The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief who was inadvertently added into a Signal chat group discussing sensitive military operations in Yemen has published the messages defense secretary Pete Hegseth sent about the war plans.
After the White House and senior U.S. officials repeatedly claimed the messages Hegseth sent to the chat did not contain classified information, journalist Jeffery Goldberg was compelled to publish them.
The messages from Hegseth contain a detailed timeline of when U.S. forces would strike in Yemen and the type of weapons they would use.
“TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch,” Hegseth wrote at 11:44 a.m. ET on March 15.
“CENTCOM” means the military’s central command for the Middle East.
“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package),” Hegseth’s messaged continued. “1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s).”
Hegseth shared the plan approximately two hours before the bombs dropped in Yemen.
“If this text had been received by someone hostile to American interests—or someone merely indiscreet, and with access to social media—the Houthis would have had time to prepare for what was meant to be a surprise attack on their strongholds,” Goldberg writes. “The consequences for American pilots could have been catastrophic.”
The White House said it objected to the release of the messages in a statement to The Atlantic.