The Weekend WikiLeaks Report
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Building on yesterday’s post , today I examine some more implications of the claim made by The Times of London that it found the names of Afghan informants in the secret war logs released by WikiLeaks. In particular, what is the veracity of The Times’ claims?
Down the Rabbit Hole: Finding ‘Evidence’ of WikiLeaks’ Crime—Part II of II | Novel Copy | Big Think
WASHINGTON—Pentagon lawyers believe that online whistleblower group WikiLeaks acted illegally in disclosing thousands of classified Afghanistan war reports and other material, and federal prosecutors are exploring possible criminal charges, officials familiar with the matter said.
Prosecutors Eye WikiLeaks Charges - WSJ.com
By October 2011, the State Department will assume responsibility for training the Iraqi police, a task that will largely be carried out by contractors. With no American soldiers to defuse sectarian tensions in northern Iraq, it will be up to American diplomats in two new $100 million outposts to head off potential confrontations between the Iraqi Army and Kurdish pesh merga forces. To protect the civilians in a country that is still home to insurgents with and Iranian-backed militias, the State Department is planning to more than double its private security guards, up to as many as 7,000, according to administration officials who disclosed new details of the plan.
Civilians to Take U.S. Lead as Military Leaves Iraq - NYTimes.com
The violations included illegal weapons exports to Afghanistan, making unauthorized proposals to train troops in south Sudan and providing sniper training for Taiwanese police officers, according to company and government officials familiar with the deal. The settlement, which has not yet been publicly announced, follows lengthy talks between Blackwater, now called Xe Services, and the State Department that dealt with the violations as an administrative matter, allowing the firm to avoid criminal charges. A company spokeswoman confirmed Friday that a settlement had been reached.
Blackwater Reaches $42 Million Settlement With U.S. - NYTimes.com
Xe, the private security company formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide, has agreed to pay a multi-million dollar fine for hundreds of US export violations. The company will pay $42 million for violations that include illegal weapons export to Afghanistan and making unauthorized proposals to train troops in southern Sudan, The New York Times reported on Friday.
Blackwater/Xe mercs to pay $42mn fine
there are still idiots out there saying wikileaks is a govt ploy « Niqnaq
The question is unavoidable: who holds the end of the string for rape accusations and a 12 hour arrest warrant on Wikileaks founder Julian Assange?
WikiLeaks strikes at DoD on Twitter - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
A little-noted tweet from the Pentagon sent WikiLeaks back into defense mode Thursday as the controversy continued over what the group promises is a forthcoming release of 15,000 more secret war documents. WikiLeaks, which maintains an aggressive Twitter presence, has used its feed consistently since late July to publicize its conflict with the Defense Department. The tweet linked to a press release saying that WikiLeaks had "contacted no 'competent authorities' in the Defense Department" about its July 25 document release and repeated its order that the documents pending publication be returned.
Wiki 'Leaks' New Pentagon Papers, Reveals CIA Plans to Destroy Wikileaks
By Len Hart, The Existentialist CowboyA lawyer representing the whistle-blowing Web site WikiLeaks says U.S. government officials have been given codes and passwords granting them online access to official U.S. government documents that WikiLeaks so far has not published. Timothy Matusheski, a lawyer from Hattiesburg, Miss., who says he represents whistle-blowers and has been in touch with both WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and at least one government official involved in investigations of WikiLeaks, said the site had set up a “secure channel” through which authorized users could access the unpublished material.
Wikileaks Lawyer Says Pentagon Given Access to Unpublished Secret Documents - Newsweek
More than 13,000 active-duty Army soldiers -- the equivalent of four combat brigades -- are sidelined as unfit for war because of injury, illness or mental stress. In an unmistakable sign that the Army is struggling with exhaustion after nine years of fighting, combat commanders whose units are headed to Afghanistan increasingly choose to leave behind soldiers who can no longer perform, putting additional strain on those who still can.
Thousands of Soldiers Unfit for War Duty
Punish the Whistleblowers