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Domestic Affairs

Fireworks at House Intelligence Committee About Yemen War Plans Leak Controversy

Michael Frick

Michael Frick

— 4 min read
Fireworks at House Intelligence Committee About Yemen War Plans Leak Controversy
Photo by Alex Gomez / Unsplash

The Yemen war plans leak controversy has escalated into a major national security crisis for the Trump administration, following the inadvertent inclusion of The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a Signal group chat where senior officials discussed sensitive military operations. New details from today’s House Intelligence Committee hearing and leaked messages published by The Atlantic reveal critical lapses in operational security, mounting congressional scrutiny, and stark contradictions in the administration’s defense.

Incident Overview: Signal Chat Breach

Key Details

  • Timeline: On March 15, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed strike plans in a Signal group titled "Houthi PC small group," including:
    • Launch times for F/A-18 fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles.
    • Target sequencing and drone deployments (MQ-9 Reapers).
    • A countdown to the first strike: "5et F-18s LA (1st strike package)"[1][2].
  • Participants: The chat included top officials such as National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Vice President JD Vance, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard[3][1:1].
  • Security Breach: Goldberg was added accidentally by Waltz on March 11. He alerted The Atlantic’s editorial team but withheld operational specifics until March 26, citing security concerns[1:2][2:1].

Administration’s Initial Response

  • Denials: Officials claimed no classified information was shared, with President Trump dismissing the leak: “It wasn’t classified information”[1:3].
  • Downplayed Risks: NSC spokesman Brian Hughes called the chat “an internal and private discussion” but objected to its publication[1:4].

Congressional Hearings: Key Updates from March 26

House Intelligence Committee Testimony

DNI Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe faced intense bipartisan questioning during today’s hearing, which was dominated by the Signal leak fallout:

Critical Exchanges

  1. Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT):
    • Accused officials of endangering troops: “Russians or Chinese could have intercepted this info and passed it to the Houthis, who could’ve repositioned weapons”[2:2].
    • Cited ODNI guidelines: Information warning of a U.S. attack should be classified as Top Secret[2:3].
  2. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL):
    • Read Hegseth’s messages verbatim, highlighting mentions of F-18s, Tomahawks, and strike timelines.
    • Invoked DOD classification manuals and Trump’s executive order: “Weapon systems and military plans are clearly classified”[2:4].
  3. Gabbard and Ratcliffe’s Defense:
    • Repeated denials: “No sources, methods, locations, or war plans were shared”[4][2:5].
    • Evasive responses: Claimed not to recall specifics of weapons or targets discussed, despite published messages[2:6].

Republican Pushback

  • Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH): Questioned the focus on “process crimes” over the success of the Yemen strikes[2:7].
  • Administration Allies: Echoed Trump’s dismissal, framing the leak as a “distraction”[5].

Leaked Message Details: Operational Risks

The Atlantic published full transcripts of the Signal chat on March 26, revealing:

Hegseth’s Messages (March 15, 11:44 AM ET)

  • Strike Timeline:
    • 5:00 PM ET: F/A-18s launch first strike package.
    • 6:00 PM ET: Drones (MQ-9s) and F-18s execute second wave; Tomahawks fired from naval assets[1:5][2:8].
  • Operational Security (OPSEC): Hegseth asserted, “We are currently clean on OPSEC” minutes before the strikes[1:6].

Critical Vulnerabilities

  • Two-Hour Window: Adversaries could have intercepted plans between Hegseth’s message (11:44 AM) and the first strike (2:00 PM ET)[1:7].
  • Real-Time Intel: Waltz shared target confirmations (“Building collapsed”) and VP Vance responded, “Excellent”[1:8].

Classification Violations

  • DOD Manual: Specifies that weapon systems, military plans, and attack timing are classified if disclosure risks national security[2:9].
  • Espionage Act Concerns: Legal experts argue discussing such details on unsecured platforms could violate laws protecting sensitive data[6].

Signal App Controversy

  • Encrypted but Unsecured: While Signal is encrypted, its use by officials for operational planning bypasses federal record-keeping and security protocols[4:1][2:10].
  • White House Pushback: NSC objected to the chat’s publication, calling it “sensitive” despite claiming it was unclassified[1:9].

Administration’s Evolving Stance

  • Hegseth’s Defense: “Nobody’s texting war plans… I’m proud of our troops”[6:1][2:11].
  • Trump’s Response: Dismissed the leak’s severity, stating he’d “look into” Signal use but praised the strikes as “devastatingly effective”[2:12][5:1].
  • Waltz’s Accountability: Took “full responsibility” for adding Goldberg but downplayed the breach: “No locations, no sources”[3:1][6:2].

Expert and Opposition Reactions

  • National Security Analysts: Warned the leak erodes allies’ trust and sets a dangerous precedent for using civilian apps in military planning[1:10][2:13].
  • Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA): “This is sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior… mind-boggling”[3:2][4:2].
  • Former Intelligence Officials: Called the breach “unprecedented,” noting that even unclassified tactical details can aid adversaries[6:3][1:11].

Broader Context: U.S.-Houthi Conflict

  • Operation Background: Strikes targeted Houthi militants in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes since November 2023[6:4].
  • Casualties: Houthi-controlled health ministries reported 53+ deaths; U.S. has not verified figures or disclosed mission names[6:5][1:12].
  • Geopolitical Tensions: Chat logs revealed administration criticism of “pathetic, freeloading” European allies, complicating diplomatic relations[1:13].

Conclusion: Ongoing Fallout and Investigations

The House and Senate investigations remain ongoing, with Democrats demanding accountability and revised protocols for secure communications. The leak has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the administration’s operational security and intensified debates over executive transparency.

Key Next Steps

  • FBI Review: Director Kash Patel confirmed an internal probe into the breach[2:14][5:2].
  • Legislative Action: Lawmakers may propose bans on encrypted apps for sensitive discussions.
  • International Repercussions: Allies are likely to reassess intelligence-sharing protocols with the U.S.

This controversy underscores the peril of balancing modern communication tools with national security imperatives—a challenge that will define the administration’s credibility in future operations.

Citations:[3:3][4:3][6:6][1:14][2:15][5:3]

⁂

  1. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-intelligence-committee-hearing-gabbard-ratcliffe-signal-group-chat-testify/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/26/hegseth-atlantic-war-plans-group-chat-updates/82669460007/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. https://www.npr.org/2025/03/26/nx-s1-5341359/intelligence-leaders-signal-house-hearing ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/trump-administration-ratcliffe-gabbard-election-ukraine-live-updates-rcna197446 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pentagons-hegseth-texted-planned-time-targeted-killing-yemeni-terrorist-2025-03-26/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

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