US Secret Documents: A Leak That Needs to Alert the Government

The fact that the US has its eyes and ears everywhere is not the biggest problem, says Catherine Brand. But the fact that an IT technician from the military can copy and distribute secret documents should alarm the US government.

Does anyone remember the sentence: “Spying among friends, that’s not possible?” That was in 2013, the name of the spied on was Angela Merkel – and all of Germany was shocked that the esteemed President of the USA, Barack Obama, had apparently listened to her mobile phone.

By that time at the latest, it had to be clear to everyone that the USA naturally has its eyes and ears everywhere – with friends and foes alike. At the time, Merkel admitted that Germany, too, ultimately benefited from the United States’ obsession with data collection. And she later admitted that the German secret service also overheard his friends.

From this point of view, the documents that have now been leaked should not surprise anyone. Nevertheless, it is understandable that countries like South Korea are now protesting indignantly and that others, like Ukraine, are belittling the value of the knowledge.

The biggest problem is not that the USA is collecting and documenting all this, but that it has once again become public knowledge. How can it be that an IT technician can just copy or copy secret documents, fold them up and take them home? Hundreds of millions of dollars invested in security technology are obviously not enough to withstand a young man’s ambition, urge to distinguish himself, and possibly also anger.

Close connection between the military and right-wing extremists

We still know little about his motives. Has he been influenced by right-wing extremists? Did racism, anti-Semitism, anti-government and Christian nationalism drive him? Or is it just a desire for attention?

The fact that the leak – as of now – came from the military must alarm the US government. It has long been clear that there is a close connection between the military, militias, police and right-wing extremists in the USA. In attacks on courts, FBI offices, and other government buildings, the perpetrators have consistently been veterans or active military personnel.

America has a problem with angry young men

The majority of the extremist group Proud Boys charged with storming the Capitol have served in the military. Hasn’t this been taken seriously enough up until now?

A US military infiltrated by right-wing extremists is a threat to US internal security and to the world at large. Clearly America has a problem with angry young men. Some take up arms and cause immeasurable suffering locally. Others, far fewer in number, are uncovering mysteries and endangering the security of people around the world. In both cases, however, the world power is currently unable to stop the perpetrators and protect bystanders.