Wikileaks: From Iraq Video To Afghanistan War Documents

by NowPublic Staff | July 26, 2010 at 05:57 am

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Wikileaks.Org: Has A History Of Releasing Classified Documents And Video

The release of thousands of documents relating to the war in Afghanistan by the independent website WikiLeaks is raising questions of national security, the leaking of classified documents and questions surrounding "data journalism."

First, WikiLeaks is being blasted by the White House for threatening "national security" in what is thought to be the largest leak in the history of the United States military.

Roughly, 90,000 classified reports between 2004-2009 were released by WikiLeaks to a number of media organizations including the New York Times, The Guardian Newspaper, the German magazine, Der Spiegel. WikiLeaks also posted the classified documents on its own website, wikileaks.org.

The documents provide a blow-by-blow view of the war and reveal, among other things, that the Taliban has used portable, heat-seeking, ground-to-air missiles to bring down US helicopters, which the military had not previously revealed; that US military and intelligence personnel widely suspect that Pakistan’s intelligence agency is cooperating with Afghan militants to plan attacks; and that a secret contingent of US special forces operates outside the coalition command structure in Afghanistan with the goal of killing or capturing top Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, counters that argument by saying the lifeblood of a democracy is transparency and valid data. This runs counter to "source-based journalism" which is ultimately relies on humans and human motivation.

The 90-thousands documents provide a broad and penetrating insight into the war in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Guardian's Stephen Moss, Assange said verification is critical to making journalists and journalism more trustworthy.

"Journalism should be more like science," he tells me in the restaurant. "As far as possible, facts should be verifiable. If journalists want long-term credibility for their profession, they have to go in that direction. Have more respect for readers." He likes the idea of a 2,000-word article backed by 25,000 words of source material, and says there is no reason why you can't provide that on the internet.

Another question which is tough to answer is how? How does Wikileaks get this classified information where such established organizations like the New York Times, CNN and so on, now need WikiLeaks to help them do there job?

Consider this, WikiLeaks has just 5 full time staff and a small army of part-timers, supporters and donors.

Increasingly it looks like the mainstream media is relying on newer platforms to do the serious work of journalism

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tedbohne (not verified)

at 06:58 on July 26th, 2010

It's about time the US criminal bastards were outed for the world to see. They've been at this game for over a hundred years. Think not? look up Major General Smedly D. Butler, USMC, Ret. He wrote some books about the US Corpocracy using the US military to open markets, secure markets in small developing countries. One is entitled, "War Is A Racket." and so it is. Was in Vietnam, Laos, Camobdia, Argentina, Peru, El Salvador, Greece, Italy, Haiti, Cuba, Guatamala, and so on, and so on. The United States of America is the single LARGEST PURVEYOR OF TERRORISM ON EARTH..............GET IT? THE LARGEST PURVEYOR OF TERRORISM ON EARTH, BAR NONE!!!!!!! Followed closely by Israel. You Americans are, beyond the slightest doubt THE STUPIDEST PEOPLE ON EARTH!! YOUR SICK PERVERSE GOVERNMENT COULDN'T EXIST EXCEPT WITH A STUPID ELECTORATE. Still think 9/11 was carried off by Bin Laden? Well, the FBI just closed their book on him. Nothing but obvious lies to anyone with a brain, which excludes americans. Your government screwed you to death, and you pay for it!!!!

Kamya Jacob (not verified)

at 07:14 on July 26th, 2010

Its so amazing if things turn to be the way they are in Iraq now because if peace keeping turns the little peace which prevailed before is being sabotaged to the extent of killing, capturing , and torturing of people then peace keeping force becomes torturing force. Better revise the measures of peace provision.

mtippett

at 09:26 on July 26th, 2010

This is very important story.

walter bowden (not verified)

at 04:15 on July 28th, 2010

Leaking this sort of information onto the world at this stage has to be complete lunacy by any standards! I'm not saying the West are the Best; far from it, but I am saying the West are trying to steer the less fortunate countries onto a more stable coarse in life, anyone with any consideration of his fellow man, must understand this; peace-n-prosparity beats the hell out of poverty-n-ignorance! BUT.....It appears that even this common sense idea is on the slippery slopes with OUR OWN politicians; having the self gain lust of the NWO rob the WEST of its sanity!

meyajan (not verified)

at 08:36 on July 26th, 2010

tanks your hot work

Jal Shah (not verified)

at 08:37 on July 26th, 2010

I would not put anything I have heard in the leaks past the Americans. This is the way they seem to operate. If any wrong has been done to them, they think that they have a full right to do whatever they feel like to carry out an act of vengeance. I don't know if this is the same mentality as the Jews of America posses. We know that there seems to be a correlation when we look around the world.

meen SOB (not verified)

at 08:49 on July 26th, 2010

You need a boot in your ass!

come.lil_closer_baby (not verified)

at 13:48 on July 26th, 2010

amen brother....that is what USA is all about

come.lil_closer_baby (not verified)

at 13:53 on July 26th, 2010

Some how Americans think they can bomb a SOVEREIGN country (IRAQ) without a reason, destroy the whole country, KILL the president of same, torture prisoners (ABU), then call themselves peace keepers> Do they think whole world is stupid???? I hope BUSH ends up in HAIGG

“thirty-aught-six” (not verified)

at 14:31 on July 26th, 2010

Yankee go home. Leave your aid money at the door and just f^ck off. Down the road when the sh!t hits the fan just remember it will be all your fault for doing nothing. Battle cry of the leftist sheeple..

YankeeJim

at 15:24 on July 26th, 2010

War is a racket. That is exactly right. Weapons systems are the only thing America makes that is worth exporting. That is a shame and I am about the business of exposing it and changing it. Good comment.

YankeeJim

at 15:25 on July 26th, 2010

Excellent comments everyone.

Appalled (not verified)

at 17:50 on July 27th, 2010

I am most appalled at your extreme stupidity not only by putting Nations and National Security at an enormous risk but honestly what were you thinking by leaking this type of information/ documentation???? It's not a revelation that Specialist Task Forces are used in times of war, or at other times for that matter to keep our countries and our people safe throughout the world. You have truly opened a can of worms and put us all at even more risk. Our fight on Terrorism has only just begun, but you have now fanned the flames and assisted the terrorists. The information you have leaked may be true, however, it is not for the general public to view - hence the reason documents are either Classified, Secret & Top Secret for a reason. Do you want the world to panic to the extent where we have a National Emergency?? It has been a long, hard and arduous road in our fight against Terrorism and what you ahve done is just unforgiveable. It is obvious you do not have friends, family or loved ones fighting in this war, it is obvious you have also not lost someone so precious to you in this war........................you will not get recognition, you will never get a medal for what you have done. You shoud stop thinking about yourself, you have leaked information that is not for the good of any cause, and you need to take a long hard look at yourself and what you are doing...............I implore you

Canada Eh! (not verified)

at 06:14 on July 28th, 2010

this is so ridiculous, they guy is right! and Americans are so naive and narrow minded when it comes to this stuff, its all about them and fuck the rest of the world! it pisses me off really how fucking numb they can be about certain shit!

mARK iANNICELLI (not verified)

at 18:55 on July 29th, 2010

dEAR friends, THESE AFGHAN PAPERS WERE NO SURPRISE BUT I am still searching for material about the prisoners in Quantanamo Bay that recieved chip implants in their brains so the waves could be interfaced on military lap top computers. We are still missing a lot of covet data. Some of these prisoners were referred to as "gifts" because poor people were being turned over to the U.S. for a reward when they were inocent. Dick Cheney ripped off the American taxpayers bad! When is Congress going to start punishing people in their government with long prison sentences instead of givinng them paid leave and a promotion later? Especially when people like Dick lie to Congress? Yours Sincerely, Mark Iannicelli

mARK iANNICELLI (not verified)

at 19:44 on July 29th, 2010

hOPEFULLY THE LEAKED aFGHAN PAPERS WILL BE PUT IN A PAPERBACK BOOK AND SOLD TO THE PUBLIC. wAITING, Mark IANNICELLI

wesley mclean (not verified)

at 02:00 on July 30th, 2010

thing about trying to rule world is that everyone wants you to fail, also trying to rewrite history dosnt help, conspirey against your own people,helps people turn agianst you,like when iwas younger i liked america when i got older i realized you full of arrogance and shit.

JAM hater (not verified)

at 09:03 on July 31st, 2010

HAHAHAHAHA we f***** up Sadr City in 2008 and were happy to do it. We tried to help the civilians but JAM interupted that, so we had to send a crap load of them to their "72 Virgins", they deserved it. Screw you JAM, you will never win, you got your butt kicked hardcore.

JournalismIsDead (not verified)

at 02:56 on August 6th, 2010

Well, I "dumped" the Wiki Leaks I think. Dunno if I need a password to open. There goes my flying privileges.Someone asked, I think about CNN and Fox and about them having to go to the small guys and such. Aren't they the ones who condemned that agriculture lady based on a chopped up hyped up video? It sold commercial time no doubt.Is it possible to be a patriot and embarrassed to be an American at the same time? I am. I need help. :-(

Adeoti Abdullateef (not verified)

at 06:42 on August 20th, 2010

what about the interest of "all those children around the world whose blood is serves as cereal for the american child" - that's my view of the american pogrom in foreign lands,

alpha.omega2 (not verified)

at 09:02 on October 23rd, 2010

If it weren't for the sponsors of Israel - US, UK, Jordan and Germany - there would be peace in the Middle-East tomorrow. The US and interested parties invaded Afghanistan, installed GW Bush's oil-company PR Director as Prime Minister and hopes to control the Oil and mineral wealth of the country. In addition, members of Haliburton hope to make an absolute killing.