An "unusual top secret cable" sent to every CIA station and base around the world last week alerted officers about dozens of cases in the last several years involving foreign informants who had been killed, arrested, or most likely compromised, The New York Times reports.
The alert itself wasn't necessarily unique, but the Times notes the fact that the cable specified the number of lost informants — information that is usually kept strictly under wraps by intelligence officials — suggests that the issue is more urgent than usual.
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