WHOM DO YOU SERVE?
By Elizabeth C. THE HIGH-STAKES GAME OF GOTCHA BETWEEN WIKILEAKS AND THE U.S. has given Americans an unvarnished glimpse into our military bureaucracy's killer instinct and the risks that comes with threatening its supremacy.
Barely four years old, the whistleblowing organization has proved a gallant David against earth's Goliath states, spilling secrets of nations engaged in war and of corrupt officials enriching themselves at the expense of unknowing populations.
Read Quotes From Julian Assange, The "World's Most Dangerous Man
What Makes Bradley Manning Tick? The Psychology Of Whistleblowers
Last week, in collaboration with three of the world's most prestigious publications, the new media outfit released 91,000 documents detailing the Afghanistan war at the grass roots level. "This material shines light on the everyday brutality and squalor of war," WikiLeaks founder Julian Paul Assange said of the documents. "The archive will change public opinion and it will change the opinion of people in positions of political and diplomatic influence."
The trove reportedly showed that civilian casualties are much higher than previously believed, that Pakistan’s police collude with the Taliban, and that the U.S. military may have a secret “hit” squad targeting suspected terrorists.
Since then, the U.S. media have widely reported that the documents hold few if any shocking revelations about the ground war. And President Obama himself said: “The fact is these documents don't reveal any issues that haven't already informed our public debate on Afghanistan.”
Yet U.S. officials seem hellbent on implementing a secret military idea to destroy WikiLeaks. They’ve detained a volunteer WikiLeaks editor at a New York airport for three hours and confiscated his cell phones, and have accused WikiLeaks editor Julian Paul Assange and his staff of having “blood on their hands” for revealing U.S. sources in Afghanistan.
President George W. Bush’s former speechwriter and Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen calls Assange a "criminal" and now aggravates for U.S. authorities to charge him with violating the Espionage Act.
And Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers demagogues that suspected leaker Pvt. Bradley Manning, in military custody awaiting possible trial on 12 offenses, should be executed if found guilty of leaking classified documents -- an idea that's being called absurd.
These choreographed attacks on WikiLeaks follow recommendations by a senior Army analyst two years before the release of the “Collateral Murder” video.
Senior Analyst Michael D. Horvath wrote in a counterintelligence investigation of WikiLeaks that the group’s “center of gravity” – its sources’ trust -- could be damaged or destroyed if leakers were identified, prosecuted, forced out of their jobs or exposed. The classified document was on WikiLeaks' website.
Since the release of the damning video in April, Americans have witnessed WikiLeaks sources or employees identified, prosecuted and exposed.
In recent weeks, the admittedly confrontational Assange seems to have tempered his remarks in press outings. The man who likes “crushing bastards” says it is not his intention to judge the validity of America’s wars, only that they be waged humanely. He's smart and correct to say that.
But in a nation where the listless media provide anemic counterbalance to the “official” line, WikiLeaks is demanding accountability from those who claim to be working in our interests.
Despite the drumbeat of fear, the full consequences of the release of the 91,000 documents won’t be known for years.
What Americans now have to ask themselves is, by pursuing WikiLeaks, is the military serving the country's best interests -- or its own?
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Linda Seccaspina
Amanda Gulledge
Chocolate with Almonds
Steve Blevins
zumalicious
Bill Maher
Salon.com
Comments
Wikileaks has asked for the Pentagon's help in redacting the names of individuals whose names should not be leaked because if leaked those individuals would be endangered. The Pentagon has twisted this request from Wikileaks into an opportunity to try and put Wikileaks in a corner.
The Pentagon would also like files Wikileaks posted to be deleted.
Clearly, the Pentagon is trying to protect its interests and not the American people's interests. And, the Obama Administration is trying to protect its interests and not the American people's interests.
The American people's interests are not the same. At least, I don't think they are. The Administration wants war to rage on in Afghanistan so it can continue to press on and become more dominant in the region. The Administration chases geopolitical interests. The Administration brutalizes civilians often claiming they were insurgents to cover up misconduct. The Administration funds the war with money that often winds up in the hands of members of the Taliban and does little to improve the situation women and the people of Afghanistan are facing. Meanwhile, we see a deficit balloon as a result of investment in this military adventure.
I think, in this case, it's clear. The Pentagon and the Administration want to go after Wikileaks because that's what they want and they don't really care about truth, transparency or what the people's interests are.
j. a. has done half the basis of civilized society: putting information in front of all. the other half is having the power to act as an equal to other members of a democracy. that is lacking in america, and that is why the government will pursue wikileaks without regard to the quality of the information just released: they aim to be masters of the release of information as a primary tool in being masters of society.
they can not tolerate the release of trivial information, for it implies power to release information which might endanger the ruling guild, the 'political class.'
i greatly admire j. a. because he dares to fight the premier military society of the age. and unlike alqaeda, who have personal reasons to do the same, he seems to do it out of mere conviction. he is a genuine hero, whose personal failings will no doubt be widely publicized as soon as the cia can come up with a useful story. i look forward to seeing it. if a mortal can do it, we all have hope.
R
much more on wikileaks vs the Police State in my blog.
online. Feel free to check my crazy hot personal photos under "yuthany" at _____
B l a c k w h i t e Romance. c o m _____, which is my favoriate afro babes'
clun for fun, meeting good men ONLINE
But in reality, if it was true,it just showed more USA military incompetence or apathy. They're screaming about naked informants. Guys, you invaded the place, if you're flipping citizens it's YOUR responsibiity to keep them safe, not Julian Assange's. They made it sound like they had ops racing around the country 24/7 looking for their own informers. Dudes, if you lose them, you're supposed to be the intel people. If they'd only watched Boris and Natasha they'd have learned you don't write down their real names and locations. No wonder we're always blasting these counries and findng out later it's for reaons that didn't even exist.
Mullen admits they have a response plan for Iran, like if Iran were to attack us, which it seems more and more people in DC believe which means premptory attack coming right up. Pentagon probably couldn't even come up with a defense or response plan beyond lie, attack with shock and awe, wonder what went wrong and minimize the civilian casualties or famously, "That's not a number I'm particularly concerned about." If these people can't be happy letting us steal half their oil, the hell with 'em.
I admire Assange and Manning very much. It's so obvious the direction we're headed -- Surveillance, Authoritarian, Militaristic, Police State -- a view of the future at the last couple of G-20 meetings. For mere dissent we now see Robocops and super duper new volume guns or cannons, which when played at full volume, are easily able to permamently damage eardrums. For protesting! I thought night sticks and high speed water hoses were the limit on mere protesting.
I saw a piece recently in Al-Jareeza about a new weapon being developed by the killing geniuses at Army Inc. that may be used in Afganistan. It's designed to cook the enemy from the inside like a mierowave oven.It's also called heat ray. It's mounted on trucks and has been seen in Afghanistan but so far believe not to be used. They have a smaller version which just totally messes ip the water and muscle inside the body and creates intense pain. I particularly remember the comment line on that story, all written by men from Middle East countries, all of them way beyond outraged. Any person still obtuse enough to wonder why they hate us, one reason is designing these kind of weapons to be used on Muslim -- well, probbaly Muslims period. I don't think the military has ever really made much distinction between the combatants and the civilians, If it's brown and always knows which way Mecca is, start up the death ray.
We are so totally screwed. We're lied to, these weapons are being developed so we can bring peace and stability to the world when the last thing they want is peace and stability -- who the hell can make any money off that? They've already got the country in the long war mindset -- AFghanistan could go on for another 40 years and very well might and you may never see anything close to a genuine mass protest. What's being done in our name is criminal at best much of the time. And then today some wonk at the Pentagon comes out and demands their property back. Not even a hangdog look and none of the reporters asked any question as to the ethics of the war, it was all about how much intel did you lose, why did you lose it, what are you going to do if he doesn't agree to this - fat chance of that happening. I was hoping someone would say, dude, if you want your docs back, go to wikileaks and download them like everybody else. But then I heard you're in a heap 'o' trouble if they catch you visiting Wikileaks if you work for the Defense Dept (I always giggle when I type that.)
It's very disturbing when you realize your country is now the monster country like we were told Russia was as kids. Now mothers around the world scare the pea out of their kids so they're afraid to leave their beds no matter what telling them the Americans might get them -- and in too many countires it's not just a scary betime story. And it will only continue unless we, the people -- supposedly the government - learn what all is being done to innocent people the world over in the name of profits, empire. oil, and power. I hope to hell it doesn't happen, but if the Pentagon actually does hit Assange they may end up regretting it big time. I keep thinking every time something like this recent document dump or the Apache video is released-- even the bovines are going to have to get riled now but they just keep on with the cud thing. Maybe knowing a man who tried to bring a little sanity abd transparency to an insane world led by a very insane rogue state was killed for it would move the public to act. But maybe not. Not while the Pentagon is yelling about the return of "their property". Excuse me, jarhead, I think I pay your salary along with a few hundred other goofs who get told the most ridiculous stories that too many people fall for like a slug.
If you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to worry about. Explains why the government is worried sick of future leaks and here's hoping they happen. This might be our one chance to create a movement large enough to at least make ObamaBush and the future Murder in Chief keep their uniformed assassins on a shorter leash. It's not a given. but really, what other chances do we have?
Free Brad Manning.
http://www.bradleymanning.org/
Having just listened to a BBC radio 4 program on Thatcher and how to finance the Trident nuclear deter-ant she wanted to buy from Reagan by reducing our Brit defence budget by selling tanks to Iran whilst signing a repair contract with Iran who had captured them in that particular war, I think we need WikiLeaks more than ever.
Wow, try typing that sentence without punK'tuation and breathing.