Pentagon puts 50 top military staff through lie detectors in hunt for weapons leak
WASHINGTON, Sept 6 — The Pentagon has launched a lie-detector dragnet to comb through high-ranking military offici...
The Pentagon has initiated a lie detector investigation targeting 50 senior military personnel in an effort to determine who disclosed sensitive information regarding US munitions stockpiles, according to US news outlets. In July, it was reported that the United States had implemented rationing measures for missile interceptors due to supply issues after months of conflict with Iran.
President Donald Trump refuted these claims, stating that the country possessed ample ammunition of various types, although admitting that production of more sophisticated weaponry was desired. On Friday, The New York Times disclosed that approximately 50 members of the Joint Staff, comprising the Pentagon's planning and advisory body, were slated to undergo polygraph examinations as part of a probe into the unauthorized dissemination of classified data.
CBS News subsequently corroborated the widespread use of lie detectors, while noting that General Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, had not been subjected to the test. Both accounts were based on anonymous sources. When contacted by AFP regarding the allegations, the Pentagon's spokesperson, Sean Parnell, declined to comment on personnel or investigative matters but affirmed that the agency takes all instances of classified national security leaks "extremely seriously" and conducts thorough investigations.
Parnell emphasized the paramount importance of safeguarding classified information to guarantee the safety of the United States and its deployed troops. Both The New York Times and CBS highlighted the extensive scope of the polygraph testing. While background screenings and security clearance renewals for government personnel with access to the most sensitive state secrets typically involve such assessments, the extensive application of lie detector tests in the context of a leak investigation was deemed rare, if not unprecedented, by analysts and unnamed officials, as reported by the news organizations.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
