Wikileaks targeted by Pentagon

[Triple Zero]

via Twitter (@metaphorge)

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1221972/Pentagon-targets-Wiki-whistleblowers

Pentagon targets Wiki whistleblowers

25 March 2010 | 12:37:25 PM | Source: SBS staff and agencies


A small, cash-strapped website that publishes documents governments want kept secret has caught the attention of the Pentagon, which says the site poses a possible threat to US troops.
   
A report by the US Army Counterintelligence Center says the whistleblower website WikiLeaks poses a potential danger to safeguarding troops, protecting sensitive information, and "operational security."


"WikiLeaks is currently under an aggressive US and Icelandic surveillance operation. Following/photographing/filming/detaining," Wikileaks posted on the microblogging site Twitter.

"If anything happens to us, you know why: it is our Apr 5 film. And you know who is responsible," it added, about an hour later.

Editor followed

The Twitter feed also said that Wikileaks editor Julian Assange, an Australian, had been tailed on his way from Iceland, and another site employee was detained for 22 hours. Computers were also seized, it said.

We have airline records of the State Dep/CIA tails. Don't think you can get away with it. You cannot. This is WikiLeaks.
 
We have been shown secret photos of our production meetings and been asked specific questions during detention related to the airstrike.
 
WikiLeaks also urged its Twitter followers to contact them if they knew anything about the 'operations against us'.

The last Twitter message from the site was published 16 hours after the first ones and said:

"To those worrying about us--we're fine, and will issue a suitable riposte shortly.

Military analysis published

A military analysis appeared this week on the WikiLeaks website, the latest document posted on the site that seeks to uncover information governments and companies try to keep from public view.
   
US Army spokesman Gary Tallman confirmed the report on the website was "genuine."
   
The report expresses concern that the website posted 2,000 pages of documents with precise details of military equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan from April 2007, describing them as "nearly the entire order of battle."
   
Tallman said that information has a "shelf life" and has become outdated.
   
"The information in the review is now dated to the point where it no longer presents the same national security concerns as it did when the report was generated," he told AFP.

Aim to expose contributors

The 2008 army report suggests trying to expose those who leak documents WikiLeaks as a way of undermining the website.

Sites such as WikiLeaks "use trust as a center of gravity by protecting the anonymity and identity of the insiders, leakers, or whistleblowers," it said.
   
"The identification, exposure, termination of employment, criminal prosecution, legal action against current or former insiders, leakers, or whistleblowers could potentially damage or destroy this center of gravity and deter others considering similar actions from using the Wikileaks.org Web site."
   
Tallman said the military seeks to safeguard sensitive information and is focused on preventing leaks that could endanger US forces or national security.
   
He said that "anyone who knowingly provides information marked as classified to anyone or an organization without a proper clearance or need to know is a serious matter, and subject to potential penalties under the law."

Temporary shutdown
   
WikiLeaks, run by Sunshine Press, describes itself as a "non-profit organization funded by human rights campaigners, investigative journalists, technologists and the general public."
   
The site, which has to rely in part on public contributions to stay afloat, had to temporarily shut down earlier this year because of financial difficulties.
   
WikiLeaks says it has published more than one million documents from dissident communities and anonymous sources around the world about government and corporate corruption, human rights violations and other subjects.
   
The Swiss bank Julius Baer & Company LTD earlier this month dropped a legal attempt to force Wikileaks to shut down.
   
A US federal judge in San Francisco ruled that the website's postings of leaked documents is protected as free speech by the US Constitution.
   
Julius Baer went after Wikileaks in court after the website posted copies of internal documents indicating the company helped customers launder money illegally through the Cayman Islands.

Baer denied the accusations.

[Cain]

This would seem to be a losing battle for the Pentagon, since whatever they do, Wikileaks will find out and publish it, making them look even worse.

But no-one ever credited the Pentagon with brains.

[Triple Zero]

Yeah I would say so. The Wikileak people should go as transparent as possible.

[Cain]

Aren't the Icelandic government also supporting them?  I know, its only Iceland, but even so, one government backing your efforts is way better than none.

[Triple Zero]

"WikiLeaks is currently under an aggressive US and Icelandic surveillance operation. Following/photographing/filming/detaining," Wikileaks posted on the microblogging site Twitter.

otherwise, I dunno

http://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/10961072669

[Brotep]

If they play this up as much as possible, it could help them get more funding.

[Rococo Modem Basilisk]

You'd think that if the spooks were this paranoid about it, they'd create a bunch of fake leaks full of disinfo...

Of course, they probably are, but they probably should have done that before someone leaked that they were feeling threatened and considering evasive action.

[Ari]

Aren't the Icelandic government also supporting them?  I know, its only Iceland, but even so, one government backing your efforts is way better than none.

From what I read the Icelandic government is about to pass some laws to specifically protect whistle-blowers due to their recent experiences with withheld information. Turned out that full-scale secrecy and cover-ups about irregularities with some offshore-funds were very much contributing to having their economy go down the gutter in its entirety.

I was not surprised when I read the CIA document on how to shape opinions in Germany and France to keep troops in Afghanistan, but it sure is nice to have some actual proof that this shit is happening. Hopefully the sunshinepress will make it through the pressure and release the much anticipated and feared video on the 5th of april.

[Cain]

Oh, that was the reasoning?  I'd heard they wanted to turn themselves into a haven for investigative journalism (which is awesome in and of itself - investigative journalism generally doesn't cost much, but gossip and opinion pieces are much cheaper and quicker to get out there, and so investigative journalism budgets are constantly being cut), but I didn't know the why's and wherefores of that.  And yeah, I'm looking forward to that video.  Hopefully some big bricks are being shat in the Pentagon right about now.

[Ari]

I read about it in Glenn Greenwald's article on the whole thing - admitted I don't know if he is credible but he had a long interview with Assagne and the article has a nice compact view on the situation.

[...]
WikiLeaks editors, including Assagne, have spent substantial time of late in Iceland because there is a pending bill in that country's Parliament that would provide meaningful whistle blower protection for what they do, far greater than exists anywhere else.  Why is Iceland a leading candidate to do that?  Because, last year, that nation suffered full-scale economic collapse.  It was then revealed that numerous nefarious causes (corrupt loans, off-shore transactions, concealed warning signs) were hidden completely from the public and even from policy-makers, preventing detection and avoidance.  Worse, most of Iceland's institutions -- from its media to its legislative and regulatory bodies -- completely failed to penetrate this wall of secrecy, allowing this corruption to fester until it brought about full-scale financial ruin.  As a result, Iceland has become very receptive to the fact that the type of investigative exposure provided by WikiLeaks is a vital national good, and there is real political will to provide it with substantial protections.
[...]

[Reginald Ret]

I'm starting to like iceland.

[the last yatto]

I'd heard they wanted to turn themselves into a haven for investigative journalism

who knows it might be just the free market push that finally breaks AP into little parts

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

This would seem to be a losing battle for the Pentagon, since whatever they do, Wikileaks will find out and publish it, making them look even worse.

But no-one ever credited the Pentagon with brains.

I did

Thanks for disappointing me Pentagon. Now I want you to contemplate this picture:

[the last yatto]

[Freeky]

PUH PEEEE!!!