The Pentagon is taking new steps to try to clamp down on leaks of classified information.
Pentagon press secretary George Little said in a statement Thursday evening that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has ordered him to join the Pentagon's top intelligence official in monitoring all "major, national level" news media reports for unauthorized disclosures of secrets.
Panetta also reiterated guidance issued by his predecessor, Robert Gates, that the Pentagon's public affairs office should be the only source of defense information provided to the news media in Washington.
Little announced these steps after Panetta testified in closed session before the House Armed Services Committee on the matter of recent leaks of classified intelligence information. Joining Panetta at the hearing was the Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Martin Dempsey, and the Pentagon's top lawyer, Jeh Johnson.
