Consequences of exposing the US classified reports

ACCORDING to media reports, former US president Donald Trump took with him more than 700 pages of classified reports that he was not entitled to. Whether they were declassified is subject to speculation. Some of the documents were 10 floors above “top secret”.

The puzzling aspect of this saga is that Trump was never a reader and digester of top-secret intelligence data given to him on a daily basis while he was president. In pending court cases, most of the classified reports are virtually blacked out and redacted. Every modern American president is presented with classified reports on the entire globe covering important events. The National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) monitor and record the entire world in real time, passing on this information to those in power.

The FBI and The Department of Justice, in their seizure and search operation, were probably assisted by a mole in the Trump camp or a double agent who was embedded in the then Trump White House.

The stunning search and seizure operation at Mar-a-Lago, a 20 acre estate with 128 bedrooms was undertaken with clinical accuracy, indicating moles were embedded within Trump’s security establishment. The classified reports could contain information on:

1. The detailed facts about the assassination of President John F Kennedy. Trump declassified 53 000 assassination documents in seven tranches, 15 000 important documents remain classified and will never be released due to security reasons.

2.The Khashoggi murder which took place under Trump’s watch in 2018, remains classified.

3. The Nuclear Arsenals of Israel and North Korea. Trump’s fascination with these two countries could have been high on his personal agenda. The American intelligence community has detailed information on the atomic capabilities of these countries. Outside of Russia and the US, Israel’s sophisticated range of nuclear weaponry on land, at sea, and in the air, has been recorded and photographed by US intelligence agencies.

3. The 911 tragedy. The facts about the greatest assault on the American mainland remain beyond reach for many – 80 000 documents remain classified beyond Top Secret.

4. Trump was nonchalant about certain intelligence reports, but captivated when intelligence institutions discovered extramarital affairs of other world leaders. According to the New York Times President Trump was intrigued by love affairs of the presidents of France and Canada.

5. America has eight nuclear ballistic missile submarines on patrol 24/7 in every strategic ocean, that has the capacity to destroy every major city on earth. Only the president knows their exact location and has the nuclear codes to unleash Armageddon. If their sea sanctuaries are exposed, America’s first strike capability can be compromised.

6. On January 6, 2021, there was an attempted coup to change the political status quo. Critical documents categorising the attempted coup are missing.

7. The White House at any given time has classified records containing the names of America’s intelligence and counter-intelligence agents worldwide. The names of moles and double agents who have infiltrated other nations’ intelligence institutions are also kept at the White House.

8. Trump has been a wheeler dealer for more than 30 years. He has avoided paying over $400 million in taxes during the 1990s. Much is unknown about Trump’s family business overseas, past and present.

The worrisome aspect of this whole episode is what will be the consequences if top secret documents were passed on to others. FAROUK ARAIE | Johannesburg