As all leaked Pentagon papers revealed that the USA has been spying on friendly countries like South Korea and Israel, the USA seeks to heal wounds with critical allies. The release of the highly secret information constitutes Washington’s most prominent national security failure in many years, and it contained information regarding Ukraine’s paucity of munitions and American intelligence collecting tactics employed against Russia.
Defence by the team USA.
USA Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin talked with his South Korean counterpart, while Seoul authorities denied that the president’s office was the source of leaks on South Korean military sales to the USA. The unconfirmed South Korean documents, some of which appeared to be based on confidential deliberations among top South Korean security officials, said Seoul was concerned that artillery rounds headed for the USA might end up in Ukraine.
The potential of South Korean weaponry being used by Ukraine would be highly troublesome for President Yoon Suk Yeol since it would contravene the country’s traditional policy of not supplying weapons to nations at war, which is backed by a majority of people. Authorities made an effort to minimise the importance of the Pentagon documents, the validity of which has yet to be independently confirmed. Yoon’s office stated that an early probe found a “low possibility” that USA intelligence officers captured internal conversations. South Korea’s deputy national security advisor, Kim Tae-hyo, stated that the material gained from internal discussions was “untrue” and had been “altered.”
Two nations agree that most of the material given has been tampered with, Kim told reporters as he headed for Washington ahead of Yoon’s visit to USA at the end of the month. According to the no dated paper, South Korea agreed to sell artillery rounds to help the US replenish its stockpiles, stressing that the “final user” be the US. Senior South Korean officials were concerned that America might redirect the shells to Ukraine.
Rumours that the US had been spying on South Korea, a major ally and host to 28,500 American soldiers, would not hurt bilateral relations, according to Kim. The United States has the greatest intelligence capabilities in the world, and since Yoon’s administration, they have exchanged intelligence in practically every field, he added. Some analysts believe the leaks of more than 100 highly secret US defence documents are only the “tip of the iceberg” and USA should brace itself for further harm to its reputation and ties with allies.
According to one of the most recent disclosures, Egypt was planned to surreptitiously provide Russia with rockets and other weaponry, however, the US believes the operation was never carried through. When asked about the papers, Egypt’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Ahmed Abu Zeid, stated that Egypt’s policy has been based on non-involvement in this situation and promising to keep equal distance with all parties while maintaining Egypt’s support for the UN charter and international law.
One document, designated top secret and obtained from a CIA intelligence update on March 1, claims that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency was pushing its officers to participate in rallies against the Israeli government’s efforts to restrict the independence of the court. The Israeli authorities denied any participation of Mossad in the protests. Another paper, dated 23 February and marked secret, detailed how Ukraine’s Soviet-era S-300 air defence systems would be depleted by 2 May if present utilisation rates were maintained.
The Australian Defence Force leader, Gen Angus Campbell, described the suspected leaks as potentially dangerous and said their spread might weaken confidence among allies.
Campbell said there was a security necessity to keeping a certain material secret, echoing the sentiments of US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, who said the stolen information “had no business on the media.” He told the Lowy Institute to think tank in Sydney that there is a national interest in protecting some information.
The revelations come about a fortnight before Yoon, a conservative who has taken a harsh position against North Korea’s nuclear programme, is scheduled to meet with Vice President Joe Biden in Washington. They also highlight Seoul’s tricky diplomatic posture on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While South Korea has backed international sanctions against the Kremlin and supplied non-lethal help to Kyiv, it has declined to provide weaponry, citing local regulations that prohibit delivering guns to combat zones. But, some have accused Yoon of attempting to preserve South Korean exports to Russia, which it requires to exert pressure on North Korea.
Disclosure.
According to polls, people support Yoon’s position on arms exports. According to a Gallup Korea poll conducted in June, the majority of South Koreans believe the government should only offer non-lethal help to Ukraine. According to the study, 72% believe that help should be limited to medical, food, and other non-military supplies, while only 15% believe that Seoul should also provide weapons to Kyiv.
