Who's Jack Teixeira, the Alleged Pentagon Leaker Arrested Thursday?

©AP Photo / Steven Senne

Since documents began to surface last week which reveal damning information about the US role in Ukraine and the espionage it conducts on its ostensible allies, questions have lingered about the identity and motives of the person responsible – and a suspect has finally been unveiled.

Americans got their first glimpse at the alleged source of the leaked Pentagon documents that have dominated the news cycle this week as 21-year-old Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira was taken into custody Thursday by heavily-armed federal agents at his home in Dighton, Massachusetts.

Teixeira is likely to be charged with violating the Espionage Act as Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier indicated that the service member was arrested over the alleged “unauthorized removal, retention and transmission of classified national defense information.”

An initial court appearance for Teixeira is scheduled for Friday at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

With the arrest, media focus has quickly shifted from the fallout surrounding the leaked materials – which indicated that US officials privately acknowledge the Kiev regime has little hope of victory, and that NATO special forces are fighting on the frontlines against Russian troops – to the identity of the alleged leaker.

Teixeira, a nearly four-year member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was reportedly assigned to manage and troubleshoot computers and communications systems for the 102nd Intelligence Wing at Otis Air Base, and comes from a military family.

BREAKING: Massachusetts Air National Guardsman named Jack Teixeira identified as the leaker of sensitive US intelligence documents. pic.twitter.com/BxRSYKgKoi

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) April 13, 2023

A spokesman for the Pentagon reportedly defended the DoD’s major intelligence breach by saying “we entrust our members with a lot of responsibility at a very early age.”

But regardless of his relative youth, it remains unclear why an enlisted airman, who hadn’t yet even reached officer status, would have access to high-level documents containing intelligence apparently compiled by the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

According to widely-circulated accounts by the Washington Post and New York Times, who effectively honed in on the alleged leaker's identity on those agencies’ behalf, Teixeira began leaking photos of highly-sensitive documents to a group of 20 to 30 of his mostly-younger friends online after they grew bored of reading mere transcriptions.

The Times quickly insisted that “Airman Teixeira was no whistle-blower,” seizing on an alleged video which apparently shows the young airman yelling racial and antisemitic slurs. But there are apparently signs that Teixeira had serious problems with the government he served.

According to the Washington Post, he told members of his group online that the US government “knew in advance that a white supremacist intended to go on a shooting rampage” at a supermarket frequented by Black shoppers in Buffalo in May 2022, but “let the killings proceed so they could argue for increased funding.”

Fox News host Tucker Carlson pushed back on Teixeira’s behalf in a Thursday night monologue.

“So this 21-year-old Air National Guardsman from Massachusetts is ‘not a whistleblower,’“ mocked the popular conservative commentator.

“He revealed the crimes, therefore he’s the criminal,” Carlson explained, sardonically, adding, “that’s how Washington works: telling the truth is the only real sin.”

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks sent a memo to Pentagon officials Tuesday, warning employees against leaking classified information or downloading classified documents from unclassified sources.

"Do not access or download documents with classified markings from unclassified websites — either from home or work — as the data may be classified, it may be associated with hostile foreign elements, or it may contain malicious code or embedded capability that could introduce cyber threats into our information system," Hicks wrote in the memo obtained by Fox News

Teixeira’s career in the national guard progressed. A photo posted to the Facebook page for the 102nd intelligence wing of the Massachusetts air national guard in July 2022 congratulated him on an apparent promotion to Airman 1st Class. The post was still live on Thursday afternoon.

As the US has followed a trail to Teixeira’s home, the question of what might have motivated the leaker has become ever more pressing. The reverberations of the leak have spread from Kyiv to Seoul and to other global capitals, and left onlookers shaken by the hugeness of the leak and by evidence that the US has been spying on its allies.

The explanation furnished by members of the chat group has been startlingly mundane. The leaker, they insist, was not a whistleblower but a young man who wanted to show off to his young friends with the documents never intended to leave the chat group.

“He’s a smart person. He knew what he was doing when he posted these documents, of course. These weren’t accidental leaks of any kind,” one member told the Washington Post.

But leak out they did. First as they were cross-posted on other social media channels and then as they were picked up by Russian channels.

Group members said OG would lecture them about international affairs and secretive government operations.

“This guy was a Christian, anti-war, just wanted to inform some of his friends about what’s going on,” said one acquaintance. “We have some people in our group who are in Ukraine. We like fighting games, we like war games.”

Equally shocking, as the story is emerging, is how that individual was able to remove classified material from a secure site without raising suspicions.

In a pointed tweet, Tom Nichols of the Atlantic, who himself had security clearance for 35 years, said: “I hope this guy isn’t the leaker, because I’m gonna have some questions about how a Mass Air Guard guy got CJCS [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] briefing slides.”

Ramadan 2023 Makkah hotel occupancy rate hits 100 percent, highest since pandemic

Hotels in Makkah in the central and surrounding areas reach 100 percent occupancy rates during the last 10 days of Ramadan despite a surge in increased room prices as residents and Muslims from around the world visit the city. (Shutterstock)

Makkah’s hotel sector is witnessing a significant resurgence, with room occupancy in central areas hitting 100 percent during the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan, the highest level since the pandemic.

Bassam Khanfar, manager of one of the hotels in the Aziziyah neighborhood, said that this year had seen an increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims, with occupancy rates returning to pre-pandemic levels.

The resurgence is mainly due to facilities offered by the Kingdom to pilgrims from abroad. Investors and hotel owners have been quick to take advantage by opening their facilities.

Khanfar added that given the geographical distribution of Makkah’s hotels, it was clear that the new transportation network had helped those hoteliers outside the central area to cater for a fair share of Umrah pilgrims.

He said: “One of the most important reasons for pilgrims choosing their accommodation places outside the central area is the very high prices of hotels in the central areas.”

Hani Najah, director of the commercial department at Address Makkah Hotel, said that Umrah pilgrims were primarily concentrated in the central area around the Grand Mosque.

However, he added: “The Makkah Bus Project has enabled pilgrims to choose hotels located in other areas in Makkah, with buses linking these areas to the Grand Mosque. This has helped in reviving those areas, especially those hotels under four stars.”

The price for a hotel room with a view ranges from between SR4,000 ($1,000) to SR10,000 per night for five-star hotels. The average price per room is between SR2,500 and SR3,000, and between SR800 and SR1,100, for five-star and four-star hotels respectively outside the central area.

Arwa Al-Ahmadi, who specializes in the tourism and hotels sector, said: “Hotel occupancy this year is very high, reflecting the strength of the sector, with rooms occupancy rate in some hotels hitting 100 percent, a percentage that was hindered by global conditions due to the COVID-19 outbreak in past years.

"The demand is high, the entire sector is reviving, and job opportunities have become possible and favorable."

Al-Ahmadi said that the holy city contains more than 1,400 hotels, and added: “[The] Makkah region is crowded throughout the year and the occupancy rate varies, but recently, thanks to the wise decisions of our government, allowing pilgrims to come from abroad, the occupancy rate has increased, reaching their fullest in some hotels.”

Al-Ahmadi added that the Haramain train, and the free buses from the airport, had helped to facilitate transportation to reduce congestion.

Ali Fallatah, director of operations at Address Hotel, said that the increase in hotel occupancy had been helped by greater accessibility to visas, and the four-day transit period inside Saudi Arabia.

Al-Sudais: Over 21 million worshipers attend Prophet’s Mosque during first two-thirds of Ramadan

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, said that over 21 million worshipers have attended the Prophet’s Mosque during the first two-thirds of Ramadan, an increase of 49 percent over the same period last year.

He noted that the total number of worshipers from the start of the month of Muharram this year has so far reached more than 169 million worshipers.

Al-Sudais stressed that the general presidency has made all necessary arrangements at the mosque, providing everything to support worshipers and visitors to perform their rituals with ease and comfort.

Ramadan Season revives the Saudi identity through Hawiyah Hayah Nights

In conjunction with World Art Day on April 15, the Saudi Ministry of Culture and the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts organized the Hawiyah Hayah Nights event for the second time in Riyadh to introduce traditional crafts during Ramadan.

The event provides workshops and entertaining shows to explore surrounded by Ramadan decorations and a traditional atmosphere.

TRITA was established two years ago in Riyadh and began as a program by the ministry to combine culture and heritage, to invite people to discover some of Saudi Arabia’s more fascinating aspects.

The institute was later separated into an independent institute offering three programs to teach traditional Saudi artwork, crafts, and textiles to revive the identity of the Saudi heritage.

Hawiyah Hayah Nights was a product of the collaboration between the ministry and the institute, in partnership with the Theater and Performing Arts Commission.

“I wanted to check the Saudi identity, the Najd identity, and how they did everything regarding carpets, crafting, and everything related to the Saudi identity,” said Fouad Hassan, a visitor at the event.

Moreover, one of the programs offered by TRITA is the continuous learning program, where students are introduced to various forms of Art to preserve their identity. Examples of activities done by the institute include performed arts and visual arts.

Examples of activities done by the institute include performed arts and visual arts.

The event included a storytelling session with a narrator telling popular traditional tales, and a play illustrating a Saudi traditional game called alqaees. The play was a participation by the Theater and Performing Arts Commission at the event.

Nourah Alshuhail, a student at TRITA, who was also participating in the event, talked about her experience at the institute and what led her to join the event. “I joined the institute because I love arts. I am originally an artist, I draw,” she said.

“I registered for the embroidery program, in drawing by embroidery, in a two-week session. Then, it was very joyful for me. So, I continued learning with the institute since,” she added.

Cuban president lays blame for conflict in Ukraine on Washington

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel
©Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The responsibility for the crisis in Ukraine lies entirely with the United States, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel told a Lebanese reporter.

"The US government has distorted the root cause of the conflict and has incited a sense of contempt for Russia through its enormous media power. I believe that they were the ones who fomented Russophobia and concealed the true causes of the conflict by making Russia out to be the scapegoat. I do think that the US government itself is to blame for the creation of this conflict," the Cuban leader said in an interview published on the YouTube channel of Cuba’s Mesa Redonda television program on Thursday.

"They put Russia in a situation that was incompatible with the country’s protection," Diaz-Canel insisted. According to him, Washington has been deliberately provoking wars "to sell weapons and, in that way, resolve its own domestic problems." Everyone but the United States is victimized by the conflict, he emphasized.

The Cuban president called on the international community to support initiatives that would contribute to establishing a dialogue between the parties to the conflict. It is also necessary to give the parties a guarantee that any peace would be a lasting one, he said.

US seeking to drag everyone into Ukrainian conflict, but Hungary not buying — Orban

The United States has not given up on its aim of embroiling everyone it can into the military conflict in Ukraine, but Hungary will remain on the side of peace, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the Kossuth radio station on Friday.

The head of government stressed that the US "has not abandoned its plan to shoehorn everyone into a military alliance," supplying weapons to Ukraine and supporting continued hostilities. In connection with this, he reiterated that the threat of the Ukrainian conflict morphing into a new world war has been growing with each passing day.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
©AP Photo/Petr David Josek

"And if a world war breaks out, it will be a nuclear war," Orban noted. In his opinion, the current escalation of the conflict in Ukraine attests to the fact that the [combatant] countries are literally "inches away from the use of nuclear weapons."

This is precisely why Hungary supports the swiftest possible ceasefire and the commencement of peace talks on settling the Ukrainian conflict, the Hungarian prime minister emphasized.

Serbia Has Not And Will Not Export Weapons To Ukraine, Says Vucic

Serbia has not and will not export weapons or ammunition to Ukraine and there isn’t a single document that could prove otherwise, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told the media following his meeting with Kosovo Serbs on Thursday.

We sell ammunition, but not to Ukraine and Russia – we are very careful about that, said the President, adding that, if you sell something to Turkey, that can end up on both sides of the battlefield.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (file photo)

The agency Reuters reported Wednesday that Serbia, the only country that has refused to impose sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, agreed to supply weapons to Kyiv or had already shipped some to Ukraine, information allegedly contained in a classified Pentagon document.

We will continue to invest in our production and factories and to export to all the permitted destinations and end-users, said Vucic. “Even if Serbia agreed so export to these end-users only on condition that they not send anything to battlefields, what do they care once they become the owners – they ship it to wherever they want. And there is nothing we can do about it.”

The President said Serbian factories will continue to export across the world, in line with international rules. “Our goal is to make money,” said Vucic.

Brazil's president wants to end dollar dominance and backs calls for BRICS nations to use their own currency

Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has urged developing nations to find an alternative currency to the dollar, denouncing the central role of the greenback in global trade.

Thursday's comments, from a speech made during this week's state trip to China, lend another voice to growing de-dollarization rhetoric from leaders of BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

"Why can't we do trade based on our own currencies?" he said, per The Financial Times. "Who was it that decided that the dollar was the currency after the disappearance of the gold standard?"

Brazil's president wants to end dollar dominance and backs calls for BRICS nations to use their own currency

Speaking at the New Development Bank of Shanghai, Lula called for BRICS nations to establish a common currency to with which they could transact.

"Why can't a bank like that of the BRICS have a currency to finance trade relations between Brazil and China, between Brazil and other countries? It's difficult because we are unaccustomed [to the idea]. Everyone depends on just one currency."

Last year, BRICS countries were reviewing a new currency based on a basket of member currencies. The idea sprung out of incentives to move away from dollar dependence, which proved detrimental after Russia was cut off of its dollar reserves, due to its invasion of Ukraine.

And in January, in another bid to move away from the dollar's dominance, Lula announced that Brazil and Argentina were looking into the development of a common currency.

His stance also represents warming ties between China and Brazil, as Lula attempts a multilateralist approach to foreign affairs. For instance, while maintaining good relations with the US, Brazil has recently agreed to using the yuan in cross-border transactions with China.

Though it's been floated that such changes imply an important shift in the currency regime, a number of analysts have found the so-called de-dollarization of global trade highly improbable. While the dollar may weaken as the world's go-to currency, there are no likely alternatives that would be able to completely replace it.

Even the Chinese yuan, whose role in trade finance has more than doubled since the Ukraine war, is a poor contender. Not only is it virtually pegged to the dollar, China's tight control of it keeps it from adhering to free market flows.

The prospect of Brazilians casting the dollar off in the near future is also unlikely, FT reported, as the currency holds a crucial role in commodity markets and industries that Brazil is heavily involved in.

Viral Pria Ngamuk di Stasiun Kereta Api Manggarai Sudah Diamankan Polisi

Yudo Andreawan (Foto: 1st)

Seorang pria mengamuk di Stasiun Manggarai, Jakarta Selatan, diduga akibat bersenggolan dengan penumpang lain.

Dalam sebuah video yang viral di media sosial, pria tersebut tampak mengejar sambil menunjuk ke arah seorang penumpang lainnya. Ia berteriak sambil mengatakan bahwa dirinya adalah seorang bos.

Namun, penumpang lainnya tampak tidak menggubris gertakan pria berkemeja putih tersebut. Beberapa petugas pun mencoba melerai emosi penumpang itu untuk mencegah terjadinya pertikaian.

Pihak KCI belum memberi penjelasan mengenai kronologi kejadian ini, karena tidak menerima laporan yang mendetail.

Namun, dugaan sementara amarah pria itu dipicu karena saling bersenggolan dan berdesakkan dengan penumpang lain di pintu keluar-masuk gerbong KRL Commuter di Stasiun Manggarai.

Pria dengan tubuh besar yang sempat ngamuk di Stasiun Commuter Line Manggarai, Jakarta Selatan, sudah diamankan pihak berwajib, menurut sumber VOI.

@inilahcom Seorang pria mengamuk karena tidak terima bersenggolan dengan salah satu penumpang lain saat transit dari jalur Bogor ke Jalur Bekasi di Stasiun Manggarai. Pria tersebut sampai mengejar penumpang itu hingga 3 orang securiti menahannya. Sambil ditahan securiti, pria itu masih terus tetap berteriak dan menjadi sorotan para penumpang lainnya. Simak video selengkapnya! - #viral #PriaKRL #SenggolBacok #KRL #Kereta #JalurKereta #KeretaApi #CommuterLine #inilahcom ♬ Epic Orchestra - RK Sound

Aksi pria yang diketahui bernama Yudo Andreawan ini sempat direkam dan viral di media sosial. Aksi ngamuk pria dengan tubuh tambun ini terjadi pada Selasa, 13 April lalu.

Sumber menyebut, Yudo ditangkap menindaklanjuti laporan masyarakat sebelumnya tentang keonaran yang dia lakukan.

Manajer Humas PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) Leza Arlan sebelumnya sudah buka buka suara. Leza mengaku pihaknya belum mendapat laporan mengenai penyebab mengamuknya pria tersebut. Yang pasti, pria itu sudah diamankan petugas.

Dari penelusuran di media sosial, akun Tiktok @bayuadhi19 yang merekam kejadian tersebut mengungkapkan bahwa pria tersebut murka karena bersenggolan saat keluar-masuk kereta.

"Woy, gua bos! Mukul dia duluan. Dia mukul gua duluan. Woy, gua bos, gua nih bos," ujar pria mengamuk tersebut sambil membusungkan dadanya dan dikepung oleh petugas.

Pada hari ini, dikabarkan juga pria yang sama mengamuk di Stasiun KRL Sudirman. Dari video yang disebarkan, belum jelas penyebab pria tersebut mengeluarkan amarahnya. Dia lantas ditenangkan oleh petugas.

Lebih lanjut, Leza menuturkan pihaknya akan memaksa pria tersebut keluar dari stasiun bila ada tindakan berujung kekerasan.

"Apabila terdapat tindakan yang tidak dibenarkan maka akan dikeluarkan dari stasiun," sambungnya

FBI menangkap Garda Nasional berusia 21 tahun Terkait kebocoran Files Intelijen AS

FBI menangkap pegawai Garda Nasional Angkatan Udara AS atas pembocoran dokumen rahasia AS secara online
©Thomson Reuters

FBI pada hari Kamis menangkap Jack Douglas Teixeira, seorang anggota berusia 21 tahun dari Garda Nasional Udara AS, atas kebocoran dokumen rahasia secara online yang mempermalukan Washington dengan sekutu di seluruh dunia.

Jaksa Agung Merrick Garland mengatakan Biro Investigasi Federal menangkap Teixeira "sehubungan dengan penyelidikan atas dugaan penghapusan, penyimpanan, dan pengiriman informasi rahasia pertahanan nasional yang tidak sah."

"Agen FBI menahan Teixeira sore ini tanpa insiden," kata Garland kepada wartawan dalam pernyataan singkat di Departemen Kehakiman.

FBI mengatakan agennya telah melakukan penangkapan dan sedang melakukan "aktivitas penegakan hukum resmi di sebuah kediaman di North Dighton, Massachusetts."

"Sejak akhir pekan lalu, FBI secara agresif mengejar petunjuk investigasi dan penangkapan hari ini menunjukkan komitmen berkelanjutan kami untuk mengidentifikasi, mengejar, dan meminta pertanggungjawaban mereka yang mengkhianati kepercayaan negara kami dan membahayakan keamanan nasional kami," kata sebuah pernyataan biro.

FBI menangkap pegawai Garda Nasional Angkatan Udara AS atas pembocoran dokumen rahasia AS secara online
©Thomson Reuters

Video yang diputar di saluran berita menunjukkan petugas bersenjata berat mengawal seorang pria muda mengenakan T-shirt abu-abu dan celana pendek merah ke dalam mobil yang menunggu. Kepalanya tertunduk dan rambutnya dicukur pendek.

Departemen Kehakiman tidak mengatakan dakwaan apa yang akan dihadapi Teixeira, meskipun kemungkinan besar akan melibatkan dakwaan pidana karena sengaja menyimpan dan mengirimkan informasi pertahanan nasional.

Brandon Van Grack, mantan jaksa keamanan nasional Departemen Kehakiman yang sekarang bekerja di firma hukum Morrison Foerster, mengatakan kemungkinan dakwaan itu dapat dikenai hukuman penjara hingga 10 tahun, bahkan jika Teixeira tidak bermaksud untuk menimbulkan kerugian.

"Saya pikir ini adalah seseorang yang menghadapi paparan yang lebih tinggi selama bertahun-tahun di penjara ... karena kebocorannya sangat merusak," kata Van Grack.

Seorang juru bicara Kantor Kejaksaan AS di Boston mengatakan Teixeira diharapkan muncul pertama kali pada hari Jumat.

MENILAI KERUSAKAN

Dokumen-dokumen itu diposting online di situs media sosial pada bulan Maret, dan mungkin sebelumnya, tetapi tidak menyebar luas hingga minggu lalu.

Pejabat AS telah memburu orang yang bertanggung jawab, sambil menilai dan berusaha membatasi kerusakan dari rilis laporan intelijen, yang mengungkapkan rincian yang diklaim tentang kerentanan militer Ukraina dan informasi tentang sekutu termasuk Israel, Korea Selatan, dan Turki.

Ini diyakini sebagai pelanggaran keamanan paling serius sejak lebih dari 700.000 dokumen, video, dan kabel diplomatik muncul di situs WikiLeaks pada 2010.

Departemen Kehakiman membuka penyelidikan kriminal formal minggu lalu, setelah rujukan dari Departemen Pertahanan. Kebocoran itu adalah "tindakan kriminal yang disengaja," kata Pentagon pada hari Kamis, menambahkan bahwa militer telah mengambil langkah-langkah untuk meninjau daftar distribusi dan memastikan orang yang menerima informasi perlu mengetahuinya.

Sebuah kendaraan militer menuju Pangkalan Bersama Cape Cod
©Thomson Reuters

Media Reuters telah meninjau lebih dari 50 dokumen, berlabel "Rahasia" dan "Sangat Rahasia", tetapi belum memverifikasi keasliannya secara independen. Jumlah dokumen yang bocor kemungkinan lebih dari 100.

Presiden Joe Biden, yang sedang dalam perjalanan tiga hari ke Irlandia, mengatakan dia tidak terlalu khawatir dengan kebocoran tersebut.

"Saya khawatir itu terjadi, tetapi tidak ada yang terjadi pada saat itu yang saya ketahui," kata Biden kepada wartawan.

Seorang pria bernama Jack Teixeira dipromosikan menjadi Airman 1st Class pada bulan Juli, menurut sebuah postingan di halaman Facebook resmi 102nd Intelligence Wing. Unit tidak segera mengembalikan email yang meminta komentar.

Sejumlah negara mempertanyakan kebenaran beberapa dokumen yang bocor, termasuk Inggris, yang mengatakan ada "tingkat ketidakakuratan yang serius" dalam informasi tersebut.

Pejabat AS yakin sebagian besar materi itu asli. Namun, beberapa tampaknya telah diubah untuk menunjukkan perkiraan yang dibesar-besarkan untuk korban medan perang Ukraina dalam perang dengan Rusia serta jumlah yang diremehkan untuk pasukan Rusia.

Dokumen lain termasuk penilaian bahwa Prancis kemungkinan akan berjuang untuk mencapai tujuan keamanan di Afrika barat dan tengah, dan informasi tentang rencana pejabat Brasil untuk mengunjungi Moskow pada bulan April untuk membahas skema mediasi Ukraina.

Menurut dokumen Pentagon yang bocor, Serbia telah setuju untuk memasok senjata ke Kyiv atau telah mengirimnya, meskipun negara itu mengaku netral dalam perang Ukraina.

The New York Times pertama kali melaporkan identitas Teixeira sebelumnya pada hari Kamis, menggambarkannya sebagai Pengawal Nasional yang memimpin Thug Shaker Central, sebuah grup online di mana sekitar 20 hingga 30 orang berbagi kecintaan mereka pada senjata, meme rasis, dan video game. The Times mengutip wawancara dan dokumen yang diulasnya.