The Bowen HeraldThe Bowen Herald
  • News
  • Global News
    • Europe
      • France
      • Germany
      • Russia
      • Ukraine
      • Turkey
      • Balkans
      • Nordic States
    • North America
    • Middle East
      • Saudi Arabia
      • UAE
      • Qatar
      • Israel
      • Lebanon
      • Oman
    • Africa
      • North Africa
        • Sahel
        • Egypt
      • Central Africa
      • South Africa
    • Asia
      • China
      • Sri Lanka
      • India
      • South Korea
      • North Korea
      • Bangladesh
      • Indonesia
      • Afghanistan
      • Pakistan
    • South America
  • Defence
  • Economy
  • Op-ed
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

10 Budget-Friendly Destinations To Visit In Canada This Fall

September 30, 2023

Why Los Angeles Has Avoided the Migrant Crisis Hitting New York

September 29, 2023

“NCIS pathologist” David McCallum dies at 90

September 28, 2023
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Trending
  • 10 Budget-Friendly Destinations To Visit In Canada This Fall
  • Why Los Angeles Has Avoided the Migrant Crisis Hitting New York
  • “NCIS pathologist” David McCallum dies at 90
  • Biden at the UN Urges the World to Stand Firm in Support of Ukraine’s Fight Against Russian Invasion
  • Factbox-Some Republican 2024 Presidential Candidates’ Reaction to the UAW Strike
  • Exclusive-Vietnam Activists to Seek US Refuge After Biden Administration Deal -US Officials
  • Trump Co-defendant Jeffrey Clark Seeks to Move Georgia Election Case to Federal Court
  • As Marines Continue to Search for F-35 After ‘Mishap,’ Officials Order 2-day Stand-Down for All Jets
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
The Bowen HeraldThe Bowen Herald
  • News
  • Global News
    • Europe
      • France
      • Germany
      • Russia
      • Ukraine
      • Turkey
      • Balkans
      • Nordic States
    • North America
    • Middle East
      • Saudi Arabia
      • UAE
      • Qatar
      • Israel
      • Lebanon
      • Oman
    • Africa
      • North Africa
        • Sahel
        • Egypt
      • Central Africa
      • South Africa
    • Asia
      • China
      • Sri Lanka
      • India
      • South Korea
      • North Korea
      • Bangladesh
      • Indonesia
      • Afghanistan
      • Pakistan
    • South America
  • Defence
  • Economy
  • Op-ed
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
The Bowen HeraldThe Bowen Herald
Home » Jack Teixeira: How Are US Security Clearances Handled?
Government

Jack Teixeira: How Are US Security Clearances Handled?

By Enrique CollierMay 5, 2023No Comments0 Views
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email



The young US airman accused of leaking Pentagon documents is alleged by prosecutors to have researched mass shootings, discussed violence and murder online, and kept a large arsenal of weapons.

Jack Teixeira, 21, had a top-secret security clearance which gave him access to sensitive and highly classified government documents. The case has prompted questions about the clearance process and the subsequent red flags that seem to have gone unnoticed after it was granted.

What gets checked for a security clearance

In 2018, a year before he joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Mr Teixeira was suspended from high school after being overheard making threats and discussing weapons.

The same year, he made an application for a firearms identification card which was denied over police concerns about his remarks.

Neither incident prevented him from passing the background checks needed to get security clearance for his job as an IT specialist in an intelligence unit.

In the US, security clearances are issued by a wide array of government agencies ranging from the CIA to the Department of Energy. The vast majority are issued by the defence department, according to ClearanceJobs.com, a job portal focused on government jobs that require clearances.

Most agencies have four main levels of security clearance: confidential, secret, top-secret, and “sensitive compartmented information”, which has been called “above top secret”, and can include material from intelligence sources.

The process of obtaining a security clearance begins with a suitability check to determine eligibility for the job, and applicants then have to fill in an exhaustive form. Standard Form 86, or SF86, includes personal data such as education and employment history, details of family and associates, and foreign travel and connections. It also asks about criminal history, military service, and financial issues.

Applicants then undergo police record and credit and employment checks. In some cases, they can be interviewed and agencies might look for personal references and even a lie detector test.

They usually need to supply information dating back about seven to 10 years, though that varies by agency. Mr Teixeira received his top secret clearance in 2021, three years after the high school incident.

If “red flags” are raised during an investigation, those individuals are given an opportunity to address those issues, says Steve Stransky, an adjunct law professor at Case Western Reserve University who previously served as senior counsel to the Department of Homeland Security’s Intelligence Law Division.

“They have an opportunity to explain that and justify what occurred, as well as any mitigation measures they put in place and how they’ve evolved and changed in terms of their personality,” he explained.

“Those are character judgements that the review process has to make on an individual basis, and those are hard decisions to make.”

At a hearing to decide if he should be held in pre-trial detention, Mr Teixeira’s lawyers said his suspension was “thoroughly investigated”. They said he was allowed back to school after a psychiatric evaluation and that the incident was factored in when he was cleared for his job.

“The investigation was fully known and vetted by the Air National Guard prior to enlisting and also when he obtained his top-secret security clearance,” the defence added.

Picking up online threats

Once granted, “top-secret” and “secret” security clearances are re-investigated every five years.

Court documents allege that Mr Teixeira made violent threats and researched mass shootings online in July 2022, well after he received his security clearance.

Publicly available social media accounts have formed part of the security clearance check process since 2016. But Michael Mulroy, a retired US Marine, CIA paramilitary officer and deputy assistant Secretary of Defense, says that a review of a serving individual’s social media is only likely if their superiors have a reason to be alarmed.

“If somebody in [Mr Teixeira’s unit] had come to their chain of command and said he’s posting racist, violent or antisemitic stuff, I think they’d absolutely look at that and there would be disciplinary action,” he told the BBC.

“But if nobody tells, I don’t think that they would review everybody who simply has a clearance.”

In 2019, the last year for which data is publicly available, nearly 1.3 million people had a “top secret” clearance, while a total of 4.2 million people were deemed eligible to access classified information.

Both Mr Stransky and Mr Mulroy also noted that the government’s ability to monitor the social media of serving members of the intelligence community is limited by resources.

“I don’t think they have the manpower,” Mr Mulroy added. “We’d have to have an army of social media investigators.”

The Air Force has suspended the commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron where Mr Teixeira worked, as well as an administrative commander, while it conducts an investigation.

Source : BBC

Government National Security news United States US
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
Enrique Collier

Related Posts

10 Budget-Friendly Destinations To Visit In Canada This Fall

September 30, 2023

Why Los Angeles Has Avoided the Migrant Crisis Hitting New York

September 29, 2023

“NCIS pathologist” David McCallum dies at 90

September 28, 2023
Top Posts

Kenes Rakishev and Monnet Group to build a new plant in Kazakhstan

January 13, 202340

Republican and Democrat leaders urge Biden to add Nigeria to list of countries violating religious freedom

February 3, 202327

Tajikistan: Decree bans funerals for alleged “terrorists”, denies relatives bodies

June 13, 202321

New Kazakhstan, New Democracy

April 2, 202321
Don't Miss
Canada

10 Budget-Friendly Destinations To Visit In Canada This Fall

By Matthew BerrySeptember 30, 20231

These cheap destinations in Canada in the fall are exciting and affordable, and some even…

Why Los Angeles Has Avoided the Migrant Crisis Hitting New York

September 29, 2023

“NCIS pathologist” David McCallum dies at 90

September 28, 2023

Biden at the UN Urges the World to Stand Firm in Support of Ukraine’s Fight Against Russian Invasion

September 28, 2023
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from SmartMag about art & design.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • Creative Commons
© 2023 The Bowen Herald

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.