ISRAEL COMPUTER CONTAINING HIGHLY SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION STOLEN FROM ARMY BASEYnetnews - News - 'We are speaking about peoples lives''We are speaking about peoples lives'

IDF computer disappears, highly classified information could damage security interests
By Hanan Greenberg

TEL AVIV - Serious screw up: An IDF computer containing highly sensitive intelligence information has mysteriously disappeared from an army base in central Israel, Ynet has learned.


The army has opened an investigation into the incident, headed by a senior officer, but there are no clues as of yet.


"This is a very worrying development," said IDF officials close to the investigation. "It is inconceivable that a computer with such sensitive
information, and is supposed to be carefully protected, just disappears."


Few details about the case have been released, but it is clear tough winds have been blowing in the army since the incident occurred. No less than three channels of investigation have been created to probe the incident, including a security inquest to include representatives of the different security agencies; an internal army investigation from the unit in question, and an investigation by military police.


Disappeared in April


The incident began in April, when the computer, which serves as a server to receive intelligence information on an army network, was moved from its home base. The computer was held by a unit at an training base, but disappeared after a few days.

"There have been incidents like this in the past, when computers have been lost or stolen from army bases or officers, but this is not a private computer belonging to this or that officer. It belongs to an entire department, and it contains very serious information," said one officer. "If some of this information falls into enemy hands, the damage would be immeasurable."

Officers questioned


The source said the unacceptable ease with which the computer disappeared requires tough disciplinary steps against soldiers and officers at the offending base, some of whom have already been questioned as part of the investigation. Others, including senior officers, are due to be questioned soon.


Sources close to the investigation say they will soon be forced to act against some senior officers at the training base for failure to protect the computer, but we are speaking about technical treatment only: "There are senior officers watching the investigation very carefully. It is important to understand just what happened here and only then to deal with those responsible for the failure."


They said, "We estimate we are not speaking about an enemy agent that snuck into the base and stole the computer, but rather a soldier that may not even understand the seriousness of what could happen. We are speaking about peoples lives here."


The sources admitted that despite the various channels of investigation there are currently no clues in the case.


The IDF spokesman confirmed the details, and said the results of the investigation would be forwarded to the military prosecutor's office.


(06.29.05, 11:51)