Posted on 07/26/2010 4:55:59 PM PDT by jazusamo
The Wikileaks release of 92,000 mostly secret documents on the Afghanistan War has produced no bombshell revelations, but it has revealed the dangers of the "open government" movement. The main impact of the document dump may be to teach the enemy how better to kill our fighting forces.
Reporters are naturally trying to find scandal in the massive document trove, but these are not the Pentagon Papers. Not all secret documents have news value or historical importance. Most of the 92,000 records - in fact, almost all of them - have no news value. Several thousand are unclassified or the classification is not noted, and the highest classification appears to be "secret," which is about at the level of detail and significance of most news reports.
The claimed cover-up of the Taliban using heat-seeking man-portable anti-air missiles - or "manpads" - is a manufactured scandal. The suspected use of these weapons was reported as early as 2007. In April 2009, Lt. Gen. Gary North, the Central Command Combined Forces Air Component commander, said publicly that air forces in Afghanistan "occasionally" are engaged by shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles, but "our aviators going out are armed with the latest intelligence and the best in technology for [infrared] missile defeat, and so we're very comfortable with the technology, the capabilities, and as you know, aviators, both rotor and fixed, have to keep their head on a swivel because it is dangerous out there on occasion." A better story line on manpads is that they have been ineffective in the hands of insurgents, unlike the game-changing use of these weapons against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. However, enemy failure makes a less compelling narrative to most media outlets than trumped-up government malfeasance.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
This is rich, coming from the NYT... Leaks are only frowned upon if there’s a Democratic president?
Bomb Wikileaks!
I would be surprised if more than half of one percent of the documents have any current practical intelligence value.
Maybe the wikileaks folks should be put in danger...
Just sayin...
Agreed...Their irresponsible printing of these leaks (espionage) can only hurt our military in the field, it’s criminal.
And if someone besides the Times does the leaking.
I believe that’s correct but if only one troop is killed because of this whoever leaked it has committed treason.
hmmmm...........
It’s the Washington Times....isn’t it????
NPR interviewed Daniel Ellsberg this morning about these leaks. He was beside himself with joy at the thought that someone had tried to do so much damage to the US military. He was disappointed that 40 years had elapsed since he had done his deed (Pentagon Papers) but he was glad that someone else had finally picked up the torch.
This is how espionage is done in the modern age. In the old days you’d have to use spycraft, secret handshakes, if you see the “x” scratched on the wooden post the documents will be in the secret hiding place back behind the third tree from the bridge abutment.
Not now. Now you just pass the information over to the New York Times and they publish it on page one. Or, straight to the internet. Your handlers can read the information with their morning coffee sitting in their pajamas and no one has to take the risk of actually meeting anywhere at anytime.
The editors aren’t going to give you up if they even know who you are, and if somehow they do figure out your identity you’ll be a “whistleblower” and you’ll be the talk of the cocktail circuit. You’ll get a book deal and Russel Crowe will play you in the Hollywood movie. Or maybe Matt Damon.
Why don’t they arrest this guy?
You’re absolutely right. You can bet if leaks like this were endangering members of Congress or their families they’d act on it tomorrow to stop it or at least make the traitors pay. I’m not holding my breath.
Screw it. Forget extraditing him. The CIA needs to go off the reservation, hunt him down, and put a bullet in his brain. Our forefathers would've done no less.
However, it's still an odd thing to say, considering the information Gertz gathers from his Pentagon/military sources.
The Army intelligence turkey they suspect of releasing these docs has already been arrested for leaking the video awhile back. If they nail him on this as well he’ll never get out of Leavenworth.
The thing here is they can’t touch Wikilinks for printing this and it’s criminal, IMO.
There was a time in America when only loyal Americans would have access to these documents. Now that the commie DemocRATS have poisoned the minds of the young people, this is going to happen more often. Most young people these days appear to think that life is just a movie and everybody wants to be the star.
sad, but obozo could have stopped this but why would he, he don’t give a ratsazz about America!!!!!!
If they started standing traitors up against a wall before a firing squad again it might make those young people think twice.
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