A former CIA operative has been arrested in Cambodia for allegedly leaking classified Pentagon documents that detailed Israel's preparations for striking Iran.
According to The New York Times, Asif William Rahman, who held top-secret security clearance, was apprehended outside U.S. territory and will face charges in Guam, a U.S. Pacific territory.
The explosive documents, marked "Top Secret" and dated October 15-16, first emerged on a pro-Iranian Telegram channel before spreading to X (formerly Twitter). Their release came at a critical moment, as Israel prepared its response to Iran's October 1st ballistic missile attack.
According to foreign reports, which Israel has denied, the leak may have delayed Israel's retaliatory operation "Days of Atonement" by three weeks.
The leaked materials, produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and National Security Agency (NSA), revealed sensitive details about Israeli military preparations, including extensive deployment exercises and aerial refueling drills.
Perhaps most damaging was the disclosure of previously unknown weapons systems, including the "Golden Horizon" missile and details about the "Rocks" air-to-surface missile system, capable of destroying both surface and underground targets in heavily defended areas.
Rahman, who worked for the CIA overseas, faces two counts of knowingly retaining and transmitting national security information.
The CIA has declined to comment on the arrest, while court documents reveal Rahman's access to highly classified information was similar to that of many CIA employees dealing with sensitive intelligence.
Ynet contributed to this article.
