Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Qatari Foreign Ministry: Qatar and Egypt welcome Hamas' announcement of its agreement to release American Aidan Alexander.
Hamas says to release US captive Edan Alexander.
Al Mayadeen's sources: Trump will announce that Hamas will release US captive Edan Alexander from Gaza.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: Israeli aircraft bombed the coastal province of Hodeidah on the Red Sea, west of Yemen.
The Israeli occupation military issues a bombing threat against the Yemeni ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif.
UKMTO says vessel reported a small craft colliding with it, attempting to collide with other vessels in the area
UKMTO says it received a report of an incident 80NM northwest of jebel Ali, UAE
Israeli Foreign Minister says 'Israel' fully endorses Trump plan for Gaza aid: Reuters
Iranian state media: The fourth round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington has kicked off in Oman
Senior Israeli intelligence official: Contacts are underway between Syria and "Israel" to retrieve the body of the spy Eli Cohen

Waltz takes responsibility for Signal leak, Pentagon diverts attention

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 26 Mar 2025 11:26
3 Min Read

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz takes responsibility for accidentally adding a journalist to a Signal chat about a US attack on Yemen.

Listen
  • x
  • White House national security adviser Mike Waltz, right, speaks with Fox News host and President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, left, at the White House in Washington, on March 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
    White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, right, speaks with Fox News host and President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, left, at the White House in Washington, on March 19, 2025. (AP)

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz has accepted full responsibility for creating the Signal group chat in which sensitive details about a planned US attack on Yemen were shared with a prominent journalist, stressing during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News, "We made a mistake. We're moving forward." 

Waltz acknowledged that he was responsible for mistakenly adding Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, to the chat and clarified that it was not a staffer's error.

He explained that he intended to add a different number to the chat, but Goldberg's contact appeared under a different name, adding that he had never met or communicated with Goldberg, saying, "This one in particular, I've never met, don't know, never communicated with."

President Donald Trump defended Waltz, attributing the issue to the app itself and stating, "I don't think he should apologize. I think he's doing his best," adding that the team is investigating how a journalist ended up in the Signal group chat.

Pentagon warns the app was the target of hackers

Days after the leak, a Pentagon-wide advisory cautioned on Tuesday against using the app, even for unclassified information.

Related News

Trump welcomes Edan Alexander’s release as 'Israel' faces discord

China says US trade communique to be 'good news for the world'

"A vulnerability has been identified in the Signal Messenger Application," begins the department-wide email, dated March 18 and obtained by NPR.

The memo continues, "Russian professional hacking groups are employing the 'linked devices' features to spy on encrypted conversations." It notes that Google has identified Russian hacking groups that are "targeting Signal Messenger to spy on persons of interest."

A Signal spokesperson stated that the Pentagon memo does not concern the app's security but rather advises users to be cautious of "phishing attacks", where hackers attempt to access sensitive information through impersonation or other deceptive tactics.

Read next: White House defends Trump officials over Yemen strike chat leak

"Once we learned that Signal users were being targeted and how they were being targeted, we introduced additional safeguards and in-app warnings to help protect people from falling victim to phishing attacks. This work was completed months ago," said Signal spokesman Jun Harada.

The Pentagon's March 18, 2025, memo states, "Please note: third-party messaging apps (i.e Signal) are permitted by policy for unclassified accountability/recall exercises but are NOT approved to process or store nonpublic unclassified information."

The encrypted Signal app was used by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior national security officials.

A 2023 Defense Department memo banned the use of mobile apps for handling even "controlled unclassified information," which is far less sensitive than details about ongoing military operations.

There is little precedent for high-level officials from defense, state, intelligence, and national security sharing such sensitive military information through a platform known to be unsecured.

  • United States
  • Mike Waltz
  • Pentagon
  • Washington

Most Read

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu, senior Israeli official says

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu: Israeli media

  • US & Canada
  • 9 May 2025
Pakistan downs an Indian jet and hits a military base in Kashmir escalation.

Pakistan downs 3 Indian jets, hits military base in Kashmir escalation

  • Politics
  • 7 May 2025
A Yemeni gunman walks past paintings depicting rockets and scenes in solidarity with Gaza, displayed on a roadside fence in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, May 5, 2025 (AP)

Oman brokers US-Yemen ceasefire, Israelis in dark regarding deal

  • Politics
  • 6 May 2025
Saree

Yemeni Armed Forces target key Israeli sites, USS Truman

  • MENA
  • 7 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
This Sept. 29, 2018 file photo shows idle cargo and oil tanker ships at the port of Hodeida, Yemen. (AP)
Politics

'Israel' issues threats to three Yemeni ports

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a briefing in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Politics

Zelensky agrees to meet Putin in Istanbul, demands ceasefire first

A boy holds an empty pot over his head as he waits for donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 9, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US-Gaza ceasefire negotiations intensify amid Trump-Netanyahu split

AP
Politics

Hamas to free Edan Alexander as part of Gaza deal: Al-Hayya

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS