Ex-CIA Analyst Pleads Guilty to Leaking Information on Planned Israeli Attack on Iran

A Threat to National Security

A former CIA analyst, Asif Rahman, 34, pleaded guilty to leaking information on a planned Israeli attack on Iran. The arrest was made by the FBI in November, shortly after classified documents appeared on the Telegram messaging app.

The Leaks

Rahman entered guilty pleas in federal court in Virginia to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Prosecutors alleged that Rahman, a CIA employee since 2016, abused his access to top-secret information by accessing, removing, and printing out two documents related to Israel and a planned attack on Iran. He then shared them with individuals not authorized to receive them.

The Documents

The documents that surfaced on Telegram in October were attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency. They noted that Israel was still moving military assets in place to conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s blistering ballistic missile attack on October 1. Israel carried out a retaliatory attack on air defense systems and missile manufacturing facilities in Iran in late October. In court papers, the government claimed that the leak caused Israel to delay its attack plans.

The Five Eyes

The documents were shareable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

About the Accused

Asif Rahman was born in California and moved with his family when he was a child to Cincinnati, where he was a high school valedictorian. He went to Yale University and graduated in three years. He and his wife now live in the D.C. metro area, along with his parents.

Conclusion

Rahman’s actions put national security at risk and compromised the integrity of the intelligence community. His guilty plea serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of unauthorized disclosure of classified information.

FAQs

* What did Asif Rahman plead guilty to?
He pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense.
* What was the nature of the classified documents?
The documents were related to a planned Israeli attack on Iran.
* What was the outcome of the leak?
The leak caused Israel to delay its attack plans, according to court papers.
* What is the “Five Eyes”?
The “Five Eyes” are the United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, and are shareable within this group.