BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- A computer drive sold openly Wednesday in a bazaar outside the U.S. air base here holds what appears to be a trove of potentially sensitive American intelligence data, including the names, photographs and telephone numbers of Afghan spies informing on the Taliban and al-Qaida.
The flash memory drive, which a teenager sold for $40, has scores of military documents marked "secret," describing intelligence-gathering methods and information -- including escape routes into Pakistan and the location of a suspected safe house there, and $50 bounties paid for each Taliban or al-Qaida fighter apprehended based on the source's intelligence.
The documents appear to be authentic, but the accuracy of the information they contain could not be independently verified.
On its face, the information seems to jeopardize the safety of intelligence sources working secretly for U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, which would constitute a serious breach of security. For that reason, the Los Angeles Times has withheld personal information and details that could compromise military operations.
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