A letter to the editor by Rhino Times reader Alan Burke
Loose lips may sink ships, but that doesn’t mean it’s classified…or a military plan
The controversy surrounding Mike Waltz’s use of “Signal” highlights confusion between two similar yet distinct concepts: Operational Security (OPSEC) and Classified Information.
Operational Security is a piece of information that, by itself, is not classified. However, if compiled with other separate information from other sources, it may total into classified information. Even if it doesn’t sum into sensitive, secret, or top secret information, it could still benefit a persistent enemy.
As a historical example, North Vietnamese agents successfully pieced together innocuous non-classified information with devastating results. They scoured military trash and surveyed local business traffic to detail troop movements.
As a current example, service members discussing deployments with family members is an OPSEC threat. When a family member posts information to social media, adversaries could scour other posts to determine how many troops will enter an area and when. This is why Congress was concerned about TikTok being owned by China’s central communist party. Caring family members frequently commit OPSEC violations. Each post, when combined with those of other family members, reveals troop movement and timing.
OPSEC is a tradeoff. We should realistically minimize OPSEC risks. However, flexible, timely information is vital at every military level. Restricting information by classifying these pieces would be both impossible and detrimental. Information would be so restricted that nothing could get done. For example, the military must contract with civilian companies to transport people and equipment. The contract, cargo/passenger manifests, itineraries, individual tickets, and gate signs are all OPSEC threats. Classifying these pieces of information would prevent the military from working with civilian companies. It would be extremely unethical to tell thousands of military families they cannot know where and for how long their loved ones are deployed. Overclassification of information reduces government transparency and accountability.
If true and complete, the published “Signal” exchange falls under OPSEC, not Classified Information. The phrase “OPSEC” was even used in the published texts. These are not classified military plans. Access should be limited but not prevented. Senior-level administrators need to be able to exchange this information to operate successfully.
The left has a pattern of misusing the terms “military plans” and “classified” to exaggerate situations. Remember when Trump was accused of storing “military plans” in his basement. Military plans are too large to fit in the alleged boxes.
Alan Burke
So, by your logic, it would have been perfectly ok for the journalist to post about the chat and the details in the chat prior to the attack? Unless you answer the question in the affirmative, you are just splitting hairs.
It was a significant blunder that was later blown up by their lying about it to the American people and then to Congress. It shouldn’t have happened. They should have admitted their mistake and moved on with a no-harm-no-foul story line. But nope, instead, they lied and attacked the personal integrity of the journalist. They should resign. Not because of the mistake but for how they handled the mistake. What an embarrassment to add to the list of embarrassments from this administration.
High Level lists of Trump Administration Embarrassments:
– Chat Leak
– On / Off strategy to Tariffs / Trade wars
– Constant changes in reasons / justifications for starting trade wars – is it drugs? balance of trade?
– Treating Canada as our Enemy while given Putin what he wants on Ukraine
– Firing and Un-firing thousands of federal workers due to reckless cost cutting by EMO
– Claiming we should ‘own’ Greenland and leaving military operations ‘on the table’
– Deporting American citizens
– Opening expressing desire to imprison judges who point to illegal nature of many of Trumps EOs
– Deporting legal immigrants who says things you don’t like
– Public Health leader who doesn’t believe in science (just let bird flu ‘run its course’ idiot)
etc…
etc…
etc…
So much for making America Great Again.
Don’t you love it when someone talks out their forth point of contact?
My airborne buddies will get the reference
You really think only airborne people get that old reference? LOL weird.
Yet another conservative who can’t retort to a comment so just tosses an insult out with nothing more to add. Yawn.
But you be you.
Alan,
I can’t argue with you on the subject OPSEC vs. Classified Material, although they can be very close to one another, depending on the situation. Your examples are very good ones. I don’t agree with you that the SIGNAL leak, based on what I have seen and heard about what was transmitted, was borderline classified material in that my understanding it contained info like strike packages, equipment involved, general target descriptions, times, were transmitted.
In the unit I was assigned to OPSEC was treated as classified material for the very reasons you described. The unwritten rule in my house was my comings and goings was a verboten subject. If pressed, I was on a training exercise, period, end of statement, next subject please.
Conversation in my house when the phone rang at 2 in the morning…
Wife (W): Where you going?
Me (M): I don’t know
W: What are going to be doing?
M: I don’t know
W: How long you going to be gone?
M: I don’t know
Upon my return…
W: Where you been?
M: I don’t know
W: What were you doing?
M: I don’t remember
W: Will you ever tell me anything?
M: Nothing to tell
Yes, I ended up getting divorced. No I never cheated.