to the potential risk of it being exploited by adversaries to target military aircraft.
U.S. officials are generally restricted to sharing classified information exclusively through specially designated communication systems.
Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins stated in a public declaration that the objective of the inquiry is to assess the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other defense personnel adhered to policies regarding the use of commercial messaging applications for official matters.
He mentioned that the investigation will also evaluate compliance with classification requirements and data retention policies.
According to _The Atlantic_, Waltz had configured the messages in the Yemen chat group to disappear automatically, which raises concerns as such communications, similar to those in the Netherlands, fall under the category of government documents that are required to be archived.
Additionally, news outlet _Politico_ reported on Wednesday that Waltz had established at least twenty other Signal groups to coordinate official communications on various issues, including matters related to Ukraine, China, Gaza, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
