00:00to leak sensitive national defense information and secrets betrays the men and women who wear
00:06our nation's uniform. It's a principle as old as war. And in the United States goes back to
00:12the founding of our republic. George Washington himself battled leaks, insider threats and
00:19espionage. When a leak of department information occurs today, it's critical that we provide the
00:24department of justice and other partners in federal law enforcement, including the FBI with
00:30actionable information as quickly as possible. And that's why the department of war and the
00:36department of justice have created a joint task force to identify and prosecute leakers. As you
00:43know, we live in a dynamic and dangerous threat environment where access to and accumulation of
00:50closely held information is key to understanding our world. The unauthorized disclosure of sensitive
00:56war department information has the very real potential to cause exceptionally grave damage to
01:02our national security and the operational integrity of our armed forces. To leak sensitive national
01:10defense information and secrets betrays the men and women who wear our nation's uniform.
01:15war. It's a principle as old as war. And in the United States goes back to the founding of our
01:21republic. George Washington himself battled leaks, insider threats and espionage. When a leak of
01:28department information occurs today, it's critical that we provide the Department of Justice and other
01:34partners in federal law enforcement, including the FBI, with actionable information as quickly as
01:40possible. And that's why the Department of War and the Department of Justice have created a joint
01:46task force to identify and prosecute leakers. I'd like to thank acting attorney general Blanche for
01:54his help in this important project. I'm proud that our departments are working together closer than we
01:59have ever before, committing manpower and new resources to protect our warfighters and their operations.
02:06To combat the dangers that leaks pose effective immediately, I have delegated tasking authority
02:13to the War Department's Office of General Counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive all
02:19information, records, and support across the department concerning media leak investigations.
02:25All department components and personnel will prioritize these requests, and any taskings issued by OGC
02:32under this authority must receive a full and complete response within 48 hours of issuance.
02:39Leaked information risks lives. These new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our
02:47joint force. The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines.
02:54Access to confidential and secret information is a sacred trust, and those who betray that trust
03:01will be met with the full force of the law. Again, I want to thank acting attorney general Blanche
03:08and our federal law enforcement partners for working with us on these investigations
03:13to protect and safeguard America's national security.
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