The following points by leading Australian intellectual and academic Scott Burchill is published here exclusively: Below are edited transcripts of two interviews with Lowy Institute’s Michael Fullilove about WikiLeaks, both from ABC TV’s The 7.30 Report. The first is dated 30 November, 2010. The second is from 7 January, 2011. I have removed contributions by…
Wikileaks
Wikileaks is one of the biggest and most important stories in the world, challenging governments and journalists alike. I’ve been writing extensively about the group since 2006, featured an exclusive interview in 2008 with founder Julian Assange and examined the myriad of issues around the website. Assange himself asked me in the early days whether I wanted to be on the group’s board to vet incoming leaks and determine their veracity before publishing. I agreed but unfortunately this never eventuated.
Dictatorship offers US help on secrets post Wikileaks
An authoritarian, one-party state offers advice to the US. Thanks, we’ll take your thoughts on-board: Singaporean officials must be more cautious in discussions with U.S. diplomats, the country’s foreign affairs minister said Monday, calling the release of classified documents by WikiLeaks disastrous for American diplomacy. Singapore officials will be less open when speaking with U.S.…
So sorry authoritarian state, America still loves you
What’s a super-power to do when trying to keep good relationships with dictatorships and brutish men? Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the Middle East for meetings with Persian Gulf leaders, acknowledged Sunday that it would take years to undo the damage caused by the WikiLeaks revelations, likening her recent travels to an extended…
Will the brave reporters please stand up?
What a sad state of affairs. The vast bulk of American journalists show themselves to be cowards, simply unwilling to defend the importance of what Wikileaks is doing. Too afraid to seriously challenge the Washington line. Shameful: Not so long ago, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could count on American journalists to support his campaign to…
0.8% of Cablegate in the public domain
The slice below shows cables released, 2017, or 0.8% of the total collection (via Cryptome):
Are Twitter, Facebook and/or Google monitoring Wikileaks?
We are entering an age where the complicity of internet companies in censorship is becoming clear to many. We have allowed them to become too powerful and now they can act like this. By the way, so much for the Obama administration being any different to the Bushies over human rights, secrets and intimidation: WikiLeaks…
Department of Justice selective outrage over Wikileaks
Here’s the hypocrisy. If Iran demanded Twitter release direct messages of a user, the US government would be outraged. But of course double-standards are the name of the game here: A member of parliament in Iceland who is also a former WikiLeaks volunteer says the US justice department has ordered Twitter to hand over her…
Washington doesn’t care too much about certain leaks
So I presume Donald Rumsfeld will be prosecuted for releasing classified documents? Details of Donald Rumsfeld‘s forthcoming book tour are out, as the former defense secretary plans to sit for a series of interviews with ABC News in early February, the network announced Thursday. Rumsfeld — who served as defense secretary in two administrations —…
State Department uses media to issue caution/threat over Wikileaks
This is a curious story in the New York Times. Low on details and high on insinuation, it’s difficult to truly know the reality behind the article so here it is: The State Department is warning hundreds of human rights activists, foreign government officials and businesspeople identified in leaked diplomatic cables of potential threats to…
Assange and Mugabe aren’t sharing drinks at sunset
Oh the irony. A former Bush administration official – didn’t their democracy work bring so much happiness to the world? – slams Wikileaks and Julian Assange for allegedly helping Robert Mugabe cement his dictatorship in Zimbabwe by the release of some sensitive cables. Michael Gerson seems to misunderstand the process here. Wikileaks didn’t recklessly release…