WikiLeaks was established back in 2006 by Julian Assange, "a man with a near genius IQ" say some. According to the NYT's Assange redefined "whistle-blowing by gathering secrets in bulk, storing them beyond the reach of governments and others determined to retrieve them, then releasing them instantly, and globally."
Mr. Assange, crossed the line when he released classified documents and video pertaining to the Afghanistan War. Completing his journey across that line with his newest release of more classified documents pertaining to the Iraq War, life for the near genius Julian Assange has dramatically changed.
On October 23, 2010 the NYT's described Julian Assange as a "hunted man" who is in such fear of our intelligence agencies that he can barely be heard when he speaks to others. He resorts to encrypted cell phones, fake names, cash only transactions, trusting nobody, not even his once loyal followers.
Oh how the mighty have fallen......I am more than pleased at his sudden change in lifestyle! He is a RAT of the lowest kind!
Adm. Mike Mullen tweets "Another irresponsible posting of stolen classified documents by Wikileaks puts lives at risk and gives adversaries valuable information. 1:19 PM Oct 23rd" The Admiral urged media "to not publish" any of the leaked information.
Under the guise of exposing the dirty little secrets of our military actions in first Afghanistan and now in Iraq, Assange has exposed countless men and women to harm far greater reaching than he ever anticipated. He most likely feels the world has a "right to know" what goes on behind the veil of "confidentiality"
So where is the harm? After all any names that were deemed important were removed....or at least they tried to remove them all. "The harm" is in providing a whole bucketful of looks inside our operations, movements.....basically giving the enemy bits and pieces of "our playbook!"
There is no timeline on when this information will no longer be useful to our enemies.
Let's not forgot about PFC Bradley Manning who is currently in the brig at Quantico, VA. He is "suspected" but not convicted....yet, of providing Assange with the information that has been leaked. PFC Manning was in a perfect position to betray his country, working in Army intelligence. I guess PFC Manning forgot about the oath he took upon entering the Army. I am pretty sure that oath reads this way.......
I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
The author of the Pentagon papers, Daniel Ellsberg, said “I’ve been waiting 40 years for someone to disclose information on a scale that might really make a difference,”
“They were willing to go to prison for life, or be executed, to put out this information,” Mr. Ellsberg said.
I really wonder if PFC Manning was thinking along those lines when he provided the classified documents. At the age of 22, PFC Manning probably was thinking of the glory his actions would bring, quite possibly $$'s were dancing in his vision.....but I seriously doubt he thought he would be found out and end up in Quantico behind bars....IMO.
It would be quite easy to charge both of these men under the Espionage Act of 1917.
"Title I - ESPIONAGE
Section 1
That:
(a) whoever, for the purpose of obtaining information respecting the national defence with intent or reason to believe that the information to be obtained is to be used to the injury of the United States, or to the advantage of any foreign nation, goes upon, enters, flies over, or otherwise obtains information, concerning any vessel, aircraft, work of defence, navy yard, naval station, submarine base, coaling station, fort, battery, torpedo station, dockyard, canal, railroad, arsenal, camp, factory, mine, telegraph, telephone, wireless, or signal station, building, office, or other place connected with the national defence, owned or constructed, or in progress of construction by the United States or under the control or the United States, or of any of its officers or agents, or within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, or any place in which any vessel, aircraft, arms, munitions, or other materials or instruments for use in time of war are being made, prepared, repaired. or stored, under any contract or agreement with the United States, or with any person on behalf of the United States, or otherwise on behalf of the United States, or any prohibited place within the meaning of section six of this title; or
(b) whoever for the purpose aforesaid, and with like intent or reason to believe, copies, takes, makes, or obtains, or attempts, or induces or aids another to copy, take, make, or obtain, any sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blue print, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing or note of anything connected with the national defence; or......"
Source: firstworldwar.com
I think that most people will fail to realize that the information released is not in a complete form, that we are getting bits and pieces taken out of context. I think this opens the door for many misunderstandings by the American public, by anyone for that matter.
In an e-mail to reporters Friday, U.S. Defense Department spokesman Geoff Morrell called the documents "snapshots of events" that "do not tell the whole story."
WikiLeaks has not identified the source of the documents but suspicion has fallen on an Army intelligence analyst, Bradley Manning, who is currently in military custody. He was arrested earlier this year for allegedly leaking a 2007 video of a helicopter strike in Iraq that killed two Iraqis on assignment for the Reuters news agency.
Source: VOA News
I believe there is always a balancing act when it comes to how much information and when exactly that information might be made available to the public (and thus the world, including our enemies).
"The U.S. military has also said the publication of the files could endanger the lives of American troops and their Iraqi allies.
The files contain raw accounts from the battlefield...
The founder of WikiLeaks defended the release at a news conference in London Saturday. Julian Assange, said the decision to release the documents "is about the truth" and that the documents contain no names or information harmful to any group or individual."
Source: VOA News
Sorry "Mr Assange" but you are NOT qualified to judge whether or not the information you released is in any way, shape or form " harmful to any group or individual." If it were harmless, you wouldn't have given a rat's *ss about it and it never would have made it onto your site!! You are BUSTED!!
I hope they throw your sorry *ss behind bars like PFC Manning and throw away the key!!
Stumble It!
