US Defense Secretary denies sharing Houthi attack plan with journalist

The Atlantic had previously reported directly on the incident in which they were involved. Specifically, Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg of the newspaper said in a report on Monday that he was unexpectedly invited on March 13 to join an encrypted chat group on the Signal messaging app called the "Houthi PC Small Group."

According to Goldberg, within that group, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz tasked his deputy Alex Wong with creating a team to coordinate US action against the Houthi militant group in Yemen.

However, US Defense Secretary Hegseth denied sharing military plans in the chat group. "No one was texting about war plans, and that's all I can say about that," he told reporters during an official visit to Hawaii on Monday.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Photo: X/PeteHegseth

The US launched a large-scale military offensive against Houthi forces in Yemen on March 15 because the group attacked shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Hours before those strikes began, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted operational details about the plan in a group message, “including information about the target, the weapons the United States would deploy, and the sequence of attacks,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg wrote that accounts appearing to represent Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and senior National Security Council officials were gathered in the chat group.

US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he was unaware of the incident. "I don't know anything about it. I'm not a big fan of The Atlantic," he said. A White House official later said an investigation was underway.

Hoang Huy (according to WH, Newsweek, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bo-truong-quoc-phong-my-phu-nhan-chia-se-ke-hoach-tan-cong-houthi-voi-nha-bao-post339932.html