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Compiling the WikiLeaks Fallout

Posted by Soulskill on from the diplomacy-is-like-making-sausages dept.

Now that the world has had some time to process the quarter million diplomatic documents published by WikiLeaks on Sunday, the media landscape is rife with reactions, threats, and warnings. Some US lawmakers have complained loudly and at length, saying that "WikiLeaks is putting at risk the lives and the freedom of countless Americans and non-Americans around the world." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the leak "not just an attack on America's foreign policy interests, it is an attack on the international community." The Guardian points out that it's not the media's job to protect diplomats from embarrassment, and other US officials seem to agree, focusing their wrath instead on the security practices surrounding sensitive information. The Pentagon and other agencies are looking at ways to tighten security, promising increased internal auditing and banning the ability of systems containing classified information to connect to thumb drives or other removable media. Meanwhile, few officials seem to be commenting publicly on the contents of the leak, which are sure to cause diplomatic problems around the globe.

5 of 833 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Democrats loved the Pentagon Papers by Scareduck · · Score: 5, Informative

    This reading utterly misses the fact that the Pentagon Papers were commissioned and released during the Johnson Administration. I very much doubt that LBJ or many Congressional Democrats at the time favored the release of those papers.

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    Dog is my co-pilot.

  2. Quartermillion? How about just 243... by santax · · Score: 5, Informative

    They only released 243 cables at this point. http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/

  3. Re:Democrats loved the Pentagon Papers by qmaqdk · · Score: 5, Informative

    I think you mean "where are the leaks from China, from Germany, from Russia, etc, lately?". Check their previous leaks.

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    My UID is prime. Hah!
  4. Re:Hear that bullshit by Xest · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wikileaks isn't putting anyone at risk, when the US government put this charge forward to Wikileaks, Assange responded asking for an example name of someone who would be put in trouble so they could negotiate over further redacting the documents to protect such people, the US responded stating they wont negotiate over it and to hand it all back.

    If anyone is at risk over this the blame falls entirely on the US government, they had the option to ensure the leaks damaged only reputation but not put people in danger and they refused to accept it.

  5. Re:Democrats loved the Pentagon Papers by leehwtsohg · · Score: 5, Informative

    Iran isn't an arab country.