US: Pentagon to probe Pete Hegseth's use of Signal app for Yemen military actions

ANI April 4, 2025 247 views

The Pentagon's Inspector General has launched an investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of Signal for discussing military operations in Yemen. A leaked group chat revealed sensitive operational details, raising significant national security concerns. The evaluation will examine compliance with Department of Defense communication policies and potential security breaches. This incident highlights the growing challenges of secure communication in the digital age.

"We are initiating the subject evaluation" - Steven Stebbins, Acting Inspector General
Washington DC, April 4: The Acting Inspector General (IG) of the US Department of Defence (Pentagon) will investigate Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth's use of Signal in a group chat with other national security officials to discuss military actions against the Houthis in Yemen last month, according to a letter from the IG's office on Thursday, CNN reported.

Key Points

1

Pentagon to examine potential security risks in Hegseth's Signal group chat

2

Leaked messages revealed operational details of Yemen military strike

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Senate Armed Services Committee requested official inquiry

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Concerns raised over use of commercial messaging for sensitive communications

In a letter to Hegseth, Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins notified him of an upcoming evaluation following a request from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Stebbins said that the evaluation is in response to recent public reports regarding Hegseth's use of an "unclassified commercial messaging application" to discuss military actions in Yemen in March.

"The purpose of this memorandum is to notify you that we are initiating the subject evaluation. We are conducting this evaluation in response to a March 26, 2025, letter I received from the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, requesting that I conduct an inquiry into recent public reporting on the Secretary of Defense's use of an unclassified commercially available messaging application to discuss information pertaining to military actions in Yemen in March 2025," the letter stated.

The letter further stated, "The objective of this evaluation is to determine the extent to which the Secretary of Defense and other DoD personnel complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business. Additionally, we will review compliance with classification and records retention requirements."

Notably, a leaked Signal chat had revealed that senior Trump administration officials, including Hegseth, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe, shared details about an upcoming military strike on Yemen, The Atlantic reported.

The messages, inadvertently sent to The Atlantic's editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, have raised serious concerns over operational security.

The administration downplayed the incident, with officials insisting that no classified information was shared. At a Senate hearing, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that the messages contained no classified material. President Donald Trump echoed this claim, dismissing concerns over the security breach.

The chat, named "Houthi PC small group," contained specific details about attack timing and logistics. A message from Hegseth at 11:44 a.m. Eastern Time on March 15 provided a real-time update on mission status, stating that weather conditions were favourable and confirming with Central Command (CENTCOM) that the operation was proceeding. He then detailed launch times for F-18 fighter jets and MQ-9 drones, along with a timeline of expected strikes. According to the message, the first bombs were set to drop at 2:15 p.m. Eastern Time.

Reader Comments

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Mark T.
Using Signal for military ops? That's wild. I get that encrypted apps are secure, but shouldn't there be official channels for this stuff? 🤔
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Sarah L.
The fact that this chat got leaked to a journalist is honestly terrifying. If they can't keep basic operational details secure, what else is slipping through the cracks?
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James P.
I'm all for modernization, but this seems reckless. There's a reason we have secure military communication systems. Signal is for texting my friends, not coordinating airstrikes.
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Aisha K.
While I understand concerns about security protocols, let's not lose sight of the bigger issue - we're still conducting military operations in Yemen after all these years. That's what we should really be discussing.
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David R.
The fact that they're claiming no classified info was shared is missing the point. Operational details can be just as sensitive. This whole situation shows a lack of discipline at the highest levels.
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Emily S.
I use Signal for privacy too, but come on... there's a difference between personal chats and national security matters. This investigation is absolutely necessary.
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Tom W.
Respectfully, I think people are overreacting. If the info wasn't classified and the app is encrypted, what's the problem? Government tech is always 10 years behind. Maybe this is progress.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Pentagon Pete Hegseth Signal App Yemen Military National Security Military Communication Houthi Cybersecurity
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