Wikileaks reveals identity of Afgan informants

[Beskar]

I doubt the Taliban have access to the Internet, luckily.

[PanzerJaeger]

I doubt the Taliban have access to the Internet, luckily.

They do.


In any event, this information is highly damaging to the NATO war effort and the lives of thousands of Afghan informants, who in many cases just wanted to build a better society.

I could understand leaking such information if it was of the caliber of the Pentagon Papers - high level policy discussions that revealed huge public deception on the part of multiple administrations. However, the only real new information revealed so far is that the Taliban has, on occassion, used surface to air missiles with rather unreliable success rates, a fact that NATO has categorically denied until now. However, I can understand their reluctance to divulge such information, as the story - in relation to the Soviet narrative - would likely have more impact on the war effort than the actual missiles. Anyone following the war already knew that the Karzai government is highly ineffective, Pakistan is playing a double game, and that the CIA and military special ops teams are assassinating Taliban and AQ leaders.

Other than that, the information does little but endanger NATO allies in the region. Great work Julian! I hope he is enjoying his fame while he can as something gives me the impression the NSA is developing a very special freak accident for him. He has now become a threat to national security.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Ah. His idea of 'crushing bastards' is giving to the Taliban the means to hunt down and kill everyone who's helped the US. And probably their families too.

Before this I was somewhat fond of wikileaks. Now I'd rather that coward is sent to Afghanistan and the Taliban told he's a western spy.

CR

[Fragony]

I doubt the Taliban have access to the Internet, luckily.

Oh they do

I hope these guys realise people are going to die. Family comes first chapeau

Taliban was even so kind to congratulate the Labour party for letting the government fall over the Nato effort, the only consideration being to not be swept away at the local elections here. How very cynical. Even more cynical than putting our troops in danger by inventing torture stories, but that was last elections. People need jobs alright.

[HoreTore]

Be a man, release the last documents too. We have every right to know what our forces are doing down there, and how our troops are killing innocent civillians, among plenty of other stuff.

Since our governments won't tell us, measures like this is needed. Too bad for the informants, but hey, risks of the trade. National security? HAH!

EDIT: I do, however, find it fascinating to see how many here who are willing to limit free speech... Because during the cartoon-thingy, most people went on about how "free speech is absolute" and such.... Just lies, eh?

[Fragony]

Pakistani friend of mine kinda has an opinion on you and yours. What's up with you lately

[HoreTore]

Pakistani friend of mine kinda has an opinion on you and yours. What's up with you lately

Yes, I know there are a lot of people in the world with free speech issues, I'm not surprised that some of your friends are among them; some of mine are as well....

EDIT: for those who are wondering what the fuzz is about, here is the link to the actual files on wikileaks. Start readin'!

[Skullheadhq]

In the Netherlands our minister of Justice just released a draft of a law that prohibits Dutchmen from copying anything from Wikileaks. This law is severely restricting freedom. Not only ar you prohibited of copying or publishing classified information, the Attorney Generaal (Openbaar Aanklager) can remove things from the internet at his whim (Pirate Bay?). This is bad, very bad. Sadly the ordinary people don't care for freedom as long as Holland Got Talent is on tv :(. For the Dutch/Belgians among us: http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/document...inaliteit.html

[Fragony]

You should be glad, he's a vassal of the crown spying to find undesirable thoughts, it's what you wanted don't complain now.

[Andres]

EDIT: I do, however, find it fascinating to see how many here who are willing to limit free speech... Because during the cartoon-thingy, most people went on about how "free speech is absolute" and such.... Just lies, eh?

Apples and oranges.

Making a drawing doesn't bring other peoples' lives in danger... Even the most fervent supporter of free speech knows there are limits. It's nothing more than common sense, really.

[Skullheadhq]

Even the most fervent supporter of free speech knows there are limits.

A limited freedom is no freedom. And who is to judge what you can say and can't? The censorship committee?

[Furunculus]

A limited freedom is no freedom. And who is to judge what you can say and can't? The censorship committee?

nice rhetoric, sounds a bit empty to me when i think of johnny taliban paying a midnight visit to someone listed in those files.

[Skullheadhq]

nice rhetoric, sounds a bit empty to me when i think of johnny taliban paying a midnight visit to someone listed in those files.

That's part of the job when you're informer. Just as the risk of getting shot is part of your job when you're soldier. Informer is not the same as construction worker or merchant, something which they could have become as well. Don't get me wrong, I am the last to want them dead, but to curtail freedom for them goes way to far.
And if the west is so worried about them, why not bring them and their families to somewhere safe?

[HoreTore]

nice rhetoric, sounds a bit empty to me when i think of johnny taliban paying a midnight visit to someone listed in those files.

If NATO had been completely open about their operations, then there would be no need for documents like this.

But because they try to cover it up when they screw up and don't give the full, unbiased story when civilians are killed, for example, actions like this is needed. NATO is to blame if any of their informants are whacked because of this. "National security" is nothing but a codeword for "military or political screw-up". It has been corrupted to a degree where there is very little of what is classified that is actually a threat to anything but the careers of military and political officials. Screw 'em.

In order for us to do our democratic duty, we need to know all the facts about what our armed forces are doing. Since they are unwilling to divulge such information themselves, it is fortunate that organizations like Wikileaks exists.

@Andres: Funny, I seem to remember a few embassy's going up in smoke.... But nah, I agree, terrorists have never killed anyone!

Neither Wikileaks nor Jyllandsposten killed anyone, but people may die because of their actions. I still believe that both had the right to do what they did, however. Free speech is free speech, I want no restrictions on it at all.

[Andres]

A limited freedom is no freedom. And who is to judge what you can say and can't? The censorship committee?

What has publishing of the names of non public figures got to do with freedom of speech?

How about privacy?

Is it ok to publish an article about your masturbation habits with your real name mentioned in it? I'm sure you wouldn't mind, freedom of speech being absolute and all that...

Besides, apart from publishing the names of those informants having nothing to do with freedom of speech, all freedoms come with limitations. There is no such thing as absolute freedom.

[Skullheadhq]

Is it ok to publish an article about your masturbation habits with your real name mentioned in it? I'm sure you wouldn't mind, freedom of speech being absolute and all that...

This is an interesting point. Of course, I wouldn't like it, but should it be banned and you locked up for publishing it? Of course not!
That being said, no-one is really interested in these kinds of 'reports'.

Nope I'm arguing that you are getting exactly what you wanted, can't cherry-pick here. Government is repression, always.

I can't remember advocating internet censorship or me creating the government, can you?

[Major Robert Dump]

I doubt the Taliban have access to the Internet, luckily.

You are kidding, right?

[Louis VI the Fat]

I doubt the Taliban have access to the Internet, luckily.

My usual comment applies: the world has changed.


We are not talking about people with a kalashnikov and a mule or a camel anymore. The entire world has got a mobile phone and a laptop. Do you know there are more mobile phone subscriptions in Africa than there are people in Europe? Africans are not starving people with flies on their faces. They busy themselves text messaging each other over Didier Drogba's shot that went just wide. We passed the five billion mobile phone subscriptions mark earlier this month.

There are a million Islamist websites, in any language you like. One can even buy a ringtone of your favourite Islamist group.

If only I had a time machine to 1967, I would make a futuristic movie entitled '2010' that would blow the audience away! What a world, what times we live in!


Direct Taliban websites are under constant attack, so most of them are dowm most of the time. Try here: http://milnewsca.wordpress.com/tag/www-alemarah-info/.