92,000 classified documents with sensitive info on the Afghanistan war were leaked by Wikileaks, the news website created by Julian Assange. In what is being called one of the biggest stories in recent years, Wikileaks gave the classified documents to the New York Times within the U.S., The Guardian in Britain and Der Spiegel in Germany. . The Wikileaks documents provide new insight on how the Taliban insurgency is gaining strength, civilians are being killed within the crossfire, and Pakistan intelligence operatives are accepting American cash in one hand and aiding and abetting the Taliban to kill American soldiers with the other.
Newspapers receive Wikileaks documents
The classified documents released by Wikileaks are used by desk officers in the Pentagon and troops within the field when they make operational plans and prepare briefings on the situation within the war zone. The information published, according to the Times and the Guardian, was not details damaging to any national security interests. Of course National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones has his own opinion:
“The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified info by individuals and organizations which could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security.”
Pakistan intelligence helps Taliban kill?
Of the numerous stories within the New York Times depending on the Wikileaks documents, one reports about documents describing how Pakistani intelligence works with Al Qaeda to plan attacks. The documents show there are numerous Pakistani operatives that have refused to discuss matters involving those who attacked near Pakistani border, moved across the frontier, and then went to into Pakistan to be safe, although it is still hard to prove Pakistani operatives having been helping Al Qaeda.
Afghanistan worse than believed
Articles show in the Times, the Guardian and Der Spiegel the war in Afghanistan is worse than the U.S. government is sharing. Progress is stopped by corrupt government and police force in Afghanistan, an Afghan army that is not loyal, and a Pakistani army aiding the Taliban. Some analysts say the Wikileaks documents just confirm what was already known. Americans are becoming more involved in the Afghanistan war as shown by the Wikileaks documents, although the public and congress are being convinced otherwise.
Wikileaks looked at for spying
Wikileaks supposedly had information given to them by the soldier, Private Bradley Manning, and was criticized by the hacker who turned Manning in. Adrian Lamo told ABC News that he turned Manning in to try and stop the reports from getting to the public. Lamo thinks Manning had help considering all the details released. Lamo thinks that Manning was hired along with others by Julian Assange as “a personal shopper for classified data.”
Additional reading
New York Times
nytimes.com/2010/07/26/world/asia/26isi.html?hp
Guardian
guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2010/jul/26/press-freedom-wikileaks
Der Spiegel
spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,708314,00.html
