Retired US Army General: No Doubt Info in Signal Stream on Houthis Was Confidential
INTERVIEW ON THE PRICE OF BUSINESS SHOW, MEDIA PARTNER OF THIS SITE.
Recently Kevin Price, Host of the nationally syndicated Price of Business Show, interviewed Jeffrey Schloesser.
Journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a Signal group chat where senior Trump officials discussed U.S. military actions in Yemen, prompting concerns over the sensitivity of the information exchanged. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed claims that “war plans” were involved, stating, “Nobody was texting war plans.” Likewise, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe asserted that no classified material was shared. However, Goldberg reported that the chat contained specifics on targets, weapons systems, and attack strategies. The National Security Council verified the messages’ authenticity and initiated an investigation. The use of Signal—an encrypted platform not sanctioned for classified government communications—has fueled worries about potential breaches of the Espionage Act and federal records regulations. With conflicting statements and an ongoing probe, it remains uncertain whether the details shared with Goldberg met the threshold for “Top Secret” classification.
Price asked Schloesser about this point blank. The General said that this information happened before the attack, and the released information showed that they were risking US lives. It provided specific timeframes, and although not stating exactly where, where the Houthis are located is fairly common knowledge. By any measure this would be considered classified information.
Price said that this was only called “unclassified” for one reason — to protect the incompetence of those who let this happen. Schloesser argued that some type of discipline action should happen because of this.
According to a statement, “Major General Jeffrey Schloesser (US Army Ret) author of Marathon War: Leadership in Combat in Afghanistan.
“From Major General Jeffrey Schloesser—former Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division and Regional Command-East—comes a revealing memoir of leadership in the chaos and fog of the Afghanistan War.
“Join Major General Schloesser in the daily grind of warfare fought in the most forbidding of terrain, with sometimes uncertain or untested allies, Afghan corruption and Pakistani bet-hedging, and the mounting casualties of war which erode and bring into question Schloesser’s most profoundly held convictions and beliefs. Among several battles, Schloesser takes readers deep into the Battle of Wanat, where nine U.S. soldiers were killed in a fierce, up-close fight to prevent a new operating base from being overrun. This encounter required Schloesser to make tactical decisions that had dramatic strategic impact, and led him to doubts: Can this war even be won? If so, what will it take?”This book is a rare insight and reflection into the thoughts of critical national decision-makers including President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, then-Senator Barack Obama, and numerous foreign leaders including Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Key military leaders—including then Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, then Central Command Commanding General David Petraeus, then Lieutenant General and future Chairman Martin Dempsey, and International Security Force Commander General David McKiernan—all play roles in the book, among many others, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley and Army Chief of Staff General James McConville. Analyzing their leadership in the chaos of war Schloesser ultimately concludes that successful leadership in combat is best based on competence, courage, and character
The book is “Marathon War: Leadership in Combat in Afghanistan.”
“BIO: Jeff Schloesser is a retired Army Major General who commanded the 101st Airborne Division for thirty-three months, including fifteen months in combat in Afghanistan. In his thirty-four-year Army career he served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Albania, Kuwait, Haiti, Jordan, Korea, and twice in Germany.
“He was an assistant division commander in the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq 2003-04, the first Global War on Terrorism Planning Director in the Pentagon after 9/11, and the first Deputy Director at the National Counterterrorism Center for Strategic Operational Planning.
“An aviator, Jeff commanded two battalions of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and a brigade task force in Albania and Kosovo.
“He resides with his wife Patty in Park City, Utah, and northern Virginia. He has completed thirty-eight marathons.”
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