Top US military officials face lie-detectors in hunt over leaked munitions data

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has introduced a lie-detector dragnet to comb through high-ranking military office-holders and identify who leaked information regarding US munitions stockpiles, according to US press reports.

Key points

• "Securing classified information is critical to ensuring the security of the United States and of our troops deployed around the world, " Parnell continued.
• Lie-detection testing is routine during background screenings and security clearance renewals for administration staff with access to the most sensitive state secrets.
• But the wide-scale deployment of the detectors as part of a leak investigation was rare, if unprecedented, the outlets documented, citing analysts and unnamed office-holders.
• Both the Times and CBS observed the scale of the polygraph testing.

In July, reports emerged that the United States was rationing munitions — its missile interceptors, in particular — over supply reservations after a number of months of fighting Iran.

Administration authorities vehemently denied those reports, with US President Donald Trump saying "we have a lot of ammunition, different types, " while acknowledging that "for some of the more sophisticated stuff, we'd certainly like to have more."

Late Friday, The New York Times documented that some 50 members of the military's Joint Staff — the Pentagon's planning and advisory staff — were being required to take polygraph tests as part of an investigation into how classified stockpile information produced its way into journalists' hands.

While adding that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, had not been tested, CBS News afterwards additionally documented the wide-scale apply of lie detectors. Both outlets cited unnamed authorities.

Exclusive: US Patriot missile stocks in Europe are 'beyond critical' due to Iran war, authorities say Asked by AFP concerning the reports, the Pentagon's chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, refused to comment on "internal personnel or investigative matters, " but noted that it "takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly."

Taken together, the developments around top US military officials face lie-detectors in hunt over leaked munitions data point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.