WikiLeaks

[piercehawkeye45]

Ironically, this will probably cause the opposite effect of what wikileaks was hoping for. If they were looking for more transparency, it will cause US leaders to be even more secretive and come down on leaks even harder. If they were looking for a change to a more liberal, by liberal I mean sunshine and flowers type of liberal, US foreign policy, I could see it becoming even more blunt.

There is a need for classified information and blunt foreign policies but the problem, as always, is where is line drawn in the sea of gray.

[Lamplighter]

Classic, I doubt seriously the State Dept will not be able to negotiate with others.

One of the talking heads on TV reported that the response of former State Dept diplomats
was not about the embarrassment or trust, but the perception that diplomats were acting as spies.

If that's the policy (i.e., to spy), then change the policy.
I'm surprised Hillary didn't know better than to perpetuate Condy's policy.

But so far Wikileaks is not about Hillary, and I essentially agree with Piercehawkeye's last comment:

There is a need for classified information and blunt foreign policies but the problem, as always, is where is line drawn in the sea of gray.

[xoxoxoBruce]

That's the fucking point! You can't draw a line in a gray area, nobody will know where it is. That's why diplomats need latitude, and the ability to communicate frankly with their associates in other parts of the world, without fear of assholes like wikileaks.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Classic, I doubt seriously the State Dept will not be able to negotiate with others.

Again, I wasn't talking about JUST THE US. This is much bigger than that.

One of the talking heads on TV reported that the response of former State Dept diplomats was not about the embarrassment or trust, but the perception that diplomats were acting as spies.

Separate issue, but I do not think its a good thing letting them know this.
How many of those diplomats are going to be able to talk to other countries when they are now perceived as spies?

But so far Wikileaks is not about Hillary

no it isn't - you are the first to bring her up.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Classic, I doubt seriously the State Dept will not be able to negotiate with others.

It certainly weakens our position. Or don't you care about that?

One of the talking heads on TV reported that the response of former State Dept diplomats
was not about the embarrassment or trust, but the perception that diplomats were acting as spies.

If that's the policy (i.e., to spy), then change the policy.
I'm surprised Hillary didn't know better than to perpetuate Condy's policy.

But what if that was the policy? You don't like it or agree with it and are happy they leaked stolen classified information?

[TheMercenary]

Good news....

WikiLeaks ‘Cablegate’ Site Hit By Powerful Cyber-Attack

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/11/...-cyber-attack/


A bit like closing the barn door after the horse got away, but hopefully they will destroy this organization.

[TheMercenary]

Yea, which is why they should throw the book at WikiLeaks and all of those involved. This is an obvious attack on the US. He should be treated as a terrorist. A cyber terrorist, but a terrorist never the less.

[classicman]

From Merc's link...

The site appears to have responded by switching its main hosting base from Sweden to the U.S., making it available again.

Does that bring them/him under US jurisdiction now?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

From Merc's link...

Does that bring them/him under US jurisdiction now?

I suspect they did that because they know if they try a DOS attack on Amazon servers it would affect the transactions of Amazon on-line ordering during the busy holiday season. They should have no problem getting Amazon to shut them down.

[TheMercenary]

Most countries use the terms interchangeably. The top spy in the Russian Consulate is a "diplomat" for protection. He knows who he is, we know who he is, yet he is still known as a "diplomat".

[Trilby]

I was wondering why Ali hadn't jumped to Mr. Assange's defense - the shit he is doing is right up her line of liberal blahblahblah but she is AWOL it seems. I would think making the US look stupid would make her, literally, swoon with glee. but, since merc is having none of it, perhaps she's just making herself scarce.

[Lamplighter]

Curiouser and curiouser... Leakers leaking to the leaker

The Telegraph
Nov 30, 2010

Julian Assange: Wikileaks founder fears he could be arrested

Julian Assange, the Australian founder of Wikileaks, has said he has been warned
by "inside sources in the White House" not to return to the US as he could be arrested.

The 39 year-old told journalists at the Frontline Club last night that US government insiders
had informed him about discussions to charge him as a co-conspirator to espionage.

The discussions were later dropped.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by Brianna

I was wondering . . . I would think making the US look stupid would make her, literally, swoon with glee.

Hmm. I don't get that off of Ali. While she prefers Oz to all other lands of her experience, what of that? It is unremarkable -- many Americans who have experience of Australia can certainly understand why she might. At its worst Oz may be a tetch flyblown and has some very unsympathetic reptiles here and there (some of them hanging around in the boozers going from twolegged to legless), but it's no pesthole.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Brianna

the shit he is doing is right up her line of liberal blahblahblah. I would think making the US look stupid would make her, literally, swoon with glee.

Complete and Utter Bullshit.

[Lamplighter]

This is going to put some people's tail in a twist...

OneIndia News
WikiLeaks founder Assange asks Hillary to resign

New York, Dec 1: The whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
urged the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, to resign the post.

During an interview with Time magazine on Tuesday, Nov 30, Julian Assange asked Hillary to resign
for ordering US officials to spy on United Nations leadership.

"She should resign, if it can be shown that she was responsible for ordering US diplomatic figures
to engage in espionage in the United Nations, in violation of the international covenants to which
the US has signed up.
Yes, she should resign over that," Assange said.