Wikileaks is expecting its latest release of 250,000 confidential Department of State (DOS) cables on Sunday to have massive diplomatic implications. “The coming months will see a new world, where global history is redefined,” the organization stated in a Twitter message a few days before the publication.
The information reveals the opinion of other countries by both DOS officials, and by other foreign governments, dating from 2000 to the present. The wires are primarily DOS communications with foreign governments and with officials from U.S. Embassies.
The documents were not available on the Wikileaks website itself on the expected release date, however, but were published by a handful of media that were granted pre-release information by the whistle-blower organization.
The Wikileaks website was down temporarily on Sunday due to what the organization claimed was a cyberattack. According to the Wikileaks Twitter page, the attack was a DDoS, or “mass distributed denial-of-service attack.” The form of cyberattack overloads a website with queries to shut it down.
Two days prior, Wikileaks held an online vote on its website stating, “Should WikiLeaks expose the world’s secret diplomatic backroom dealings? Put it to the vote!”
What was Released
Among the released reports is information on how a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo orchestrated the cyberattacks against Google, that caused the company to pull out of China. According to Guardian, the attacks were launched after the Politburo member “typed his own name into the global version of the search engine and found articles criticizing him personally.”
Other reports include claims that the Russian government is working with mafia bosses; Saudi Arabia urging the United States to attack Iran over the country’s nuclear program; as well as comments on foreign leaders, such as calling North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il a “flabby old chap,” according the Guardian.
In the wire communications, a South African minister refers to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who is referred to as “the crazy old man,” while another individual refers to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as “just strange,” according to the Guardian.
The Pentagon began preparing for the release ahead of time by alerting foreign governments and its foreign diplomats.
The State Department sent a letter to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his lawyer on Nov. 27. It states that the materials “were provided in violation of U.S. law and without regard for the grave consequences of this action,” states the letter published in full by Reuters.
“As long as WikiLeaks holds such material, the violation of the law is ongoing,” states the letter.
It then lists the consequences the documents could cause, stating it would “Place at risk the lives of countless innocent individuals—from journalists to human rights activists and bloggers to soldiers to individuals providing information to further peace and security.”
The DOS also states that the leaked information will “place at risk” military operations against terrorists, human traffickers, and criminal organizations; as well as “Place at risk on-going cooperation between countries—partners, allies and common stakeholders—to confront common challenges from terrorism to pandemic diseases to nuclear proliferation that threaten global stability.”
The letter urges Wikileaks to return all of the materials and remove or destroy the classified records on the organization’s databases. “Despite your stated desire to protect those lives, you have done the opposite and endangered the lives of countless individuals,” the letter states. “You have undermined your stated objective by disseminating this material widely, without redaction, and without regard to the security and sanctity of the lives your actions endanger.”
The U.K. government was among the first to respond to the publishing of the secret files. “We condemn any unauthorized release of this classified information, just as we condemn leaks of classified material in the U.K.,” said a U.K. Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement.
“They can damage national security, are not in the national interest, and as the United States has said, may put lives at risk. We have a very strong relationship with the U.S. government. That will continue,” the spokesperson states.
Wikileaks’ website was back online by early Sunday afternoon, but was down again shortly after. The organization’s website was also down when it released the Afghan War Diaries and the Iraq War Logs, due to an overload of visitors.
The information reveals the opinion of other countries by both DOS officials, and by other foreign governments, dating from 2000 to the present. The wires are primarily DOS communications with foreign governments and with officials from U.S. Embassies.
The documents were not available on the Wikileaks website itself on the expected release date, however, but were published by a handful of media that were granted pre-release information by the whistle-blower organization.
The Wikileaks website was down temporarily on Sunday due to what the organization claimed was a cyberattack. According to the Wikileaks Twitter page, the attack was a DDoS, or “mass distributed denial-of-service attack.” The form of cyberattack overloads a website with queries to shut it down.
Two days prior, Wikileaks held an online vote on its website stating, “Should WikiLeaks expose the world’s secret diplomatic backroom dealings? Put it to the vote!”
What was Released
Among the released reports is information on how a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo orchestrated the cyberattacks against Google, that caused the company to pull out of China. According to Guardian, the attacks were launched after the Politburo member “typed his own name into the global version of the search engine and found articles criticizing him personally.”
Other reports include claims that the Russian government is working with mafia bosses; Saudi Arabia urging the United States to attack Iran over the country’s nuclear program; as well as comments on foreign leaders, such as calling North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il a “flabby old chap,” according the Guardian.
In the wire communications, a South African minister refers to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who is referred to as “the crazy old man,” while another individual refers to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as “just strange,” according to the Guardian.
Washington Worries
The Pentagon began preparing for the release ahead of time by alerting foreign governments and its foreign diplomats.
The State Department sent a letter to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his lawyer on Nov. 27. It states that the materials “were provided in violation of U.S. law and without regard for the grave consequences of this action,” states the letter published in full by Reuters.
“As long as WikiLeaks holds such material, the violation of the law is ongoing,” states the letter.
It then lists the consequences the documents could cause, stating it would “Place at risk the lives of countless innocent individuals—from journalists to human rights activists and bloggers to soldiers to individuals providing information to further peace and security.”
The DOS also states that the leaked information will “place at risk” military operations against terrorists, human traffickers, and criminal organizations; as well as “Place at risk on-going cooperation between countries—partners, allies and common stakeholders—to confront common challenges from terrorism to pandemic diseases to nuclear proliferation that threaten global stability.”
The letter urges Wikileaks to return all of the materials and remove or destroy the classified records on the organization’s databases. “Despite your stated desire to protect those lives, you have done the opposite and endangered the lives of countless individuals,” the letter states. “You have undermined your stated objective by disseminating this material widely, without redaction, and without regard to the security and sanctity of the lives your actions endanger.”
The U.K. government was among the first to respond to the publishing of the secret files. “We condemn any unauthorized release of this classified information, just as we condemn leaks of classified material in the U.K.,” said a U.K. Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement.
“They can damage national security, are not in the national interest, and as the United States has said, may put lives at risk. We have a very strong relationship with the U.S. government. That will continue,” the spokesperson states.
Wikileaks’ website was back online by early Sunday afternoon, but was down again shortly after. The organization’s website was also down when it released the Afghan War Diaries and the Iraq War Logs, due to an overload of visitors.
