The History of Terrorism
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1830-1907 The Great Game
1909-Today MI5 (Security Service) (Military Intelligence, Section 5)
1988-Today Al Qaeda
1998?-? Polo Step (code name)
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Polo Step (code name)
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1949-Today US Department of Defense (DoD)
1983-Today United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM)
1988-Today Al Qaeda
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Al Qaeda in Afghanistan
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Iraq-United States relations
Polo (code name)
US Department of Defense code names
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1998-? Classified as Top Secret, Polo Step was a United States Department of Defense code name or "compartment" that was initially created in the late 1990s to designate closely held planning information on covert operations against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan
2001 Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, "Polo Step" started to be used by United States Central Command to be the planning compartment for offensive operations against Iraq.
2001-2014 US/NATO War in Afghanistan
2003-2011 War on Terror/Iraq War 2
A person could have a Top Secret clearance, but if they would not have a need to know about the planning as well, they did not have a 'Polo Step' authorization.
General Franks describes in his book 'American Soldier' how he conveyed his anger to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He told the Secretary that 'I'd like everyone in OSD and the JCS polygraphed to find out who leaked the information'.
Investigations were made, and though leaks continued, Franks says in his book that none were so damaging. The leaker has never been located.
It appears that following one of the many planning discussions that General Tommy Franks had with colleagues, information about the planning was distributed and re-distributed around the Pentagon until it reached someone that leaked it to William Arkin.
US Gen Tommy Franks