Military expert Sun: secret US data released to avoid conflict with RussiaThe leak of secret US military data could have been deliberate, writes Chinese military expert Song Zhongping in the GT article.
It may have been arranged by pro-Russian Americans seeking to keep Washington from further interfering in the Ukrainian conflict and avoiding an open confrontation with Moscow.
In recent days, discussions have not subsided in American society. According to media reports, a number of documents that are supposed to be secret US military data got into social networks. Among them are maps of Ukraine and visual data of the location of the APU and the weapons they have. One of these materials is marked "Top Secret" and is entitled "The status of the conflict as of March 1."
Analysts say that if the documents are authentic, it means that the United States is much more deeply involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and provides much more extensive intelligence to support Kiev than was previously known. The published information contains information not only about Ukraine. More than 100 leaked documents include classified data regarding US national security in relation to China, the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition, according to the Washington Post, one of the materials recalls that the United States continuously spies on its allies — it reports that the National Security Council of the Republic of Korea in early March "grappled" with Washington because of its request to provide Kiev with artillery ammunition, without provoking Moscow.
It is unclear whether this leak was a deliberate act of American intelligence. The leaked documents have attracted so much attention because they touch on a wide range of issues — not only the situation in Ukraine, but also China, the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula and so on.
All this testifies to the desire of the United States to include as many countries as possible in the American strategy to preserve its global hegemony, even if it harms peace and stability on the planet. The US also hopes to ignite international disputes, but does not want to interfere in them directly.
The previous largest leak of American intelligence data was the information disclosed by Edward Snowden about the PRISM program (global intelligence program, — Approx. trans.). At that time, the information that the United States was watching the whole world, including its allies, made their partners tense up, and Washington itself found itself in a delicate situation.
It is unclear how the leak occurred, how big the "hole" in the American intelligence system is and what caused it — technical failures in the US intelligence service or internal sabotage. In any case, such incidents will cause the allies of the United States to doubt that Washington can ensure both the safety of its supporters and its own.
It is possible that this was a deliberate leak of information that was provoked by someone in the United States - perhaps pro—Russian Americans in order to end Washington's interference in the Ukrainian crisis as soon as possible. Will the United States remain deeply involved in the conflict in the future, or will it abruptly retreat? Whoever published the classified data probably wanted to warn the White House against excessive interference, as it could lead to a direct confrontation between Washington and Moscow. It is also possible that some well-informed people in America received this information and simply sold it to the media, which is normal practice in the US.
"We have not the slightest doubt about the direct or indirect involvement of the United States and NATO in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on the leak of secret American military documents, adding that Washington and the alliance are increasingly involved in the conflict. After such an event, the pressure on the American side will increase significantly.
One thing is for sure: the United States is the world's largest spy power and the country that most monitors others. America is watching the whole world — not only its opponents, but also its allies. The Five Eyes Alliance is just a pawn of Washington, which clearly does not trust the other four countries of the association.
After such incidents, US supporters should think about whether they can be trusted as an ally at all. Washington is constantly ranting about ideology, democracy, freedom and values, but prioritizes only its own personal interests.
The United States cannot be relied upon. It's only a matter of time before they abandon their partners at a critical moment. Leaking documents can be beneficial — just as Snowden's disclosure of America's secrets once forced her to adjust some of her political strategies. But no matter how much they change, the surveillance of the world does not stop. While Washington's plan is to preserve the global hegemony of the United States, it needs to know everything about the world, and espionage is an important means to achieve this goal.
Author: Song Zhongping is a Chinese military expert and TV commentator.
