Was 'Top Secret' Leak on Israel's Attack Plans an Intentional Move from the U.S.?

Scott Ritter talks with Judge Andrew Napolitano on the significance of the apparent leak

Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector, said in an interview Monday that the apparent leak of the ‘top secret’ documents about Israel’s attack preparations for Iran shows the extent of how Washington spies on its close ally and was likely leaked by someone — with permission or without — to “derail” Tel Aviv’s plans.

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Ritter said these documents that have been released look and read like official U.S. papers. He said the documents give the Iranians invaluable information about the Israeli capabilities and allows them to better prepare for the Israeli response.

He noted that these documents also treat the Israeli nuclear weapons program as “real” instead of Tel Aviv’s position of strategic ambiguity.

“This is a devastating document for the Israelis,” he told Judge Andrew Napoltiano’s “Judging Freedom.”

The Iranians have been preparing for an Israeli attack for nearly a month. The belief inside Washington is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold off on striking oil fields and nuclear sites and will, instead, target military installations. Iran has promised that it will respond to any Israeli strike.

The New York Times reported that two of these documents had been prepared by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, “which is responsible for analyzing images and information collected by American spy satellites.”

These documents shed light on Israeli military exercises and how Israel is placing weapons systems in anticipation for an Iranian response.

The U.S. acknowledges in one of the leaked documents that Israel has nuclear capabilities and said Israel's dispersal of nuclear-tipped Jericho II missiles and no "indications Israel intends to use a nuclear weapon," according to an analyst.