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Pentagon Fires Top General Over Alleged Leaks
· Confirmed
In Short: According to a Pentagon official, Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia failed three polygraph tests concerning the disclosure of classified information to the press.
The Pentagon has fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, its top military planner, amid an investigation into alleged leaks of classified information, officials confirmed Thursday.
A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Sylvia was under investigation for sharing classified information about the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and other topics with journalists.
The Joint Staff initially issued a statement wishing Sylvia well but later withdrew it, saying it did not appropriately reflect the full circumstances.
Sylvia, in a statement, expressed his disappointment over the manner in which his service at the Department of Defense ended, accusing unnamed Pentagon officials of slandering his character.
President Donald Trump, when asked about Sylvia’s firing by reporters, incorrectly identified the male general as a woman and said, “She’s gonna have big problems.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department took “necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information” without naming Sylvia.
A Pentagon official told Al Jazeera that Sylvia had been “meeting with journalists outside the Pentagon in order to leak classified information.”
The Pentagon official also insisted that Sylvia was not a “central planner” on the Iran conflict, stating that was the purview of U.S. Central Command.
According to a Pentagon official, Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia failed three polygraph tests concerning the disclosure of classified information to the press.
Pentagon officials revealed that Sylvia is accused of meeting journalists even after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth imposed new media restrictions requiring reporters to be escorted inside the building.
What this adds
The firing of Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia highlights the ongoing challenges the Pentagon faces in managing classified information and maintaining operational security.
The investigation into Sylvia's alleged leaks is part of a broader effort by the Pentagon to prevent further unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information.
The Pentagon's shifting statements and the withdrawal of the initial well-wishing statement suggest a complex and sensitive situation surrounding Sylvia's dismissal.
Background
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon's top military planner, amid an investigation into alleged leaks of classified information.
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What's confirmed
- However, a Pentagon official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, later said in a statement that Sylvia was under investigation over allegations of sharing classified information about the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other topics with journalists.
- When asked about Sylvia’s firing by reporters Thursday, President Donald Trump said, “She’s gonna have big problems,” incorrectly identifying the male general as a woman.
- Typically, the general in the position and their staff are responsible for generating and coordinating military plans for both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the president.
- Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post that the department “took necessary personnel action to protect sensitive information” without mentioning Sylvia by name.
- “We’re very much looking for leakers,” Trump said.
- The Pentagon official, however, insisted Sylvia was not a “central planner” on the Iran conflict and said that was the purview of U.S. Central Command.
- WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has accused a newly ousted three-star general of leaking sensitive information to the media just hours after officials confirmed his removal from a top military planning post.
- A Department of Defense official told Al Jazeera on Thursday that Sylvia had been “meeting with journalists outside the Pentagon in order to leak classified information”.
- A Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said Army Lt.
- War Secretary Pete Hegseth fired one of the Pentagon’s senior strategic planners amid an investigation into allegations he leaked classified information to journalists about the Iran war, Russia’s war in Ukraine and other sensitive matters, a Department of War official told Fox News.
What's still developing
- A top general at the Pentagon was suddenly removed from his senior post earlier this week for allegedly leaking classified information, according to a senior Pentagon official.
- Sylvia’s removal, amidst an ongoing investigation and without a named successor, suggests potential instability within the Pentagon’s strategic planning sectors.
- A colleague of Sylvia's tells the Washington Post that the general has acknowledged having interactions with journalists, but he has repeatedly denied leaking classified information.
- “She did,” Trump insisted, as seen in video captured by CBS News.
- In less than 14 hours, the Pentagon’s account of Sylvia went from an officer thanked for his service to a suspected leaker, then to a general its statement would not name.
- NYT Reports Probe Aims to Warn Against Further Leaks as Well as Identify Sources The U.S. Defense Department administered polygraph tests to about 50 members of the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff to trace the source of news reports about weapons shortages that surfaced in the aftermath of the war with Iran, The New York Times reported on the 4th.
- U.S. Military Disables Advertising Trackers on Computers and Cellphones After Targeting Reports U.S. House Passes Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act Blocking Aid to Colleges Boycotting Israel About 50 members of the U.S. military’s Joint Staff were subjected to polygraph tests in August as part of a Pentagon investigation into unauthorized media leaks.