Rudolph Angler A CIA official has been charged with leaking highly classified U.S. documents regarding Israel’s potential response to a missile attack by Iran.
Asif W. Rahman, who had worked overseas for the CIA and held a top-secret security clearance, was arrested by the FBI in Cambodia on Tuesday in connection with the leak, according to the New York Times.
The arrest follows the circulation of top-secret materials online last month, which revealed Israel’s potential plans to retaliate after Iran launched a missile strike on October 1. The leaked documents, produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, included satellite imagery and details about the missiles Israel had at its disposal for a potential strike.
These documents were restricted to those with proper clearance, including members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance: the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
At the time, the Middle East Spectator reported receiving the documents from an anonymous source but stated that it could not verify their authenticity or establish a link to the original leaker. The FBI later revealed it was investigating the leak, working alongside the Department of Defense and the intelligence community.
The indictment does not specify the exact nature of the leak but notes that it occurred around October 17. Investigators believe the leak took place in Cambodia, based on court documents. The intelligence in question was based on satellite images taken on October 15 and 16.
Rahman’s security clearance granted him access to sensitive compartmentalized information, a level typical for individuals handling classified materials. According to 2017 data, over one million people in the U.S. have access to top-secret materials, while an additional 1.6 million have access to confidential or secret information.
Security clearances are regularly reviewed in a process called “continuous vetting” to quickly identify any new threats posed by individuals with access to classified information. This process, overhauled by the Department of Defense two years ago, involves periodic background checks to ensure individuals still meet the necessary security requirements.
Rahman, who faces two charges of willfully retaining and transmitting national defense information, will be brought to a federal court in Guam for his initial hearing and is set to be transferred to the Eastern District of Virginia for trial.