Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How 250,000 US embassy cables were leaked
UK Guardian ^ | 11/28/2010 | David Leigh

Posted on 11/28/2010 5:07:33 PM PST by PhilosopherStone1000

An innocuous-looking memory stick, no longer than a couple of fingernails, came into the hands of a Guardian reporter earlier this year. The device is so small it will hang easily on a keyring. But its contents will send shockwaves through the world's chancelleries and deliver what one official described as "an epic blow" to US diplomacy.

...

The US military believes it knows where the leak originated. A soldier, Bradley Manning, 22, has been held in solitary confinement for the last seven months and is facing a court martial in the new year. The former intelligence analyst is charged with unauthorised downloads of classified material while serving on an army base outside Baghdad. He is suspected of taking copies not only of the state department archive, but also of video of an Apache helicopter crew gunning down civilians in Baghdad, and hundreds of thousands of daily war logs from military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 0bamasfault; fdrq; gaysinthemilitary; homoagendaalert; homosexualagenda; manning; obamasfault; wiki; wikileak
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-132 next last
To: EQAndyBuzz

I think Obama’s career ambitions go way beyond just POTUS. Out of the ashes of WW III will rise a new world government, and he wants to be in on the ground floor of that organization. He needs the USA to be destroyed for those goals to be reached.


101 posted on 11/28/2010 8:10:29 PM PST by Cementjungle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 91 | View Replies]

Comment #102 Removed by Moderator

To: PhilosopherStone1000

Manning did this because his boyfriend dumped him.
Yeah, let’s repeal DADT.


103 posted on 11/28/2010 8:11:54 PM PST by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PhilosopherStone1000
It's all very disturbing. How did he get such a post while holding these views? Someone dropped the ball by placing him in a trusted environment.

I hope Manning's court marshall goes better than Holder's terrorist trial debacle.

Like the current CIC or not, who would tell Obama's administration anything?

We can all be thankful WikiLeaks didn't exist in 1776, 1865, 1945…

104 posted on 11/28/2010 8:14:39 PM PST by newzjunkey (groped by Obama's TSA / an expired "Bush taxcut" = Obama Tax Increase)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PhilosopherStone1000

“Read the whole thing and look upon the face of a traitor. I know that the US needs military bodies, but I bet I could have figured out he was a traitorous leftie in five minutes of questioning.”

Someone please tell me Why? Don’t tell me it was because he was a lefty too!


105 posted on 11/28/2010 8:23:51 PM PST by Wile E Coyote Genius (IQ 206....more than all Democrats combined)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A.A. Cunningham; Chode

OMG!

Chode come look at post 42!!


106 posted on 11/28/2010 8:28:25 PM PST by Wile E Coyote Genius (IQ 206....more than all Democrats combined)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: A.A. Cunningham; Chode

In fact Chode...you say it...your trademark line! You know the one too!!! I will let you say it this time! (the one on the urban dictionary)


107 posted on 11/28/2010 8:31:05 PM PST by Wile E Coyote Genius (IQ 206....more than all Democrats combined)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: mazda77
Ask yourselves this question, if he did it himself, why has there not been any arrests for dereliction of duty for those who were asleep at the switch?

Wake up. Obama's people are running this show.

108 posted on 11/28/2010 8:39:46 PM PST by Chunga (The Democratic Party Is A Criminal Enterprise)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: PhilosopherStone1000

How is it that a 22 year old private is called an “intelligence analyst” Really? With what kind of training, screening, background. This type of position is generally NOT for a private and is officer grade, for starters.

Second, a quote from the leftist guardian: “The Guardian’s Nick Davies brokered an agreement with Assange to hand over in advance two further sets of military field reports on Iraq and Afghanistan so professional journalists could analyse them.” Professional “journalists” in whose employment? Perhaps foreign intelligence entities?

Finally, the guardian says they have redacted portions to protect individuals is ludicrous at best, since WikiLeaks site has redacted nothing. Frees the guardian from any moral responsibility for a death caused jointly by them.


109 posted on 11/28/2010 8:44:11 PM PST by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mazda77
So, is this the Clintons doing this to embarrass obambi?
110 posted on 11/28/2010 8:47:50 PM PST by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Robwin

It is a good movie as it does a good job with the book on actual espionage by dope dealing whackos. It would be good to know who handles our so called “cable” traffic, or even IF there are actual cables, and not routed over the internet through say, China, during the recent re-route which has been revealed in the last two weeks happening back in May, when this did.


111 posted on 11/28/2010 8:53:15 PM PST by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: NELSON111
Figure out what idiot stored info that could be an epic blow to the US if released...at the SECRET level.

i have had a little bit of experience with classified info. Likely these things were *in and of themselves* only at the SECRET level. No one considered the possibility of them ALL being released at one time. What makes this 'grave damage' to the US and its interests is not a couple of SECRET diplomatic messages being released to the public. What is doing 'grave damage' here is the entire thing, the big picture. intel is not about information, its about patterns, behaviors. As Sun Tzu put it, it is the shape of your enemy. This release has apparently painted a pretty thorough silhouette of our DoS.
112 posted on 11/28/2010 9:01:44 PM PST by wafflehouse (RE-ELECT NO ONE !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: All

This is Dumb0’s shot across the Clinton’s bow. He knows they’re gunning for him but he can place the blame for all this on DoS for giving the kid access.

Bambi knows he has problems in 2012 and is setting himself up to take down his best known rival. I hate Hillary, but I’ve come to hate Zer0 even more.


113 posted on 11/28/2010 9:11:47 PM PST by PhilosopherStone1000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 110 | View Replies]

To: PhilosopherStone1000

mrkd


114 posted on 11/28/2010 9:18:24 PM PST by KarenMarie (NEVER believe anything coming out of DC until it's been denied.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Wile E Coyote Genius
the filthy disease ridden queers strike again...
115 posted on 11/28/2010 9:35:52 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies]

To: John S Mosby
How is it that a 22 year old private is called an “intelligence analyst” Really? With what kind of training, screening, background. This type of position is generally NOT for a private and is officer grade, for starters.

Everbody and his brother has a SECRET clearance and once you're on SIPR, you've got a giant SIPR Google equivalent to go nosing around to what you want.

Collectively the military is generating SO much intelligence if only officers looked at it or processed it, the whole thing would grind to a complete halt.

That it was possible for Manning to do this with the previous leaks and the diplomatic cables is absolutely no surprise to me (maybe a bit surprised that so much State Dept Stuff was on SIPR).

As usual, the people with the conspiracy theories have no idea of what they're talking about.

116 posted on 11/28/2010 9:37:44 PM PST by Strategerist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 109 | View Replies]

To: Strategerist

So the real issue then, is how on earth did stuff like this get on a system that could be so leaky regardless of some twit private with “issues”? I still think it is ludicrous to call a punk like that an “intelligence analyst” but if it is reduced to a title like “bomb damage analyst” or something then I guess it has the same import.

If something wasn’t to be shared shouldn’t State have some sort of flow control? Granted this isn’t like operational intel, but still, if it is supposed to be contained it ought to have been. A good chance a number of sources could be walked back from this info and put at risk.


117 posted on 11/29/2010 1:00:49 AM PST by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 116 | View Replies]

To: Strategerist

Just to lighten up the topic, here’s one cable that’s kind of funny... and not dangerous to anyone:

¶2. (S/NF) Muammar al-Qadhafi has been described as both
mercurial and eccentric, and our recent first-hand experiences
with him and his office, primarily in preparation for his UNGA
trip, demonstrated the truth of both characterizations. From
the moment Qadhafi’s staff began to prepare for his travel to
the United States, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX of
his 40-year rule, various proclivities and phobias began to
reveal themselves in every logistical detail. When applying for
Qadhafi’s visa, XXXXXXX asked whether it was necessary
for the Leader to submit a portrait of himself that fit consular
application regulations, noting that his photo was displayed
throughout the city and that anyone of hundreds of billboards
could be photographed and shrunken to fit the application’s
criteria. When the rule was enforced, XXXXXXXXX
reluctantly conceded to take a portrait of the Leader
specifically for the visa application.

¶3. (S/NF) When XXXXXXX began to search for proper
accommodations for Qadhafi, XXXXXXXX informed us that the Leader
must stay on the first floor of any facility that was rented for
him. (XXXXXXXXXX separately told U.S. officials in Washington that
Qadhafi could not climb more than 35 steps.) XXXXXXXX cited this
requirement as the primary reason that the Libyan residence in
New Jersey was selected as the preferred accommodation site
rather than the Libyan PermRep’s residence in New York City. XXXXXX also sought to find accommodations with room to pitch
Qadhafi’s Bedouin tent, Qadhafi’s traditional site for receiving
visitors and conducting meetings, as it offers him a non-verbal
way of communicating that he is a man close to his cultural
roots.

¶4. (S/NF) Qadhafi’s dislike of long flights and apparent fear of
flying over water also caused logistical headaches for his
staff. When discussing flight clearances with Emboffs,XXXXXXX
explained that the Libyan delegation would arrive from Portugal,
as Qadhafi “cannot fly more than eight hours” and would need to
overnight in Europe prior to continuing his journey to New York. XXXXXXXX also revealed in the same conversation that Qadhafi
does not like to fly over water. Presumably for similar
reasons, Qadhafi’s staff also requested a stop in Newfoundland
to break his travel from Venezuela to Libya on September 29.
[Note: The Government of Canada recently confirmed that the
Libyan delegation canceled plans to stop in Newfoundland. End
Note.]

DEPENDENCIES: RELIANCE ON A SELECTIVE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS

¶5. (S/NF) Qadhafi appears to be almost obsessively dependent on
a small core of trusted personnel. This group includes
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX coordinate the logistics of Qadhafi’s
visit. XXXXXXXXXX balanced the UNGA preparations between equally
frenetic preparations for the August 31 African Union (AU)
Summit and September 1 celebration of Qadhafi’s coup. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX At large events such as the August 31 AU Summit and
September 1 celebrations, XXXXXXXXX every last
detail of these complex gatherings, ranging from the overall
program to the position of the press pool. At UNGA, XXXXXXXXX Qadhafi to the podium at the UNGA and XXXXXXXXXX his papers and props upon the conclusion of
the Leader’s remarks. Long-time Qadhafi Chief of Staff Bashir
Salah appears to play an equally important role in Qadhafi’s
personal retinue, and XXXXXXX via an
old-fashioned green phone XXXXXXXX. It is next to a
red phone, which presumably connects to Qadhafi himself. We
constantly hear that National Security Adviser and son,
Muatassim, also plays a key role as his father’s confidante and
handler during travel abroad. Muatassim also seems to have been
tasked with insuring that the Leader’s image is well-preserved
through the full array of carefully-planned media events.

¶6. (S/NF) Finally, Qadhafi relies heavily on his long-time
Ukrainian nurse, Galyna Kolotnytska, who has been described as a
”voluptuous blonde.” Of the rumored staff of four Ukrainian
nurses that cater to the Leader’s health and well-being, XXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to multiple Emboffs that Qadhafi
cannot travel without Kolotnytska, as she alone “knows his
routine.” When Kolotnytska’s late visa application resulted in
her Security Advisory Opinion being received on the day
Qadhafi’s party planned to travel to the U.S., the Libyan
Government sent a private jet to ferry her from Libya to
Portugal to meet up with the Leader during his rest-stop. Some
embassy contacts have claimed that Qadhafi and the 38 year-old
Kolotnytska have a romantic relationship. While he did not
comment on such rumors, a Ukrainian political officer recently
confirmed that the Ukrainian nurses “travel everywhere with the
Leader.”

PREFERENCES - FROM DANCING TO HORSEMAN

¶7. (S/NF) In addition to the personality quirks revealed through
Qadhafi’s travel to New York, the Qadhafi’s preferences for
dancing and cultural performances were displayed over the last
month. The three-day spectacle of his 40th anniversary in power
included performances by dance troupes from Ukraine, Tunisia,
Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco, as well as musical performances by
bands from Mexico, Russia, New Zealand, and a number of other
nations. Qadhafi appeared particularly enthralled by Tuareg
horse racing during two of the events, clapping and smiling
throughout the races. The flamenco dancers that participated in
his celebratory events appeared to spark a similar interest, as
Qadhafi decided to stop in Seville (for a “personal trip”
according to the Spanish Ambassador here) on his way back to
Libya from Venezuela specifically to attend a flamenco dance
performance. [Note: That stop has reportedly been scrapped for
unknown reasons. End note.]

NO NEW YORK PHOTO OPS - QADHAFI LEAVES FEMALE GUARDS AT HOME

¶8. (S/NF) While Qadhafi’s reported female guard force has become
legendary, it played no role in his travels to New York. Only
one female guard was included among the approximately 350-person
strong Libyan delegation to New York. This is the same female
bodyguard who sticks close to Qadhafi in his domestic and
international public appearances and may, in fact, play some
sort of formal security role. Observers in Tripoli speculate
that the female guard force is beginning to play a diminished
role among the Leader’s personal security staff.

¶9. (S/NF) Comment: Qadhafi’s state visits and appearances at
various conferences and summits, both at home and abroad, have
revealed greater details about his personality and character.
While it is tempting to dismiss his many eccentricities as signs
of instability, Qadhafi is a complicated individual who has
managed to stay in power for forty years through a skillful
balancing of interests and realpolitik methods. Continued
engagement with Qadhafi and his inner circle is important not
only to learn the motives and interests that drive the world’s
longest serving dictator, but also to help overcome the
misperceptions that inevitably accumulated during Qadhafi’s
decades of isolation. As XXXXXXX told us, pointing to a
larger-than-life portrait of Qadhafi, “When you have been
isolated for so long, it is important to communicate.” End
comment.


118 posted on 11/29/2010 1:14:24 AM PST by Cementjungle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 116 | View Replies]

To: John S Mosby

Nope, my estimation is this is about pressing the reset button on our allies in his quest to form a New World Order as his daddy George wants and also taking out Hitlery with the one that was leaked early today authorizing spying on the UN deligates.


119 posted on 11/29/2010 2:30:04 AM PST by mazda77 (Mike Hogan - JAX Mayor)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 110 | View Replies]

To: PhilosopherStone1000

I don’t believe for a minute that this guy is responsible for this leak.


120 posted on 11/29/2010 2:42:55 AM PST by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-132 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson