White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby is suggesting information from apparently leaked classified documents has “no business” on the front page of newspapers.
During a press briefing on Monday, Kirby addressed reports of classified documents about the war in Ukraine that were allegedly leaked.
“There is no excuse for these kinds of documents to be in the public domain,” he said, adding, “They don’t deserve to be in the public domain. They deserve to be protected.”
Watch the video below:
KIRBY: "There is no excuse for these kinds of documents to be in the public domain. They don't deserve to be in the public domain." pic.twitter.com/MYHejx3Ny1
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 10, 2023
He went on to reiterate his insistence the documents have “no business in the public domain.”
“It has no business, if you don’t mind me saying, on the front pages of newspapers or on television. It is not intended for public consumption, and it should not be out there,” he added.
Kirby also declined to confirm the validity of the documents.
John Kirby warns journalists not to report on leaked Pentagon documents.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 10, 2023
"This is information that has no business in the public domain…It has no business…on the front pages of newspapers or on television." pic.twitter.com/625CxNIarI
The New York Times reported Friday, “Classified war documents detailing secret American and NATO plans for building up the Ukrainian military ahead of a planned offensive against Russian troops were posted this week on social media channels.”
“The Pentagon is investigating who may have been behind the leak of the documents, which appeared on Twitter and on Telegram, a platform with more than half a billion users that is widely available in Russia,” it added.
It noted military analysts believe some of the documents had been modified and “could point to an effort of disinformation by Moscow.”
The paper explained the documents “appear as photographs of charts of anticipated weapons deliveries, troop and battalion strengths, and other plans, represent a significant breach of American intelligence in the effort to aid Ukraine.”
And while they do not contain specific battle plans, The Times added, “To the trained eye of a Russian war planner, field general or intelligence analyst, however, the documents no doubt offer many tantalizing clues and insights.”
Some of the documents also claim Ukraine’s air defenses are running low on munitions and “could fracture” without a “huge influx of munitions,” The Times noted.
The paper also reported it was not known how the documents were posted on social media.