US President Joe Biden said on Thursday he was “concerned” about the leak of highly sensitive government documents, but appeared to rule out any immediate risk.
“I’m worried this happened,” Biden told reporters in Ireland, where he is traveling to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the text that ended the conflict on the island. The president added that the ongoing investigation is “approaching” some conclusions.
The US Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation after documents were leaked on social media detailing Washington’s plans for war in Ukraine and including classified analyzes of its allies.
On Monday, the Pentagon believed the leak implied a “very serious risk” for the national security of the country.
US authorities have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of those files, nor has their authenticity been verified by any independent source.
according to the newspaper The Washington Postthe documents were leaked by a young gun enthusiast, who shared them in a private group on the Discord platform.
The young man, who used the pseudonym “OG”, published hundreds of copied pages of documents from the military base where he worked for months, the newspaper said.
The published documents represent the US intelligence concerns about the feasibility of a Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces, due to training and supply issues.
A document reviewed by AFP reflects US concerns about Ukraine’s ability to continue defending itself against Russian bombing.
Carillon in Dublin
One “for Ireland”, another for “my Irish ancestors” and yet another “for peace”. Up to three knocks on the bell were given by Biden on Wednesday in the gardens of the presidential palace in Dublin to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the text that ended the conflict on the island.
On the second day of his three-day visit to the Republic of Ireland, Biden was received by the President of this country, Michael D. Higgins, in his official residence in Áras an Uachtaráin, with an act of highly symbolic content.
The Democratic chairman reviewed the Irish Army honor guard and then entered the palace, where he signed the guest book quoting an Irish saying to Higgins: “Your feet will carry you where your heart is.”
Protocol, more than heart, brought Biden and his guest into the gardens to plant a few trees together and ring the so-called “peace bell,” installed in 2008 to mark the tenth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
That historic pact, which ended the conflict on the island of Ireland, is the central point of the speech that Biden will give in the afternoon in front of the Irish Parliament.
I also planned praise the cooperation between Ireland and the United States promote democracy, peace, security and prosperity, announced the White House.
The Democratic president thus became the fourth US president to address both chambers in Dublin, after John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
After the meeting with Higgins, Biden met the Irish prime minister, the Christian Democrat Leo Varadkar, whom he has already received at the White House in March on St. Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland.
Both leaders discussed bilateral relations, the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement 25 years after its signing (April 10, 1998) and the current political crisis in Northern Irelandwhere the power-sharing government between nationalists and unionists was suspended for a year over their differences over Brexit.
The day will conclude with a gala dinner at Dublin Castle.
The US president will return to the United States on Saturday morning, but before closing the visit on Friday in County Mayo (north-west), in the town of Ballina, where part of his maternal family also comes from.
Biden will give a speech at Ballina Cathedral to celebrate the strong ties that the United States and Ireland have.
Source: AFP and EFE
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.