Do you know how classified information works? I do, had a clearance for a long time, retired DOD employee.

So, small bits of info aren't necessarily classified, until they're put together. Therefore you can have a classified document with every bit of it not classified at lower levels. The bigger picture is therefore classified, but the closer picture isn't.

The reasoning? Ever think Q was giving you otherwise classified info, though by giving you unclassified clues to it, let you draw the very same conclusion he can't give you?

I figured this out quite a while ago. Plus, it gives him deniability, which may come to play. Smart moves, btw.