Senior US military and intelligence officials are warning of their growing concern that rogue 鈥渞adical鈥� elements are operating 鈥� or preparing to operate 鈥� "within the ranks鈥� of the intelligence community and armed forces.
鈥淭he potential for trusted US government and contractor insiders using their authorized access to personnel, facilities, information, equipment, networks or information systems in order to cause great harm is becoming an increasingly serious threat to our national security,鈥� said Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
鈥淭rusted insiders now have unprecedented access to US government information and resources in secure work environments,鈥� he added.
He warned of those who have become 鈥渟elf-radicalized,鈥� as well as 鈥渓one wolves,鈥� particularly 鈥渨ithin our ranks.鈥�
As a result, the DIA and other Pentagon offices are developing an 鈥渋nsider threat鈥� document, designed to identify perils from within. Burgess pointed to the 鈥渞ecent massive WikiLeaks disclosure,鈥� which, he charged, 鈥渃ompromises our national security and also endangers lives.鈥�
