An investigation into a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is suspected of leaking to the media details about a classified cyber-sabotage operation targeting Iran, has stalled amid fears that continuing with prosecution could force the government to confirm the joint U.S.-Israeli covert operation, The Washington Post reported.
Retired Marine Gen. James Cartwright is suspected of leaking details to a New York Times reporter about the highly secretive and classified operation involving the Stuxnet worm, which targeted Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities through cyber attacks.
If prosecutors want to move forward with the case, they will have to disclose top-secret information that could confirm efforts to cyber-sabotage Iran, which could potentially harm already-strained relations with Israel, according to the Post.
"There are always legitimate national security reasons for not proceeding in one of these cases," John Martin, a former Justice Department prosecutor, told The Post.
Cartwright helped design the cyber campaign, codenamed Olympic Games, while President George W. Bush was in office, and continued working as the program escalated under President Barack Obama.
Obama decided to secretly accelerate the attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, according to The New York Times.
The Stuxnet computer worm reportedly destroyed one-fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges by causing them to spin uncontrollably, reported Business Insider. While neither the U.S. nor Israel have admitted being behind the Stuxnet worm, many have speculated that it was part of the Olympic Games program.
The Justice Department hasn't yet said whether it intends to prosecute Cartwright, but it's worth noting that the Obama administration has prosecuted leakers more aggressively than any other administration in history, reported the Post.
According to Cartwright's attorney, the retired officer hasn't had contact with prosecutors for more than a year.
