WIKILEAKS- Terrorists?

**Mordred** · 29-11-10, 11:50 PM

I'm ambivalent about this issue.

On the one hand, there is the fact that people need to be shown what is going on behind the scenes to understand what the people they're voting into office actually do and what consequences there are. For instance, I thought the footage of the attack helicopter gunning down civilians was very important because many people have forgotten or never knew what war actually is. True, most soldiers aren't like those guys, but that and a whole lot of other nasty business is part of war.

On the other hand, these more recent documents seem to serve no real purpose. For instance, German foreign minister Westerwelle is pretty pissed about the way the US diplomats describe him, but seriously, is that really relevant? Or the "reveal" that Israel and Saudi Arabia have pushed for the US the stop the Iranian nuclear program. Yeah, no shit, really? Like we didn't know that already. An Israel want to remain the only country in the middle east with nukes. You don't say?

I'll wait for an in-depth analysis of those leaks, but for now, I tend towards "meh".

**sgreger1** · 30-11-10, 12:13 AM

Originally posted by Mordred View Post

I'm ambivalent about this issue.

On the one hand, there is the fact that people need to be shown what is going on behind the scenes to understand what the people they're voting into office actually do and what consequences there are. For instance, I thought the footage of the attack helicopter gunning down civilians was very important because many people have forgotten or never knew what war actually is. True, most soldiers aren't like those guys, but that and a whole lot of other nasty business is part of war.

On the other hand, these more recent documents seem to serve no real purpose. For instance, German foreign minister Westerwelle is pretty pissed about the way the US diplomats describe him, but seriously, is that really relevant? Or the "reveal" that Israel and Saudi Arabia have pushed for the US the stop the Iranian nuclear program. Yeah, no shit, really? Like we didn't know that already. An Israel want to remain the only country in the middle east with nukes. You don't say?

I'll wait for an in-depth analysis of those leaks, but for now, I tend towards "meh".

I totally agree. Except I think what is contained in these cables is actually of more importance than you are assuming. First of all, the fact that private conversations amongst diplomats is being openly leaked by the thousands into the mainstream media sets an important precedent; "don't talk with the US, they can't keep their mouths shut".

The fact that the US somehow lost control of all this information by some E-1 private leaking it to an online blog is actually a massively serious security flaw, and has the entire world wondering if they can trust us with intel.

Furthermore, these cables reveal a lot about what is actually going on behind the scenes. People publicly claiming they do or do not support one thing, and then turning around and doing the opposite behind closed doors. And a lot of the cables are just verifying what we already knew, like that Iran gives weapons to the terrorists to use against our troops. Something every private in the army knew after their first 10 minutes in a uniform. But before, people could deny it, now they cannot any longer.

**justintempler** · 30-11-10, 12:16 AM

I think there's only 400 or so in this batch. Filesize is 6.34mb

http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Wikileak...dc41e7d3fb621c

**sgreger1** · 30-11-10, 12:28 AM

Originally posted by justintempler View Post

I think there's only 400 or so in this batch. Filesize is 6.34mb

http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Wikileak...dc41e7d3fb621c

Can't check your link at work but i'll check it out later. From my understanding they released a record number of documents last time, and this latest dump was 7 times larger, making it the largest one so far. At least that's what I read.

Here's some of the more relevant ones:

Hidden in the sea of "meh" that was the recent Wikileaks dump are five really interesting things

1. Nearly every country in the Middle East wants us to attack Iran.

2.Hillary Clinton ordered U.S. diplomats to spy on their foreign and UN counterparts, including obtaining DNA. (This included getting their email passwords, copy of their credit card numbers etc)

3. North Korea supplied Iran with long-range missiles.

4. Iran used the auspices of the Red Crescent to smuggle spies and weapons into war zones.

5. U.S. foreign policy relies heavily on blog-ready gossip items.

Re: #5

To get into the U.S. Foreign Service (and thus write diplomatic cables), applicants are required to pass an hours-long, highly competitive written examination, followed by an even more competitive oral examination and then go through months of intensive training. Then, it appears, they are dispatched to foreign embassies to write gossip about high level officials.

A sample? Libyan President Muammar al-Qadhafi gets Botox and travels constantly with a "voluptuous blonde" Ukrainian nurse named Galyna Kolotnytska. Azerbaijani First Lady Mehriban Alijewa has had so many facelifts that she resembles her own daughter from a distance -- but you can tell the difference close-up because she can't really move her face. A British Labour minister is quite the player (and is having marital problems) and might be bipolar. Russia's Vladimir Putin and Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi might have more in common than their reported extramarital shenanigans -- they could well be in business together, too. Russian President Dmitri Medved's wife, Svetlana, reportedly keeps a blacklist of staffers she deems insufficiently committed to her husband. Oh, and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is basically considered an idiot who knows little about foreign policy, but only the Germans really care about that.

**lxskllr** · 30-11-10, 12:38 AM

I think it's hilarious. If they don't want people reading their documents, maybe they should take security a little more seriously.

**raptor** · 30-11-10, 01:08 AM

Maybe they shouldn't do/say stupid things so when documents do get leaked there's nothing to worry about.

**raptor** · 30-11-10, 01:09 AM

Gotta love the responses: BE PATRIOTIC, don't whistleblow, ok?? Ends justify the means, greater good at the expense of true justice.

**sgreger1** · 30-11-10, 01:49 AM

I just finished listening to an interview with on of our Generals regarding Julian Assange. He says that wikileaks founder Julian Assange is an enemy combatant and that he has opened himself up to all the benefits that come with that, including but not limited to: Assasination, indefinite detention at guantanamo bay, rendition etc.

Be advised, if you take the mask off of the emperor with no clothes, you are now officially a terrorist. If right now I opened my mailbox and in it was a document showing that 9-11 was faked or that the war in iraq was based on falsified evidence, I would be considered a terrorist if I sent it to the media or made it available. Obama could order me to be shot in my bed without trial, or I could find myself in Cuba locked away forever.

This country makes me sick.

**Darwin** · 30-11-10, 02:17 AM

Looks like the diplomatic courier business is about to undergo a hiring boom. Diplomatic pouches aren't inviolable but they are one heck of a lot safer and more private than anything put on any electronic network--anywhere. A lot slower as well unfortunately.

**Mykislt** · 30-11-10, 02:25 AM

Assange is like my hero
I love that this leak happened, it just shows whats possible in today's world.
If Assange got arrested or worse, I'm sure there would be massive protests.
Anyone who is saying that he is a terrorist is a troll.

**Mykislt** · 30-11-10, 02:28 AM

Nearly every country in the Middle East wants us to attack Iran.

god damn, I love Iran, this makes me sad

**sgreger1** · 30-11-10, 03:08 AM

So, mr government, what happened to "if you've done nothing wrong than you have nothing to hide and nothing to fear"?

**justintempler** · 30-11-10, 03:10 AM

I just got done watching BBC's newsnight. They spent about 20 minutes on Wikileaks. Things they talked about.

1. China's apparent view that China doesn't really care about North Korea anymore with the caveat that it was the South Korean interpretation of China's view.
2. How Saudi Arabia and some of the gulf states apparently want to limit Iran's nuclear program
3. Damage to the image of trusting American Diplomacy to keep secrets, they said Americans probably went overboard with sharing information in reaction to the events of 911.
4. They talked about the gossip aspect but explained it as diplomats being human beings and not views held by the US government.

They didn't blame Wikileaks and said Wikileaks acted responsibly by filtering some of the info. No talk of Wikileaks being the villain or terrorist.

**sgreger1** · 30-11-10, 03:11 AM

Everyone is calling for him to go to gitmo or be assassinated. They say he has done more tangible harm to the US than anyone in gitmo today.

It's a brave new world people. But some things never change.

WIKILEAKS- Terrorists?

WIKILEAKS- Terrorists?

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