Report: Pentagon gave officers polygraph tests over leaks

Report: Pentagon gave officers polygraph tests over leaks

The New York Times says the US Defense Department has conducted polygraph tests to investigate whether military officers leaked information to news media, following reports that the operations against Iran had diminished US precision missile reserves.

The report in Friday's edition quoted multiple officials as saying that the Pentagon ran the tests in August on about 50 members of the Joint Staff, including officers and civilian employees, to assess their psychological conditions.

The tests reportedly asked whether they had disclosed classified information to members of the press, and if they provided information about diminished US munitions stocks.

The New York Times said the tests were unprecedented in scale. It added that the leakage of information has "intensified an atmosphere of deep distrust and paranoia inside the Pentagon."

Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell told NHK that the department does not comment on investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly.