Retired General James Cartwright under investigation over Stuxnet virus

NBC have just released an article saying that former Vice-Charman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, James Cartwright, is under investigation for leaking information about the Stuxnet virus that attacked Iranian nuclear facilities back in 2010.

When Stuxnet failed and when he was passed over for the position of Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in favour of Leon Panetta (who helped him on Stuxnet) , he leaked Israel's role to the NYT, including info about meetings held between US and Israeli governments.. Obama labelled the release of the virus a "criminal act" at the time.

Legal sources tell NBC News that the former second-highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military is now the target of a Justice Department investigation into an alleged leak of classified information about a covert U.S. cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear program.

According to legal sources, retired Marine Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been notified that he’s under investigation for allegedly leaking information about a massive attack using a computer virus named Stuxnet on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Gen. Cartwright, 63, becomes the latest alleged leaker targeted by the Obama administration, which has already prosecuted or charged eight individuals under the Espionage Act.

Ex-Pentagon general target of leak investigation, sources say

This turns the allegations that Snowden's leaks are harming the US into a joke by comparison!

So when are they going to dig right in and get right after all those leaks related to the Bin Laden raid and the names of the Seal Team officers who participated? Oh.. wait.. that's not a leak huh? Someone decreed those secrets weren't secret enough to delay the making of a movie...so I guess they don't count.

reply to post by Archie
Before while everyone knew that the US was behind the Stuxnet virus it was still considered speculative because it could not completely be proven. Now, with the word out that the Justice Dept. is investigating a
former high ranking official for leaking the information they just handed the rest of the world the proof they wanted. Way to go, idiots!

By the way, who let the official "cat out of the bag" concerning the investigation? Should whoever is responsible also be investigated for leaking such information?

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
So when are they going to dig right in and get right after all those leaks related to the Bin Laden raid and the names of the Seal Team officers who participated? Oh.. wait.. that's not a leak huh? Someone decreed those secrets weren't secret enough to delay the making of a movie...so I guess they don't count.

Ahhhh but those secrets fit an agenda...

reply to post by madmac5150


You know? I'm sure that's almost exactly what the Seal members said too.....in disgusted tones and under their breath, but it wouldn't surprise me if it were almost word for word.

Do people not realize leaks don't do anything?

They are just an excuse to take more power?

Sure they are sold as dangerous by the pros the cons defends leakers to the bitter end.

All I see is just another manufactured issue for taking more control before all this taking control of the internet was being discussed now with a shout of 'national security' more draconianism that comes forth from the head of Medusa..

Think about it people.

Are you being manipulated?

I think so others will disagree.

Leakers always have a purpose behind them never judge that book.

Originally posted by neo96
Do people not realize leaks don't do anything?

They are just an excuse to take more power?

Sure they are sold as dangerous by the pros the cons defends leakers to the bitter end.

All I see is just another manufactured issue for taking more control before all this taking control of the internet was being discussed now with a shout of 'national security' more draconianism that comes forth from the head of Medusa..

Think about it people.

Are you being manipulated?

I think so others will disagree.

Leakers always have a purpose behind them never judge that book.

edit on 27-6-2013 by neo96 because: (no reason given)

I will have to say I agree with everything you said. National security is the new way to say goodbye to your rights. Those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security.

.

The news in Germany report about that story all day long. I had to do a search here to find this little thread.
I wonder, why that is?!

The Cartwrights always were the heroes of my childhood. I liked Adam most, but he was the first to quit.

Some of you surely remember this:

"The claim we hold is as good as gold, bonanza
Hand in hand we built this land, the Ponderosa Ranch
Our birthright is this Cartwright bonanza
We here belong, and standing strong, wrong ain't got a chance ."

reply to post by Archie


So glad you posted this. I saw it crop up last night before bed and was just blown away at the idea that a former joint chief of staff was possible a suspect of a leak. My grandfather was in the upper echelon of the USAF and I know from experience that, although that he would talk about some things that were classified, they were always very aged topics. For example, he didn't start talking about atomics until the late 70's/early 80's but his stated rationale for discussing classified subjects was that, typically, they would have been declassified at that point (25 years had passed) and we had a vested interest in the subject. Everything else, he was silent about and on the things that were more notable, he'd go to great lengths to deliberately muddle his answers so that we would walk away more confused on whatever subject we inquired about. That was my experience with someone who would have been, presumably, on one rung lower than a joint chief of staff. In comparison, here we have a general who very recently was a member of the joint chiefs of staff as a subject of investigation of a leak pertaining to very recent classified events. That's brain popping to me and, honestly, it worries the hell out of me.

You don't get into the position that Gen. Cartwright got into with having loose lips. Period. The level of loyalty and secrecy to attain such a position is extremely high so what the devil could make a man who held such a position become a leak? Not just that but he retired presumably in the same year as the leak came out. Scary really.