Pentagon Fears Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Will Spill Secrets

Source: ABC News/The Daily Beast

Officials Hunting Wikileaks Founder in Attempt to Protect Classified Documents

Pentagon investigators are trying to determine the whereabouts of the Australian-born founder of the secretive website Wikileaks for fear that he may be about to publish a huge cache of classified State Department cables that, if made public, could do serious damage to national security, government officials tell The Daily Beast.

The officials acknowledge that even if they found the website founder, Julian Assange, it is not clear what they could do to block publication of the cables on Wikileaks, which is nominally based on a server in Sweden and bills itself as a champion of whistleblowers.

American officials said Pentagon investigators are convinced that Assange is in possession of at least some classified State Department cables leaked by a 22-year-old Army intelligence specialist, Bradley Manning of Potomac, Maryland, who is now in custody in Kuwait.

And given the contents of the cables, the feds have good reason to be concerned.

As The Daily Beast reported June 8, Manning, while posted in Iraq, apparently had special access to cables prepared by diplomats and State Department officials throughout the Middle East, regarding the workings of Arab governments and their leaders, according to an American diplomat.

The cables, which date back over several years, went out over interagency computer networks available to the Army and contained information related to American diplomatic and intelligence efforts in the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, the diplomat said.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/pentagon-searches-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange/story?id=10886655

Seldom it is used to protect the national interests.

Maybe I am just being duped by myself due to "The boy who cried Wolf" too many times.

If you recall.

It is in an article just added to LBN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4423450

Until you are 100% fully auditied and know where exactly to cut (Here's a big fucking hint - end the wars) and return all soldiers all over the world to the United States for the purpose of defending the country and not participating in illegal wars... ZERO credibility for DoD

to abide by the rules. And in the event you disclose information that causes death, while we are at war, you are subject to the death penalty in the US for murder and treason. Outside the US you would be a military target subject to extraordinary measures to recover information.

The forms are quite clear, the briefing is quite clear.

this is theft via criminal disclosure. DO NOT cloud the waters with bullshit. FOCUS. If what he has warrants it they will take steps to contain the damage. If he is not is the US he is subject to military action by US and other involved parties.

public. Your post jumps to the assumption that they have and they have caused DEATH.
Leap much?

national security secrets. Maybe nobody. Maybe lots of people. The families of people who may have died, assuming people died, know. Lots of people probably know. We don't know and never will know. Because whether anyone died and if so, who, is top secret.

So it is a never ending circle of crimes, cover-ups, secrets, lawsuits, crimes, cover-ups, secrets, lawsuits . . . .

And democracy gets lost in the spin.

Did you think of all the people who were working with that lady agent in dangerous places and who were exposed by her exposure?
Do you know how many were arrested or tortured by the governments she was paid to spy on?
Do you know of the pain for their families?
Do you know of the consequences of the busting of that middle-east US spy ring for further info gathering and reporting? And yes, how many died because of the interruption of that info coming in?
You pretend to be knowledgeable and to have authority all the while shouting slogans and BS

are you 12? IF people died then it should be prosecuted. The CIA did not disclose any losses from that incident. FOCUS, we are talking about information that may contain names and business dealings that could disrupt governments, not just our own.

I did not shout shit, you dont like what I say fine. Feel free to address it on merit, like an adult.

you framed the fucking argument. cut the crap already.

in your post.

you?

And my experience clearly tells me that you are one warrior full of S.

for highly placed gov persons to ruin and sacrifice CIA networks because they disagree with the operative's husband but lower ranks must go to jail for revealing corruption in diplomatic circles.
WELL, Well, well. Thats quite an opinion for a grownup.

Blessed are the whistleblowers.

True Patriot, The ex vice pres. working for a company that has afflicted devastating injuries to our country-Motherfucker Urghhhh.......

..........anything that would HURT the US or its citizens? It's the same fucking thing as a prisoner (in a US prison by the way) that signs a document so he can "test" drugs and god knows what else, right? If you can defend that, then you ain't too fucking bright. Why don't you try hooking up with Fox "news"?

and by signing it you accept the terms of agreement. The penalty for breaking the law in the US is death. Treason has shit to do with your moral compass or your mythological beliefs..

especially when governments are engaged in murder and war crimes.

:toast: :hi: :hi: :fistbump:

we need some good voices!!

fly

soon. The paperwork is clear. It does not say if your moral compass is offended, or jeebus tells you, you can disclose information. It is a crime.

And many here are pointing out that sometimes there are other considerations to be taken into account that might supersede the law... such circumstances have occurred throughout history. You appear to be locked into a rigid line of thinking that's grounded in a deference to authority over all other considerations. That won't fly here no matter how often you repeat it.

probably not. Disclosing names of people we employ in hostile nations is doing just that. This little bitch was pissed with his job and we are talking raw communication, not the Pentagon Papers.

..........Me thinks you are the one that's a "little bitch" for your spouting (with no fucking back up at all) YOUR thinking as to the workings of the world. Good luck on your right wing voyage through life and also with any and all connections with Fox "news" and it's affiliates.

If America allowed ordered the murdering of an entire village, for example, clearly constituting war crimes, would you support the leaking of those documents?

Do you believe that the gunship collateral damage video of the murdered Reuters journalists should have never gotten out?

Doesn't everybody deserve to know the truth?

not to a hacker in a public forum. Do you think that is the correct venue?

They are more likely to aim for a simple plea deal of court martial with the provision that if he ever speaks of the case or the leaked info to anyone he will be back in jail for life because if they sought the death penalty it would highlight this case and it would make burying it even harder.

will shoot them in the head and dump their bodies at sea. He is fucking with other nations who will not appreciate their dealings with the US or each other being placed in the open. If he is lucky nothing will be released.

The releasers are actually the ones in danger to be clear, not the guy in US custody.

War on Terror indeed...
War on Drugs,
War on Poverty......

it all Bull Shit.

you good with that? Because all this dancing bullshit is fine for you because you are not impacted. If you are an American agent in a hostile land the prospect of being killed as a result of this may be slightly different.

You willing to kill a person?

police actions. Technically, they are both an Authorized Use of Military Force (AUMF), pursuant to the 1970's War Powers Act. Afghanistan & Iraq also qualify as "campaigns" (see end of post).


In accordance with our Constitution, Congress has the exclusive power to declare war and to end the state of war. So we not been in a war since Congress officially ended WWII on April 28th, 1952 - long after hostilities has ended.

So WWII, legally 7 Dec 41 until 28 Apr 52, lasted 10 years 4 Months and 21 days and still reigns as the US's longest war.

Is this distinction important? There are some Veterans' benefits that are earned for service during war or in a campaign so it does matter on some level. There may also be some laws that apply differently for actions during wartime - the death penalty for espionage comes to mind; however, I'm not an expert.

2 X 0 = 0

...then you can spend the rest of your life reading some of the most boring technical papers ever written and not even put a dent in the pile.

There's tons and tons of boring technical info there.

...until told otherwise, their job is to follow orders, unless they can demonstrate that those orders are illegal. Even then, Congressional oversight decides what's legal.

but we sure as hell look like it, don't we?

no western European nation, no one. This all stems from a crime that carries a death penalty sentence.

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people in illegal acts.

screw their own people, diplomatically!

government operatives or presidents. If our government is breaking the law, I am thankful that there is a 22-year-old patriot truly in the mold of the Founders of our country. If it's legitimate state secrets he turned over - throw away the key.

How long will we continue to accept cynical corrupt leadership asserting that they are defending America by destroying what we were?

if he makes it to court. You guys think this is a movie. If he is going to compromise Egypt, Turkey, Israel, or Russia, they will bury him and his friends.

was released before I form my opinion.

if what he releases endanger US relations with other countries he should. BTW no one has the right to see what he stole. He can be convicted and sentenced to death without disclosing all the data.

dictatorship's military advances: AIPAS spies.

rot in jail, or rot somewhere else. You think I am defending the guy?

your examples, indeed very democratic progessive countries!

and dont kid yourself, germans or french would shoot this guy in the head and dump him in the ocean if their interests warranted that action.

I'm sure a lot of people think there was a good reason to keep Operation Tiger in Slapton Sands a secret... even twenty years after the war. And maybe a lot of people think that simple embarrassment is indeed a valid reason to maintain state secrets...

Can't think of any other use, really.

Spill, baby, spill!

systems has guilt. This information is classified because it can be used to kill americans and represents hundreds of billions of dollars.

Diplomatic cables discussion methods and means is critical to the US interest. Disclosing it is illegal.

This is not the pentagon papers, this is raw communication.

competent enough to keep such project classified. No problem then.

If the project has nothing whatsoever to do with building of defense systems, then it has no business being classified after the fact. I'm sure everyone acted properly during the last administration so let's have it. All the emails and papers. Everything. Our leaders do look after our best interests in a legal and ethical manner, right? Right? No? Maybe? Not so much? How about that maybe we have a bunch of lunatic scumbags representing us and making decisions for us and I, for one, feel we have the right to inspect their communications.

I don't care for state secrets in that they are usually coverups of criminal activity of a corrupt few.

Guantanamo comes to mind. And secret prisons around the world where the US can wisk off their enemies. That is just criminal behavior no matter how you dress it up.

Protect the technology. But throw the crooks to the sharks. No one is above the law. Justice first demands transparency.

Let the whistleblowing fly!

Not much I can add to that, since that was my point all along. We've been paying too much for too little for too long because we have no access to what we buy, much less what we actually need.

So yes, protects the guilty profiteers who do well, rain or shine, while millions of ordinary Americans are hauled out of their homes due to temporary job loss.

disclosed the workings of an NSA system who is paying to replace it. You think the NSA will just stop intercepting traffic? Nope, they will flush that billion dollar project and move on to the next billion dollar system to replace it.

This has dick to do with job loss, these are diplomatic communications. You know, the kind governments like to keep secret.

Dismantle all intelligence gathering agencies on the US side and announce it. Then, if there's anything we need to know, the various groups paid by all the other taxpayers in the world can rush to inform us, gratis.

They will want to do this, because if we make a mistake, it's measured in kilotons. Some advantage to having been the only country to ever use nukes on another, right?

Save all that money as well as wear and tear.

Genius, right?

I am sure the world out of the kindness of their hearts, would refrain from fucking us.

else's say-so.

We couldn't do any worse than we do now, killing wedding parties, incarcerating children without trials or the hope of one, kidnap of US citizens, and much much more.

And you can't deny the money savings!

There's also the amusement factor.

we were pulled into a war that killed 40 million people. Haven't had one since. Are you actually saying the US would use nuclear weapons based on some third party intelligence.

Nothing new under the sun, we did this after ww1 and just like a passed out chick at a frat party got fucked over.

Will never happen.

for the "right" people.

Actually, we had it pretty good after WWI. Seems some of these older wiser countries got their ass in a crack and needed someone to come in and save their old asses. So we did.

And then, like complete idiots, we started acting just like they did before they got in trouble.

Of course, that profits the right people, and that's why we must have everlasting military action and shadow enemies everywhere!

Look, they told me the Russians were gonna atom bomb me every day of my life until the USSR collapsed under its own weight. Not buying any more boogeyman shit.

What about the Tonkin incident, all set up to start a war that killed millions and still kids Vietnamese with aftermath of use of Agent Orange? You like to write history books that are like science fiction, actually worse: they are either propaganda or stupidity but in both cases, disinformation and lies.

in the numbers of deaths compared to a global war. Vietnam was a US disaster before that incident.

If you place the numbers of deaths on a timeline you will see a sharp decline at 1945. What happened in 1945?

American Casualties in Korea: 128,650

American Casualties in Viet-Nam: 211,454


Seems that whatever you're alluding to in 1945 (do we get extra credit for a clever guess?) isn't as effective as some may be led to believe...

all of those divide into it leaving whole numbers.

Neither the W88 warhead, nor naval propulsion, will get us any closer to capturing Osama bin Laden.

turkey, jordan, and others will be compromised if this information leaks. These countries communicate with us in secret.

Our government is not interested in protecting the American people either, only the bankers, financiers, and arms merchants.

prevent a nuclear arms race behind the scenes that is a good thing. If Jordan is disclosing information on people in the US funding Al-Qaeda that is helpful.

You guys are all broad brush. Focus. This is about secure communications between embassies and the government.

How does disclosing information gathered in a death penalty crime help the US?

Right?

Hope your papers are in order!

in Iran, Syria is not valuable? You understand the consequences of disclosing that, right?

Valerie Plames's exposure did just that in Iran and Syria.
I'm going to stop, no use. You are dishonest and full of S.

it involved disclosure by the administrative branch, depending on what you believe. It was obviously a criminal act. This incident involves disclosure of more than one name, it is not a political game, and is designed to hurt the US.

I am saying shit you dont like, fine.

Dont call me dishonest because you cant keep up.

"and is designed to hurt the US...."

Based on what prognostications?

about him being unhappy with his job in the army. Leaking to take retribution. google...

you are doing nothing wrong, what have you to hide?"

Of course, we would not have won WWII had we not been able to keep National Security secrets secret. The problem is that a lot of the stuff that is now labeled "Top Secret" doesn't need to be. This is just a way of strengthening the elite while excluding the voters from information and therefore power at the polls.

Or, what is America doing that it shouldn't be?

as communicating with the evil zionists. Exposing Russian efforts in Iran could be intentionally bleeding that government of money.

You expect all communications to be made in clear for everyone to see?

information entrusted to you under a security clearance. No matter what. Not to get people to like you on the internets, not for god, or for your mythology.

That's why we have such secrecy, to protect from public disclosure the evil things our government does in our name.

employment history, do you like straight or gay porn, what type? Have you ever been convicted of any crime, cheated on a spouse? Please disclose you entire medical history. No, should I have to disclose. Should the government disclose every negotiation made.

Governments do not have to expose every action they make to everyone in the entire world.

Your morality of good and evil are irrelevant to criminal activity in this case.

as every low-level clerk at any credit agency, bank, credit card company, health insurance company, life insurance company, and many more, none of whom have secret clearances or any of that.

The only secrets are those the government has from us, the taxpayers, their "employers."

communications between you and others. The things that do require clearance.

that honest and pure stuff!

if there is a crime it should be investigated. There are plenty of sources to send classified information, like the FBI, CIA, SASC and others who are not the fucking internet. Are you actually saying names of us intelligence agents in hostile countries should be disclosed.

How about this. I hand you a loaded pistol and you blow those peoples brains out so information can be free. You willing to turn people to bodies for your beliefs? Because this is exactly what will happen to them.

Bunch of goddamn naive children here.

I don't get them in danger - they were put there on purpose to give us the excuse to do expensive dirty work which goes straight to the bottom line of the right folks.

to frat parties. I am sure no one would take an opportunity to fuck them over...

Grow up. This game is played by every country.

Sad.

So ban alcohol and put women in burkas - you'll be much happier!

government and less covering stuff up by them however ya cant just grant people carte blanche to violate agreements to keep stuff secret, that path just leads to sheer anarchy.

Secrecy is deception, by definition. Deception is fraud. Fraud is crime. Secrecy is crime. Do away with it.

There are some things that need to remain secret like agents currently undercover or informants providing information to the government so secrets are here to stay.
Most we can ask for is better oversight so the secrets being kept is stuff that truly needs to remain a secret and not stuff thats being kept a secret in order to cover up something like a crime.

Sorry. Intelligence agencies are in business to perpetuate themselves, and most dangerously, they're always fighting the last war. They never see the next thing coming, even when they cause it, like Colin Powell walking out of that conference before 911.

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this is not an oped issue. Its the law of the land. Dont like it, change it. Until you change the law it is ILLEGAL to disclose classified information. It carries a death penalty during times of war.

and the Constitution, that old relic, makes it clear that they are the only ones who can do so.

people for disclosing nuclear secrets. The other countries impacted will not hesitate to bury these people.

Anything he thought was good is shit.

Are you suggesting that the US government is unable to protect its own citizens on US soil from other countries with your second statement? If you are, that's my absolute proof that our whole apparatus is a Potemkin effort to make billions for the "right" people and frighten the rest of us into compliance.

and if this person is prepared to disclose information there are people willing to kill him to prevent it. Him, his friends, family. The US is the least of his concerns.

You think people would not put his ass on a plane to Jordan or Qatar?

Think again.

It's the state department itself for failing to uphold American principles.

hopefully the people who are considering this will consider the consequences of publishing diplomatic communications.

to begin with

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instead of being catapulted with the BS 24/7/365 from the their PR folks in the M$M.

an invaluable to historians as well.

more power to them :toast:

If this young man has released diplomatic cables that reveal crimes by US government officials/agents/etc, then he should be protected as a whistle-blower.
He has the obligation to report these crimes in a manner that he sees fit, be it too another government agency, The press, or wikileaks.
He has the right to report a crime.

If, on the other hand, he has leaked information does not involve a crime, then he is pretty much screwed.

I would hope that this kid is smart enough to not release non-crime related info.

perhaps they will leak what happened in Cheney's energy meeting