What about gas pipelines? smallpox vaccine plants? weapon caches? satellite comm sites? Trans-atlantic comm cables?
This is the thinking that were used to justify harassing photographers in public places like train stations, subways and the likes. Yes, photography of a subway might be useful for a terrorist. But video is better. I can get you dozens of products that will record decent video from something looking like a button or a teddy bear. Add to that the fact there's enough photos of such sites already that you couldn't possibly guard against something like that anyway, and it just gets silly.
Perhaps it would have been better if the US State Department took Assange up on his offer to request certain parts of this leak blacked out. Perhaps it would make sense for them to say "it's criminal to leak such material, the guy who did it will be prosecuted for it, we can't fault a journalist, yes, we've screwed up" and then sit down with Wikileaks to cooperate about what information is really dangerous. Then they wouldn't have this particular problem.
I've said it before, I've got mixed feelings about this leak. Diplomacy needs secrecy. But that's beside the point. Knowing that Anne Grethe Str?m Erichsen, a previous defense minister of Norway was regarded as "weak" by US diplomats in Oslo is embarrassing to the US. It doesn't endanger US security, that is just cobblers. Disclosing some of these locations might be a security threat. And I'm sure there are stuff that's potentially damaging to individuals (apart from stuff like someone giving the US government internal political information and getting the sack for it), but again, that could have been avoided if the State department played their cards right.
They didn't. They banged their chest and tried to be tough. They're paying the price. Fucking wankers.
lol
The international pressure on Julian Assange increased today after the banking arm of the Swiss post office announced that it had closed the WikiLeaks founder's account because he had given "false information".
"PostFinance has ended its business relationship with ? Julian Paul Assange," the bank said in a statement.
"The Australian citizen provided false information regarding his place of residence during the account opening process."
It said that although Assange had given his residence as an undisclosed address in Geneva, he could offer no proof of being a Swiss resident.
WikiLeaks had advertised the PostFinance account details online to "donate directly to the Julian Assange and other WikiLeaks Staff Defence Fund," giving an account name of "Assange Julian Paul, Geneve".
A spokesman for the bank told the Associated Press the account was closed this afternoon, but added that there would be "no criminal consequences" for misleading authorities.
"That's his money, he will get his money back," he said. "We just close the account and that's it."
Julian Assange's Swiss bank account closed
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/06/julian-assange-swiss-bank-account
I think it was mr. Zimmerman who said "the times, they are'a changin'". They have. Once upon a time, this would be unheard of. And it's obviously impossible for a nation like, let's say, Greece, to get the Swiss to block the accounts of someone who's published leaked secret Greek documents. Wouldn't happen.
I've had a mixed relationship to the United States over the years. There was a time when I was almost a hauk, supporting pretty much anything the US did (I was young, and it was under Clinton, which just proves how silly it was), I became a really rather stanch critic of US policy in the Bush area (back then, in our social studies class, we had to hold a talk about politics, something that concerned us in particular, once in a while. I got the day after the Supreme Court ruled on Florida. Flordia REALLY made an impact, and it might have started my general sceptisism of the United States), however, in later years, I've moderated myself a lot. On pretty much everything. In particular on issues like Israel-Palestine, not to mention the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the general idea of the Bush doctrine.
One thing that's inexcusable though, is the US putting its mussle behind claming up someone. It's a stupid assault on free speech, and it won't go down well in history.
The other thing that bugs me is how they have this image that they are doing this for the greater common good of humanity. Please tell me how releasing US documents helps citizens of African countries deal with their repressive and corrupt gov'ts? How does this help the citizens of various middle eastern countries that have few personal freedoms? Why aren't private documents of those countries released? Why does the US have to be the scapegoat?
I'm sorry but there is nothing about this that I like.
Give Assange a source within China, the Middle East countries, any nation, and he'll probably publish it. I suppose he haven't had any sources in those nations. Yet. The US could perhaps use Wikileaks to as useful idiots by feeding them intelligence that's non-source sensitive and harmful of just those nations. If done right, I'm sure Wikileaks wouldn't flinch.
either way, if my computer hacking skills were up to snuff I'd shut all the WL servers down with the most epic virus ever.
And make sure this "insurance pack" is released? 250 000 unedited, uncencored, completely unaltered documents that would make everything worse? You sir, need to reconsider the thinking behind your actions. Unless you saw through your tires to get more grip, I'm guessing this is out of character for you.
at argatoga - they have not even released half a percent yet. Probably everything gets checked before release, potentially for really dangerous things.
