Discussion: WikiLeaks

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The latest classified files obtained by WikiLeaks is expected to be published in segments, with potentially embarrassing information gleaned from diplomatic cables released throughout the coming week, British media reports say.

The initial group of the messages from U.S. embassies and consulates around the world was published Sunday and another batch was expected on Monday.

The diplomatic cables released so far have included backhanded remarks made by U.S. diplomats about some of their allies, as well as world leaders.

The Telegraph said Canadians can expect a mention Thursday regarding their "inferiority complex," while corruption allegations in Afghanistan will be under the spotlight Friday. Saturday will cover Yemen, while next Sunday will see the focus shift to China.

Washington, fearing embarrassing revelations from its embassies and consulates, had been working to stop the whistleblower website from releasing the U.S. dispatches.

U.S. authorities wrote to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange asking him not to release this cache of files.

In a letter released Saturday, the Obama administration warns that the publication would endanger the lives of "countless" individuals and "place at risk ongoing military operations."

The new batch of files were made to the New York Times, England's Guardian newspaper, Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine, the French newspaper LeMonde and the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

WikiLeaks said on Twitter that its website was, for much of the day on Sunday, under a denial of service cyber attack, which can shut a site down by flooding it with user hits.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/11/28/wikileaks.html

If you keep sweeping dirt under the rug one day you're gonna trip and fall on your face. Consider this the "face plant".
 
I cant believe the part about spying on U.N diplomats especially Ki Moon. How can you trust the US if they don't trust their "allies"?
 
220 of a total of ~250 000 dox are so far released.
Gigantic searchable database at http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/ (lol at "cablegate" :P )

Difficult to find "jackpots" in the massive amount of cables imo. and badmouthing, while stupid diplomacy wise isnt really that fun to read about.
This tho - the international red crescent (islamic version of the red cross) is appeantly smuggling weapons in lebanon on the behalf of Iran. :/

http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2008/10/08RPODUBAI49.html
The IRC again facilitated the entry of Qods force officers to Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah war in summer 2006. Although [NAME REMOVED] did not travel to Lebanon during the conflict, he reiterated that the only true IRC officers dispatched to Lebanon were [DETAILS REMOVED] all others were IRGC and MOIS officials. [NAME REMOVED] further said that the IRC shipments of medical supplies served also to facilitate weapons shipments.He said that IRC [DETAILS REMOVED] had seen missiles in the planes destined for Lebanon when delivering medical supplies to the plane. The plane was allegedly “half full” prior to the arrival of any medical supplies.
I found to be very worrying (it isnt too suprizing that help-organisations are corrupt, but its good to get confirmation.)


---

also, I found this quite funny:

(cant find the cable for this so I'm quoting NY Times for the time being. If anyone manages to find the cable in the database, please provide link :) )
Since 2007, the United States has mounted a highly secret effort, so far unsuccessful, to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device. In May 2009, Ambassador Anne W. Patterson reported that Pakistan was refusing to schedule a visit by American technical experts because, as a Pakistani official said, “if the local media got word of the fuel removal, ‘they certainly would portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons,’ he argued.”
ahem, takes note:
America, **** YEAH!
Coming again, to save the mother ****ing day yeah,
America, **** YEAH!
Freedom is the only way yeah,


TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE 2 - Pakistani Redemtion
 
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I'm glad I'm not in newspaper. The amount of manpower and time they must spend sifting through these papers must be vast. Still, some good stuff so far.
 
This soooo reminds me of Regina George spreading the pages of the Burn Book all over school in Mean Girls. lol
 
Am I the only one who thinks that WikiLeaks does more harm than good?
 
I completely agree with you Matt. This stuff should never be made public because not many understand the true intracacies of 'diplomacy'. All countries have done bad things and the public do not need to know all the facts. The world is not a pretty place when it comes to governing.

Anybody who is truly surprised or shocked by the content of these documents needs to be less naive.
 
I am so torn on Wikileaks.

I know a few years ago I would have been in favor of criminal trials - because I was a huge War on Terror guy.

My newer radical libertarian side loves to see "the State" get embarrassed and undermined however.
 
I think all of these releases need to be stopped. It's one thing to be a whistle blower, it's quite another to be completely irresponsible with the information you have.
 
Regardless of whether I think Wikileaks is good or bad at this time, I do know that Wikileaks is not deserving of criminal charges.
 
Regardless of whether I think Wikileaks is good or bad at this time, I do know that Wikileaks is not deserving of criminal charges.

They are careless and putting alot of lives in danger. And besides, all of this information is CLASSIFIED information that they are leaking. That alone makes it criminal.
 
The ones that are deserving of criminal charges are the ones that supply the info to Wikileaks, not Wikileaks themselves.

It is the informants that are breaking their responsibilities to their position and to the government they have vowed to serve. Wikileaks has no such obligation.

I don't think the government marking something as "Classified" means that's it should be criminal to reveal it - that gives the government way to much power. It allows them to hide bad deeds behind paperwork.
 
Whatever happened to the newspapers that would not run a story because it violated National Security?

Oh, yeah, everyone wants to be the next Woodward and Bersntein. :o
 
The only ones who are scared of being found out, are the ones which have something to hide.
 
The ones that are deserving of criminal charges are the ones that supply the info to Wikileaks, not Wikileaks themselves.

It is the informants that are breaking their responsibilities to their position and to the government they have vowed to serve. Wikileaks has no such obligation.

I don't think the government marking something as "Classified" means that's it should be criminal to reveal it - that gives the government way to much power. It allows them to hide bad deeds behind paperwork.

That is exactly what it means Norm. It is illegal to reveal classified documents. It would be an entirely different story if these were all unclassified documents.
 
That is exactly what it means Norm. It is illegal to reveal classified documents. It would be an entirely different story if these were all unclassified documents.

Classified should only refer to instructions given to government officials. No private entity should be required to act under such a mandate.
 
I cant believe the part about spying on U.N diplomats especially Ki Moon. How can you trust the US if they don't trust their "allies"?
This is regular behavior in international politics. Do you think that France, China, Canada, Israel, and others don't do the same.
 
Whatever happened to the newspapers that would not run a story because it violated National Security?

Oh, yeah, everyone wants to be the next Woodward and Bersntein. :o

Yeah, but for the most part, Woodward and Bernstein had class :o

This Wikileaks guy though....he deserves an ass kicking. He just comes off as a massive *****er IMO.
 
He is the political Perez Hilton. :(
 
This is regular behavior in international politics. Do you think that France, China, Canada, Israel, and others don't do the same.
Collecting DNA samples and credit card information are standard diplomacy procedures? Wow, I need to tell the guys that makes the Civilization games that! Think of all the fun to be had :D
 
Am I the only one who thinks that WikiLeaks does more harm than good?

Well, for starters, Wikileaks last round of leaks revealed information about the torture of Iraqi detainees by the Iraqi police.

Anything that shines a light on torture, is a step in the right direction.

Also, myself, if I were an American, I'd be less concerned about tarnishing America's image, than about America behaving in a way that is consistent with her stated values.
 
The world is not a pretty place. While certain things may not be nice, they are necessary. I accept that.
 
Well, for starters, Wikileaks last round of leaks revealed information about the torture of Iraqi detainees by the Iraqi police.

Anything that shines a light on torture, is a step in the right direction.

Also, myself, if I were an American, I'd be less concerned about tarnishing America's image, than about America behaving in a way that is consistent with her stated values.

I agree.
 

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