The US scandal with Signal Messenger. CBS: Witkoff was in Russia when he was added to the chat. Where was the phone?

The editor -in -chief of the American weekly “The Atlantic” Jeffrey Goldberg revealed on Monday that he was mistakenly invited to a group chat with the participation of the highest White House officials. On the commercial Signal messenger they discussed the plans of the attack on Huti rebels In Yemen. According to the journalist, two hours before the first hit at Yemen's boss Pentagon He sent the group detailed information about the operation plan, including individual purposes, people, weapons and sequences of events. The journalist did not disclose this fragment of correspondence not to reveal sensitive information due to US national security.

One of 18 people – among others Steve Witkoff was also the highest rank of officials of the Trump administration and heads of services.

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As reported by CBS, The Middle East envoy arrived in Moscow on March 13 in the afternoon of local time, and about 12 hours later he was added to the discussion at Signal. As the chief “The Atlantic” emphasized in his text – and what is extremely important in this context – Witkoff did not publish any comments on the group chat at a time when he was in Russia.

CBS therefore draws attention to the issue of what phone Witkoff uses Signal – business or private – and whether this copy, which is certainly the subject of interest of Russian services, brought with him to talks, including With Vladimir Putin.

CBS writes that US officials were advised against using this messenger on official phones. The NPR radio reported on Tuesday that just a week ago Pentagon sent an e-mail to employees warning before using the application due to the gaps noticed in it.

On Tuesday, the heads of intelligence stood in front of the Senate intelligence committee and defended their participation in the discussion, claiming that discussing the plan of the attack on Huti rebels in Yemen did not constitute an exchange of classified information. At the same time, pressed by Senators of Democrats, they could not clearly say whether a journalist participating in the discussion could publish a full chat text.

Director Wagon John Ratcliffe claimed during hearing that its use of Signala in the discussion was “completely allowed and lawful” and that the application was installed on his business computer when it took a function.

The Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in turn, admitted that while participating in the chat – like Witkoff – was abroad, on a business journey around the Indo -Pacific countries. At the same time, she refused to answer the question whether she used a business or private phone.

US President Donald Trump He answered on Tuesday to questions about this subject of underestimation. During the meeting with the candidates for ambassadors, Trump said that “nothing happened”, excluded the resignation of his adviser Waltz and could not say whether the use of Signala for sensitive conversations would be banned.

– I don't know anything about Signal. I was not involved in it, but I just heard about him and heard that he was used by many groups. It is used by the media. It is used by the army and I think that successfully, but sometimes someone can enter these things – said Trump.

– This is one of the prices you pay when you are not sitting in Sitation Room (command center in the basement of the White House) without phones – which is always the best, to be honest – he added.

Trump emphasized that “from what he had heard”, during the discussion there was no classified information, but admitted that “the situation would probably be a little different”.

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