I have been listening to multiple reports today (Feb 17, 2017) from various news sources about the “plan to deploy 100K National Guard troops to round up illegals for deportation…”, which is, of course, intended to show how anti immigrant President Trump is. Whether he is or is not anti immigration isn’t at issue here. That’s a subject for another time. (If your comments are about that issue, I will have to assume you did not read any further than the first paragraph.)
I ask that each of you look past the sensational headlines and consider what is more likely the real story.
Everyone is focusing on the wrong question. Yes, there probably is a memo that outlines something like this. It is likely meant as a working document for discussion rather than for implementation. It has probably been in the files since before Pres. Trump took office. Whatever the case, this memo should not be the issue.
The real question should involve espionage and intentional disclosure of national information. Who provided this memo to the Associated Press? Someone made the decision to violate their security clearance, and take advantage of their position, and turn this over to the media. That same someone obviously puts a political motivation above National security.
Throughout my military career, I held a security clearance. I have been called upon many times to participate in working groups, to look at multiple scenarios of a potential situation, and contribute ideas on how to counter problems which MAY arise. To say the least, we worked on some very interesting issues. Be that as it may, my experience is that these draft plans are merely ideas on how to approach a situation; to, as a group, think through all contingencies. The “plans” are a result of working group discussions, and many times they are studied and simply put on the shelf. They are NOT “READY FOR PRIME TIME!” They have done their job.
At the very least, these scenarios are classified For Official Use Only (FOUO), but more likely are in a category of Secret or higher. The classification is there to protect means and methods of approaching situations to defeat an adversary. I am speaking from a military position on this point. (AND NO, I AM NOT CONSIDERING IMMIGRANTS AS ADVERSARIES!!!) As such, passing information like this to a news service like the AP is a treasonous act. It is done consciously to reveal things which should not be made public. Someone has determined that doing so will either get them something or do political damage to an opponent.
Proper handling of classified information is known by every level - from the rawest recruit to the highest ranking General, and for cleared civilians, from the lowest clerk to the top of the Senior Executive Service. Anyone in possession of such information should, and really does, know their responsibility for protecting it. This was a deliberate act.
The popularity of things like Wikileaks and Eric Snowden tend to glorify the wrong side of disclosure of information. It is the difference between “the public has a right to know” and “the public has the right to be protected, and revealing certain information is counter to that goal.” The current, commonly-held attitudes toward keeping something private (classified…) would be disastrous in a serious war time situation. I hope we never have to put it to the test.
Again, look past the sensational headlines and consider what is more likely the real story.
