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'Pentagon Leak' Reveals Defense Agency's 'Wild Card’ Scenarios in Ukraine Conflict

© AP Photo / Cliff OwenThe Defense Intelligence Agency headquarters building in Washington.
The Defense Intelligence Agency headquarters building in Washington. - Sputnik International, 1920, 12.04.2023
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The purported leak of classified Pentagon documents contains information ranging from US military plans in Ukraine to sensitive data linked to China and the Middle East. The papers also shed light on how Washington spies on allies. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed his department would "turn over every rock" to find the source of the leak.
Four so-called “wild card” scenarios in the Ukraine conflict have been outlined in an assessment by the American Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), a leaked secret document reportedly shows.
The assessment is believed to be part of the recent ‘Pentagon leak’ of classified documents that has caused such turmoil in Washington. It ostensibly offers insight into some of the contingency planning by the DIA regarding future developments around Ukraine, where Washington and its allies are fueling a proxy war against Russia.
The document is marked “RELIDO". This kind of dissemination marking indicates that the originator has authorized Designated Intelligence Disclosure Officials (DIDO) to make further sharing decisions - such as with foreign partners, for example. The paper is dated 24 February and is labeled “ONE YEAR”. This may indicate that the DIA assessment was carried out a year after the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
The analysis presents four “wild card” scenarios that might unfold, and explores how they could affect the course of the Ukraine conflict. The four hypothetical scenarios outlined in the ‘leaked’ document are:
Death of Russian President Vladimir Putin;
Death of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky;
Removal of leadership within the Russian Armed Forces;
Ukrainian strike on the Kremlin.
The ‘leaked’ classified document outlines the potential effect each one of the scenarios could have, such as resulting in an escalation in Ukraine, prompting a negotiated end to the conflict, or having no substantive effect on the developments around the conflagration.
For instance, the DIA analysis outlines a range of potential repercussions should the Kiev regime strike the Kremlin. According to the document, such a strike could lead to an escalation of the conflict, with Moscow unleashing a full-scale military mobilization, and the Russian President considering resorting to tactical nuclear weapons. On the opposite side of the spectrum, however, Russia might be swayed to consider a negotiated settlement in the case of an attack of this nature, the assessment adds.
Elsewhere, the supposedly leaked secret assessment by the DIA speculates that the Ukraine conflict will probably be a protracted one.
Ukrainian soldiers move a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer into position to fire at Russian positions   - Sputnik International, 1920, 11.04.2023
Analysis
'Pentagon Leak' Indicates US Allies Not Falling in Line With Washington's All-In Ukraine Policy
The secret assessment, leaked online, appears to be of the kind that US intelligence agencies create for military officials or lawmakers to aid them in considering their options regarding involvement in events of the scale of the present Ukraine conflict. The document reportedly describes various possible scenarios, but stops short of analyzing which of these might be most likely.
The Department of Defense Seal is seen on the podium before Pentagon spokesman U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, in Washington. - Sputnik International, 1920, 11.04.2023
Analysis
Pentagon Leaks Show Washington 'Dissidents' Want 'Offramp' From Ukraine 'Disaster'
The fresh batch of 'leaked' classified analysis comes as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has acknowledged that US officials have no clue who made these classified Ukraine-related documents public, but he vowed that his department would "turn over every rock" to find the source of the unauthorized release.
The documents labeled "Secret" or "Top Secret", and marked "NOFORN" - meaning they are not intended to be seen by foreign nationals - are believed to date from late February and early March 2023. They have begun to do the rounds on social media platforms and apps in the past few weeks, and were purportedly first posted on Discord - a messaging platform popular with gamers - and the noticeboard 4Chan. Subsequently, the documents made their way to more mainstream outlets such as Twitter, YouTube, and Telegram, and then the story was picked up by US media outlets. The supposedly leaked Pentagon documents touch upon a variety of topics, with specific focus on sensitive information linked to the Ukraine conflict, China, the Middle East and Washington's intelligence gathering efforts.
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