As tensions have increased in Eastern Europe over concerns of a Russian invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the US military and Biden Administration officials have released intelligence identifying the potentially pending threat of this invasion. U.S. intelligence gathering is a "time honored technique" dating back to George Washington and a colonial America and disclosure of intelligence is done with careful considerations. It' s release could identify intelligence gathering techniques and potentially compromise very valuable "human intelligence" (humint) assets. Recently the Biden Administration released intelligence gathered information warning of the potential Russian invasion. Ultimately should such intelligence be made public and what impacts can their disclosure have on US intelligence gathering capabilities?

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/12/us/politics/russia-information-putin-biden.html (Links to an external site.)

U.S. Battles Putin by Disclosing His Next Possible Moves - The New York Times.pdf  Download U.S. Battles Putin by Disclosing His Next Possible Moves - The New York Times.pdf 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXWsc6Lxj8I

I am of the view that such intelligence should not be made public. 

In the realm of information in the context of disclosure to the public, the general rule is that all state information which deals with a matter of public concern must be provided to the public. This does not mean however that all state information should be released to the public. As an exception to the aforestated general rule, information which is of a sensitive nature such that it deals with national security and military matters need not and should not be released to the public if its effect will compromise national security and the military.

The case of the intelligence gathered on the impending Russian invasion of Ukraine is one such kind of information that should not be released to the public. Even if the information does not concern a plan to directly invade the U.S homeland, such information deals with military matters which ultimately have an impact on National Security in that if any, it shows that the U.S is keenly monitoring Russian movement and this fact alone already provides the Russians a motive to distrust the U.S, ultimately impelling it to undertake military actions to protect itself from U.S intelligence gathering activities which can eventually pose a threat to national security. Therefore, on this premise, I am of the view that intelligence concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine should not have been made public. 

Anent the question of the extent of the impact caused by the disclosure on U.S intelligence gathering activities, it is submitted that the disclosure will hamper U.S intelligence gathering activities in that its disclosure to the public will necessarily give the Russians and other countries adverse to the U.S, notice that the U.S is watching them, thus behooving them to undertake measures to counter U.S intelligence gathering activities. In other words, the disclosure has made countries aware of the breadth and extent of U.S intelligence activities and this makes countries more wary of the U.S and more inclined towards doing more to counter U.S intelligence activities.

Step-by-step explanation

To simplify my inputs, the intelligence should not have been disclosed for the reason that it has impacts on the National Security of the U.S. That is, even if the information does not concern a plan to directly invade the U.S homeland, such information deals with military matters which ultimately have an impact on National Security in that if any, it shows that the U.S is keenly monitoring Russian movement and this fact alone already provides the Russians a motive to distrust the U.S, ultimately impelling it to undertake military actions to protect itself from U.S intelligence gathering activities which can eventually pose a threat to national security

As for its impact on the capability of the U.S to gather intelligence, it is no question that the disclosure  will hamper U.S intelligence gathering activities in that its disclosure to the public will necessarily give the Russians and other countries adverse to the U.S, notice that the U.S is watching them, thus behooving them to undertake measures to counter U.S intelligence gathering activities. Simply stated, the disclosure makes other countries more wary of the U.S and more inclined towards doing more to counter U.S intelligence activities. This makes it harder for the U.S to gather intelligence