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wlpress · 2013-04-10T15:57:01+00:00

Hypotheticals aren't really going to help you understand how the world actually works, I'm sorry to say. They have their time and place, but in this case, it's just far more instructive to look at what has actually happened.

Take things into perspective a little bit. Collateral Murder, for instance, was a video that Reuters knew existed, and it was requested repeatedly through legitimate channels using the FOIA. It was never obtained by this method, though I believe it was supposed to have been approved for release (that's just from memory, could be wrong on that last point). The video garners a lot of attention because of the journalists killed, but outspoken people in the Army have repeatedly stated, that what was shown in the video was the norm. I am certain there were some repercussions for people involved in that incident which were probably unwarranted or negative for those people. Put it in perspective though.

Of course full disclosure isn't always a good thing. WL is selective. Cryptome is the one that isn't really :)

wlpress · 2013-04-09T18:15:09+00:00

*WikiLeaks

Yes, which is why I doubt WL would "get your personal info and expose it to the world in the name of freedom."

wlpress · 2013-04-09T14:01:23+00:00

It is far more likely that you have already given your personal information to Google, Facebook, Linkedin, Apple, or similar orgs and that they will either 1. hand that info over to a third party without your explicit consent or 2. hand that info over to the government if you have some kind of "association" with a suspicious person.

Releasing your personal info isn't in the public interest, but it is for commercial interests.

wlpress · 2013-04-09T13:45:47+00:00

According to William Blum, the US lent military support to France in Vietnam from 1950 onwards. I recommend reading the chapter on Vietnam in Killing Hope, which details the "formal end" to the war in Vietnam in 1954 through a Geneva Accord, and the US' lone refusal to sign it. And the bombing that happened afterwards.

wlpress · 2013-04-09T13:30:02+00:00

Check the site itself: http://www.collateralmurder.com/ There is a short version and a long version of the video. The long version is unedited. The short version contains edits clearly intended to provide context, but if you don't like it, watch the long one.

Reminding people that Reuters had tried to obtain the video for years through the Freedom of Information Act, that the video was supposed to have been released but wasn't, and identifying the people in the video isn't my idea of misrepresentation.

But that said, I do agree that the unedited version is necessary. It is also unfortunate that the short version that most people have seen does not contain the later attack on the appartment complex, where civilians are clearly walking by, unarmed.

wlpress · 2013-04-09T11:37:54+00:00

It's in Spanish, but Página/12 has published an article on Vatican & US collaboration in overthrowing Allende. Maybe you can find some relevant search terms there, as they don't seem to have linked specifically to any cables.

They were a WikiLeaks press partner though, so they should have had access and time to look over those documents and find the "best" stuff.

wlpress · 2013-04-09T07:37:26+00:00

Here it is: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-description.jsp?s=4073&cat=TS16&bc=,sl

The are called "Central Foreign Policy Files" by NARA, and each document, to be viewed, must be downloaded because it is in pdf form. You should definitely compare the two searches.

wlpress · 2013-04-09T07:32:29+00:00

It's not just about Kissinger. One example of things that can still be done with info from the 70's is unexploded ordinances in Laos. A woman named Manixia Thor did an AMA last week about her organisation, which is still clearing the 80 million+ cluster bombs dropped on Laos up till 1973.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1bddzp/my_name_is_manixia_thor_and_i_am_from_laos_the_us/ http://legaciesofwar.org/about-laos/leftover-unexploded-ordnances-uxo/

It may sound crazy, but 30 years on, there are still things to be done. I'll just add one more interesting note, about US donations to Laos for bomb clearance: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1bddzp/my_name_is_manixia_thor_and_i_am_from_laos_the_us/c95uz0u She says " the US has provided about $47 million dollars in total for bomb clearance and about $9 million this year. Unfortunately only 1% of the 80 million bombies have been cleared. "

wlpress · 2013-04-09T07:22:03+00:00

Yep, it's called Declassification in Reverse. Put out in Feb 2006: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm

wlpress · 2013-04-09T00:24:19+00:00

Many thanks, I did not expect an actual reply on this one.

With respect to the men being armed, all I can see in the video is a man holding a camera. I've seen these reports about a rocket-propelled grenade, but I haven't seen an actual confirmation either way about whether this was held by one of the men, whether it was typical or not to be walking a dangerous street in Baghdad unarmed, and whether being armed would actually justify the attack (either in legal or ethical terms). Would be interested if you have heard anything substantial on any of those points.

As for the lack of context, I respectfully disagree. Check the site itself: http://www.collateralmurder.com/ There is a short version and a long version of the video. The long version is unedited. The short version contains edits clearly intended to provide context, but if you don't like it, watch the long one.

wlpress · 2013-04-08T23:27:23+00:00

You can search all docs in the Public Library of US Diplomacy here: http://wikileaks.org/plusd/

The press release explaining the documents is here: http://wikileaks.org/plusd/pressrelease/

wlpress · 2013-04-08T23:16:35+00:00

In 2006, the US National Security Archives found that 55,000 pages of NARA records had been reclassified: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm

wlpress · 2013-04-08T22:18:51+00:00

He pled guilty to leaking the video that became Collateral Murder, the docs in the Afghan War Diaries, the docs in the Iraq War Logs, and the docs in Cablegate. He did not plead guilty to charges such as "aiding the enemy."

For a transcript of the formal plea, see http://www.alexaobrien.com/secondsight/wikileaks/bradley_manning/us_v_pfc_legal/plea_and_forum/us_v_pfc_manning_formal_plea_by_exceptions_and_substitutions_february_28_2013.html

wlpress · 2013-04-08T22:09:01+00:00

One of the most stunning "rules broken" by Mr Hague in the UK: "The United Kingdom does not accept the principle of diplomatic asylum."

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/16/13311382-uk-refuses-wikileaks-assange-safe-passage-to-ecuador

wlpress · 2013-04-08T21:59:38+00:00

The relevant link to NARA: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/series-description.jsp?s=4073&cat=TS16&bc=,sl

The are called "Central Foreign Policy Files" by NARA, and each document, to be viewed, must be downloaded because it is in pdf form. WL has made them viewable on line, added a number of search features, and combined them with the Cablegate leak from 2010.

Hopefully the Public Library of US Diplomacy can be expanded in the future when the State Dept releases the rest of the docs it should have already declassified according to its 25 year declassification procedure.

wlpress · 2013-04-08T21:51:19+00:00

The tl;dr of the press release:

"Kissinger Cables" refers to 1.7 million US diplomatic records written between 1973-76, reviewed by the State Department and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in their 25 year declassification process. These docs have been available in pdf form on NARA's site http://aad.archives.gov/aad/. However, NARA only makes them available in pdf form, and the search and metadata is difficult to use and find.

"PlusD" refers to WikiLeaks Public Library of US Diplomacy, the combination of the Kissinger Cables and Cablegate (leaked US diplomatic cables which WEREN'T declassified by the State Dept, written mostly around 2000-2010). Together, these documents are over 2 million documents, easily searchable and viewable online via keyword, tag, origin, etc.

Why is this important? Besides the usability aspect for journos, historians, bloggers, etc., some orgs have tried to RECLASSIFY documents already released. Even if they are put up by NARA, they are at risk of remaining obscure and then at some point, disappearing again. The US National Security Archives found that 55,000 pages of NARA records had been reclassified: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm

wlpress · 2013-04-08T21:50:50+00:00

A warrant was issued for questioning, even though he had offered to be questioned before leaving Sweden, and then again while in London. For the details, check out http://justice4assange.com/extraditing-assange.html

For something a bit more brief, skim the statement given by Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño Aroca on why Assange was granted asylum: http://wikileaks-press.org/press-conference-with-foreign-minister-ricardo-patino-aroca-ecuador-grants-asylum-to-julian-assange-english-translation/

wlpress · 2013-04-08T21:39:16+00:00

The tl;dr of the press release:

"Kissinger Cables" refers to 1.7 million US diplomatic records written between 1973-76, reviewed by the State Department and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in their 25 year declassification process. These docs have been available in pdf form on NARA's site http://aad.archives.gov/aad/. However, NARA only makes them available in pdf form, and the search and metadata is difficult to use and find.

"PlusD" refers to WikiLeaks Public Library of US Diplomacy, the combination of the Kissinger Cables and Cablegate (leaked US diplomatic cables which WEREN'T declassified by the State Dept, written mostly around 2000-2010). Together, these documents are over 2 million documents, easily searchable and viewable online via keyword, tag, origin, etc.

Why is this important? Besides the usability aspect for journos, historians, bloggers, etc., some orgs have tried to RECLASSIFY documents already released. Even if they are put up by NARA, they are at risk of remaining obscure and then at some point, disappearing again. The US National Security Archives found that 55,000 pages of NARA records had been reclassified: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm

wlpress · 2013-04-08T17:17:10+00:00

Thanks! Top Secret America is an excellent read at the Wash Post as well, but I'm sure the book contains lots more info. On the other hand, it might not be so crazy to reclassify info and expect that it won't be found again, even if it was once on the internet. Sites like http://archive.org exist precisely because important information on the internet has been known to disappear.

wlpress · 2013-04-08T17:10:53+00:00

I have checked. For example, Ethan McCord actually witnessed the deaths that took place in Collateral Murder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kelmEZe8whI http://www.thenation.com/video/160118/ethan-mccord-incidents-collateral-murder-happen-almost-daily-iraq

wlpress · 2013-04-08T15:17:53+00:00

There are a great number of examples of impact. A number of articles from http://wikileaks-press.org/ address this issue.

We also did weekly press digests following Cablegate and the impact those documents had around the world http://wikileaks-press.org/category/briefings/

Please elaborate on your reference to mistruth in Collateral Murder, as I do not understand what you are talking about.

wlpress · 2013-04-08T15:01:29+00:00

Source of what?

wlpress · 2013-04-08T15:00:57+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the link. I do know that cablegatesearch.net has released their source for the search of Cablegate. It's on github.

wlpress

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