The United Nations has raised concerns over leaked Pentagon reports that show the USA was eavesdropping on the private conversations of UN general secretary António Guterres and other senior officials.
The United Nations has expressed to the United States its concern over recent reports that show surveillance and interference in communications between UN Secretary General António Guterres and other officials.
The United Nations has said that such actions are not compatible with the obligations of the United Nations and its charter.
The allegations were proved right after a series of leaked Pentagon files showed Washington closely monitoring the conversations between Guterres and his colleagues.
What did the eavesdropping reveal?
The leaked documents have revealed that the Secretary-General expressed his frustration over the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his indignation when his plans to visit Ethiopia were turned down.
According to a BBC report last week, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was sympathetic to the Russian cause when he helped with the Black Sea grain deal amid the global food crisis.
One of the leaked Pentagon files revealed that Guterres was determined to go ahead with the deal even if it meant obliging Russia’s interests.
Guterres wanted to help increase Russia’s ability to export even if it involved sanctioned Russian organisations.
According to one of the leaked documents, he wanted to undermine broader efforts to hold Moscow responsible for its actions in Ukraine.
He said that he made a point of not smiling the entire time when he condemned Russia for invading Ukraine.
The reports on the Secretary General contain personal conversations with aides regarding diplomatic meetings.
They have also revealed that the United States used spying powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The US has a long history of eavesdropping on allies and world leaders.
According to a whistle-blower, Edward Snowden, the national security agency has monitored the calls of the then German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and United Nations diplomats.
The worst leak of US intelligence
Washington is now trying to cope with this leak, which is proving to be an embarrassment to all parties involved.
The reports were miscellanea of national security reports that leaked online onto the online gaming platform Discord.
It has revealed the details of classified documents about the United States, Ukrainian military development, US penetration of Russian intelligence and military networks, and eavesdropping by US intelligence on allies like South Korea and Israel.
An air national guardsman, Jack Teixeira, 21, was arrested last week on charges of leaking classified defence documents.
He has been charged under the Espionage Act.
Steps are being taken to tighten security
The Pentagon has been making efforts to tighten security to access documents after this massive leak. The Department of Defence is also revaluating its security measures.
Steps are being taken to better protect secret documents.
Initial findings and recommendations to improve the security policies of the department will be published in 45 days.
The Pentagon is immediately raking through lists of people who have access and re-evaluating whether they should continue to have access. Several people have been removed from the distribution list.
The Pentagon is making sure that the people who receive information about classified material are the ones who actually need it.
The Pentagon had already been tightening its cyber security measures prior to the leak.
