Those who leak national intelligence must be punished

the true enormity of the real-life consequences that will result from the leaking of sensitive national security secrets by Air Guardsman Jack Teixeira hit me hard the other day, when I received an email from an old friend who served with distinction in the military, in the intelligence services, as a key staffer on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch of our government.

For starters, we must realize that whatever is leaked to social media is being absorbed, scrutinized and analyzed by our enemies and, yes, our allies. Giving our enemies access to our imagery and code-breaking capabilities puts all Americans at risk. Those who are already at risk on the battlefield, of course, will be at greater risk. So, too, will our undercover operatives — “spies” — in hostile countries be in greater danger than ever.

Those at most immediate risk are intelligence sources — human beings — in enemy countries who have provided the United States with invaluable intelligence and information. Having served on the House Intelligence Committee for over nine years, I saw firsthand how deeply embedded some of these sources are in enemy governments, supplying us with the most sensitive and vital information to avert attacks against us or our interests. Studying the information contained in the leaked documents, these governments will be able to do a reverse analysis, and determine who our sources are and subject them and