The Pentagon subjected US military officials to lie detector tests after leaks, according to the “New York Times”

The Pentagon subjected dozens of its senior military officials to lie detector tests to determine the origin of leaked information regarding a shortage of ammunition for the US army, several US media reported, including the New York Times and CBS.

THE New York Times revealed, Friday, September 4, that 50 members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon’s planning and advisory staff, had had to submit to the polygraph test as part of this investigation during the month of August. Information confirmed by CBS, which added that Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Dan Caine had not been tested.

At the end of July, press reports reported that the United States was rationing the use of its missiles, particularly those of the interceptor type, after reserves had been sharply reduced due to the war in Iran. The Trump administration denied this, with the US president asserting that the country had “huge quantities of ammunition”.

The Pentagon is conducting “appropriate investigations”

Asked about this investigation by Agence France-Presse, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell refused to comment on any “internal personnel or investigative matter”but claimed he was taking “all leaks of classified information relating to national security extremely seriously” and led “appropriate investigations accordingly”. “Securing classified information is essential to ensuring the security of the United States and that of our troops deployed around the world”he added.

Polygraph testing is a common practice during background checks or security clearance renewals for government agents with access to the most sensitive state secrets.

But the deployment of these tests on a large scale as part of an investigation into leaks is very rare, even unprecedented, according to analysts and sources cited anonymously by the New York Times and CBS.