article_snippet: A bungling U.S. military officer mistakenly disclosed 'military secrets' during a media briefing last month when A bungling U.S. military officer accidentally blurted out the expected timing for an Iraqi-led ground offensive in Mosul.
article_snippet: Defense Secretary Ash Carter has confirmed that a U.S. military officer disclosed 'military secrets' last month when Defense Secretary Ash Carter blurted out the expected timing for an Iraqi-led ground offensive in Mosul .
article_snippet: And it was curious that a secretary of defense would wait nearly two weeks after such a briefing to denounce it publicly for having spilled military secrets.
article_snippet: It is important that we be open as a department — not with military secrets and not with war plans, which was the mistake made in this case
article_snippet: It's about protecting them.
article_snippet: And so, openness is important but openness has to have limits when it comes to security matters, and limits obviously weren't respected in this case.'