A leaked spreadsheet has exposed sensitive information about Donald Trump’s national security officials’ plans for a Yemen attack. The leak, which also included two other spreadsheets containing highly sensitive information on US-funded programs in countries with repressive regimes, sent shockwaves through the international aid community.
The US State Department and USAID had previously assured some organizations that this sensitive information would not be made public. However, two Trump administration spreadsheets were shared with Congress and later leaked to several media outlets. The leaks include details on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in countries such as China, Russia, Iran, Uganda, Cuba, and others.
International NGOs have expressed concern that the leak could put their staff and local allies at risk of intimidation, harassment, or prosecution. One top executive stated that they had never seen the safety of government partners treated with such “reckless abandon.”
The incident is part of a larger trend of the Trump administration targeting and freezing funds for international aid organizations, as well as shuttering USAID and folding its scraps into the State Department.
Sources close to the situation have warned that lives are in danger due to the leak. The US government has urged the public not to share information about the leaks, but it’s too late – much of this sensitive information is now available online.
Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-leak-danger-spreadsheet-state-department-usaid-1235306394