Wikileaks

[Guest John Meurig Thomas]

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/11/26/wikileaks/

 

Wonder what's on the documents?

[P-Dizzle]

Apparently assassination plots, economic sabotage, weapons and intelligence trading.

 

That's some of what has been rumoured, not sure if it's all true, but it could read like something out of The Bourne Identity.

[Guest John Meurig Thomas]

Apparently assassination plots, economic sabotage, weapons and intelligence trading.

 

That's some of what has been rumoured, not sure if it's all true, but it could read like something out of The Bourne Identity.

 

Really? Where did you hear that?

[P-Dizzle]

News group and other seedy places of the internet.

 

Again, it's probably sensationalist pish. But the last leak was a little more interesting than I'd expected. So who knows?

[P-Dizzle]

They're due to release the files tonight, and their site has been DDoS attacked. Coincidence?

 

 

The latest revelation I've heard is that Putin is gay.

[Nicholas Brody]

It includes reports of Arab states - including the king of Saudi Arabia - urging the US to attack Iran and end its nuclear weapons programme.

 

The embassy cables give an insight into US diplomats' concerns including:

 

the dangers of Pakistani nuclear material that could be used to fashion an atomic weapon

the widespread use of hacking by the Chinese government

the level of corrupotion within the Western-backed Afghan government

[P-Dizzle]

Not heard anything about the UK so far.

[Hickups]

Not heard anything about the UK so far.

My link

 

"Devastating criticism of UK operations in Afghanistan"

 

"Claims of inappropriate behaviour by a member of the Royal Family"

 

US embassy cables reference

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

The Graun is running it on their website. A cynic like me is reading it and saying "And?".

[P-Dizzle]

This stuff isn't as juicy as I was led to believe.

[I P Knightley]

The latest revelation I've heard is that Putin is gay.

 

How recently did they work that one out??

 

[robbo1874]

There will be so much released it will take time for stories to build their own momentum I bit like the MP's expense story. It may not be the obvious big ticket names that have the biggest aftershock. I am wondering what the inappropriate behaviour was though?!

[The Doctor]

I fail to see the point of this.

 

Is anybody really interested? Maybe in salacious gossip, as witnessed on this thread so far( ), but in actual 'secrets'?

 

Governments have secrets, they all do, nobody should be surprised, nobody should be offended, is it really a big deal? Any kind of deal?

 

The only thing that'll come out of this is destabilised governments, more killing of people's sons and daughters at the behest of embarrassed leaders. What good can it possibly do? Cause further embarrassment for Obama and who'll replace him in a couple of years? Sarah Palin? Nice one Wikileaks, you've made the world a better place! Arseholes.

 

Stupid, short thinking, smartarses trying to make a name for themselves just because they can, or maybe they think they can make a few quid out of it.

 

It's certainly not for anything as noble as the greater good.

[Armageddon]

There will be so much released it will take time for stories to build their own momentum I bit like the MP's expense story. It may not be the obvious big ticket names that have the biggest aftershock. I am wondering what the inappropriate behaviour was though?!

 

 

I'm the same but then instructing the murder of a Princess, thats fairly inappropriate!

[wibble]

double post

[wibble]

I fail to see the point of this.

 

Is anybody really interested? Maybe in salacious gossip, as witnessed on this thread so far( ), but in actual 'secrets'?

 

Governments have secrets, they all do, nobody should be surprised, nobody should be offended, is it really a big deal? Any kind of deal?

 

The only thing that'll come out of this is destabilised governments, more killing of people's sons and daughters at the behest of embarrassed leaders. What good can it possibly do? Cause further embarrassment for Obama and who'll replace him in a couple of years? Sarah Palin? Nice one Wikileaks, you've made the world a better place! Arseholes.

 

Stupid, short thinking, smartarses trying to make a name for themselves just because they can, or maybe they think they can make a few quid out of it.

 

It's certainly not for anything as noble as the greater good.

 

 

 

I suppose it all depends on what is leaked, doesn't it.

 

If it's just gossip then it's useless. If it stops another WMD dossier then it might save 1/4 million innocent lives and a few thousand soldiers too - aswell as a few trillion taxpayers dollars.

 

I don't see why governments should have too many secrets from their citizens.

[The Doctor]

I suppose it all depends on what is leaked, doesn't it.

 

If it's just gossip then it's useless. If it stops another WMD dossier then it might save 1/4 million innocent lives and a few thousand soldiers too - aswell as a few trillion taxpayers dollars.

 

I don't see why governments should have too many secrets from their citizens.

 

But it won't though, these leaks are only revealing what's been said in the past, not what's going on in real time. Exactly the same lies that were told about Iraq's WMDs, the 45 minute threat and the death of David Kelly could (and probably will, I'm being cynical again) happen again.

 

I'm perfectly happy for governments in democracies to have secrets from their citizens. These are civil servant secrets, they pass from one government to another, regardless of who's in power. If we don't like the incumbent leader, vote them out, even the successful ones (Thatcher and Blair arguably) don't stay in power for that long in this country anyway.

 

No as far as I'm concerned they can have all their little secrets, it's safer if they keep them, I have no curiosity as to what they are, I shall make my decisions on what I see the leaders doing, what the governments achieve, tangible evidence, not on some whispered rumour or scandalous gossip, which is what these leaks seem to be in the main.

 

"Ooh, he doesn't like you"

"Ooh, you wouldn't believe what Prince XXXX was up to"!

"Ooh, the British Army were a bit crap in the hell hole of an operation we dropped them into"

"Ooh, I wish you would get rid of XXXX he's got a better moustache than me and I feel a bit threatened".

 

It's like a conversation between Graham Norton, Paul O'Grady and Dale Winton.

[wibble]

But it won't though, these leaks are only revealing what's been said in the past, not what's going on in real time. Exactly the same lies that were told about Iraq's WMDs, the 45 minute threat and the death of David Kelly could (and probably will, I'm being cynical again) happen again.

 

I'm perfectly happy for governments in democracies to have secrets from their citizens. These are civil servant secrets, they pass from one government to another, regardless of who's in power. If we don't like the incumbent leader, vote them out, even the successful ones (Thatcher and Blair arguably) don't stay in power for that long in this country anyway.

 

No as far as I'm concerned they can have all their little secrets, it's safer if they keep them, I have no curiosity as to what they are, I shall make my decisions on what I see the leaders doing, what the governments achieve, tangible evidence, not on some whispered rumour or scandalous gossip, which is what these leaks seem to be in the main.

 

"Ooh, he doesn't like you"

"Ooh, you wouldn't believe what Prince XXXX was up to"!

"Ooh, the British Army were a bit crap in the hell hole of an operation we dropped them into"

"Ooh, I wish you would get rid of XXXX he's got a better moustache than me and I feel a bit threatened".

 

It's like a conversation between Graham Norton, Paul O'Grady and Dale Winton.

 

 

 

 

I would like to see some of the communication behind the WMD dossier so we could weed out the civil servants responsible and take to the Hague the politicians responsible. Even though it happened a while ago I would love to see Blair and Bush dragged through the war crimes courts.

 

It's also often good to see behind the spin as it helps bring some perspective to peoples thoughts. You might trust your government implicitly, but personally I think there's been enough evidence presented already to suggest that we shouldn't trust them in the slightest.

 

Having said all that, nothing looks very interesting in this batch so far and it will probably just devalue any future releases.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

There are rumours that Assange's Australian passport could be taken off him.

 

If anything like that happens, I would hope people take to the streets out here. The revelations are nothing startling - politicians are two faced barstewards by nature no matter where they are - but to threaten freedom of speech like that is out of order.

[neave]

 

"Claims of inappropriate behaviour by a member of the Royal Family"

 

US embassy cables reference

Christ, what did the Duke do/say/offend now?

[I P Knightley]

I fail to see the point of this.

 

Is anybody really interested? Maybe in salacious gossip, as witnessed on this thread so far( ), but in actual 'secrets'?

 

Governments have secrets, they all do, nobody should be surprised, nobody should be offended, is it really a big deal? Any kind of deal?

 

The only thing that'll come out of this is destabilised governments, more killing of people's sons and daughters at the behest of embarrassed leaders. What good can it possibly do? Cause further embarrassment for Obama and who'll replace him in a couple of years? Sarah Palin? Nice one Wikileaks, you've made the world a better place! Arseholes.

 

Stupid, short thinking, smartarses trying to make a name for themselves just because they can, or maybe they think they can make a few quid out of it.

 

It's certainly not for anything as noble as the greater good.

 

Well put.

[maroonlegions]

I've been reading on this subject all weekend. None of these documents were classified top secret. The docs were available on a network that is accessible to 3+million US MIl/State Dept staff. This what happens when a 23 year old soldier in Iraq has 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, to spend reading on a classified, but below top secret network, SIPRNET, where he had read/write priviledges. The link below gives a clean overview.

 

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/86525/20101129/us-wikileaks-bradley-manning-factfile-who-is.htm'>http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/86525/20101129/us-wikileaks-bradley-manning-factfile-who-is.htm

 

Here are some details about arrested U.S. army Private Bradley Manning, who is suspected of helping the world have a peek into sensitive U.S. diplomatic documents:

 

THE MAN;

Bradley Manning is a 23-year-old U.S. Army private who was working in Iraq as an army intelligence analyst when he was arrested in May this year. He was enlisted in the US Army in 2007.

 

link; http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/86525/20101129/us-wikileaks-bradley-manning-factfile-who-is.htm

[The Future's Maroon]

I think what I seen on the news late last night (when Sky turns over to CBS News) that they are very worried about some of what is still to come out. Wikileak allegedly have months worth of stuff to release. Although I am pretty sure they will have some kind of computer virus and they loose all the info they have!!

[Mr Sifter]

Wikileaks should be shut down and the creator shot.

 

That is all.