Pentagon Officials Work to Stop Leaks

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The Pentagon made the announcement following a closed-door hearing Thursday in which top military officers, including Panetta, testified before the powerful House Armed Services Committee.

Officials say the Pentagon has put into place a series of steps designed to limit leaks. The steps include better training on handling classified information, instructions on what constitutes a leak and what to do if one may have taken place. They are designed to complement² the department's existing policies, which require Pentagon employees to report potential classified disclosures up the chain of command

In a news conference following Thursday's hearing, Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck³ McKeon told reporters that he did not believe the Pentagon was responsible for recent national security leaks. Those leaks include U.S. President Barack Obama's alleged⁴ push for cyber attacks on computer systems that run Iran's nuclear facilities, and procedures for targeting and killing⁵ militants⁶ overseas.

Some Republican members of Congress have suggested the leaks were made by the Obama administration to improve Obama's prospects⁷ of reelection by portraying⁸ him as tough on terrorism.

McKeon, a Republican, did not address those allegations directly. He said more than four million people have classified security clearance⁹, and added that keeping sensitive data secret is nearly impossible in the digital age.

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