World
Arrested US military leaker caught making antisemitic rant in new footage
Airman Jack Teixeira allegedly posted a video in which he is heard using antisemitic slurs
April 14, 2023 14:51
Airman Jack Teixeira allegedly posted a video in which he is heard using antisemitic slurs
April 14, 2023 14:51WASHINGTON (JTA) — Jack Teixeira, the National Guard airman arrested on charges of leaking a large trove of U.S. intelligence documents, reportedly recorded himself making antisemitic and racist slurs before opening fire on a target.
The Washington Post first reported the video of the antisemitic rant, which was shared with members of the chat group where Teixeira allegedly shared sensitive intelligence. Teixeira, 21, was the suspected administrator of the group, and the FBI arrested him yesterday at his Massachusetts home.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, the controversial Republican congresswoman from Georgia who has drawn fire from Jewish groups over remarks about "Jewish space lasers" has come to Teixeira’s defense. She tweeted that “Teixeira is white, male, Christian, and antiwar. That makes him an enemy to the Biden regime.”
The Post was the first news outlet to track the leaks to a Discord group of about 25 gamers allegedly led by Texeira. At the time of that report, on Wednesday, the Post did not know his name — only his handle, “OG” — but interviewed other gamers in the group who identified him as the person delivering the rant and disseminating classified material.
Teixeira's identity was first revealed by visual investigations team at the New York Times, who tracked down the National Guard Airman from the discord chat that he shared confidential intelligence, using his linked social media accounts and corroborating the evidence with pictures posted on his family's social media.
The Post account describes a video Teixeira shared in which he is at a shooting range. He “yells a series of racial and antisemitic slurs into the camera, then fires several rounds at a target,” the account said. It did not mention which slurs he used.
In a follow-up report on Thursday, the Post named Teixeira and quoted a friend who said he was a “devout Catholic” who often spoke of God in the chats. He also reportedly referred to government raids on far-right compounds in the 1990s, events that have spurred extremist antigovernment anger.
The documents Teixeira allegedly leaked exposed weaknesses on both sides in Russia’s war against Ukraine. They are seen as damaging because of the extent to which they expose U.S. intelligence gathering means.
They also include an allegation that leaders of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service encouraged anti-government protests this year, which the Israeli government denies. A member of Teixeira’s group chat allegedly leaked them to a much larger group, which is how some Russian Telegram users got hold of them and spread them further.