redstate.com
This is the sort of story that is troubling. I am actually a fan of a couple of the writers at Red State though sadly the fetching Jennifer Van Laar is not one of them. This article is a classic example of how to breathlessly imply a conspiracy out of nothing.
The "
story changed markedly through the day"! Well, yes it did. But, what major breaking story in the age of instant internet publication doesn't - even on Red State. She repeats this "damning" observation repeatedly in multiple forms throughout the piece.
"h
ow he could have possibly had access to such a wide-ranging tranche of information,"! Well yes, that is something that needs to be thoroughly investigated - particularly how it left a classified storage area (Ms. Van Laar adds her own supposition claiming the material was held in a SCIF (Secret Compartmented Information Facility). Maybe, though no slide that I actually have seen posted would have required anything more secure than locked filing cabinet. In other words, the young man apparently had clearances to handle the material that was released. None to date has been identified as compartmented information. For you non military/government types, the most important secrets, regardless of classification, are held as compartmented information. A person may only have access to such material, including managing the files, if "read into" the program. That sort of material would have indeed been held in a SCIF.
"
A possibility that needs to be considered is that Teixeira was given many of the documents by someone else who did have access to them, and who wanted them to be leaked." Well ok, I suppose that is possible, however unlikely. But come on, if one is really a cunning traitorous general or GS15, distributing them over weeks to a closed on line group of 16 year old gamers doesn't seem to pass the common sense test. But sure, investigate it.
She then implies a quote by a DOD spokesperson without providing an actual one and then turns it into a conclusion. "
he answered by saying that they’re examining information distribution lists and that they had the rules in place and Teixeira broke the rules, so they shouldn’t be held responsible. That’s unacceptable." I have no idea what the spokesperson actually said and neither does anyone else based upon the above. I would assume that he would have talked about rules being in place, and it was likely that the young airman broke those rules. It may come as a surprise to Ms Van Laar, but he would hardly be the first. Names like Robert Hansen and Aldrich Ames come immediately to mind. That he would do it to impress on line fans rather than for money or political beliefs is rather different, but so is much about Gen Z.
She then concludes with the ominous "
What is the likelihood that we, the American public, will ever know how Teixeira got the information? I’m not going to hold my breath, but a lack of full transparency on this issue will destroy any remnants of confidence in our military leadership and intelligence community that remain." In other words, any explanation that doesn't fit my expectations of a conspiracy is by definition a lie?
