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Tag: WikiLeaks

Fascinating assessments from US Embassy, Manila

Published by Ellen on September 4, 2011

Kenney with the Hermogenes she admires
I’m fascinated by the Wikileaks releases of the cables from the US Embassy in Manila.

The latest I’ve read was then ambassador Kristie Kenney’s assessment of Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. as the defense secretary written in March 2007. It was one insult after another.

It said, “Tongue-tied and reticent, Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane stands in stark contrast to his articulate and sophisticated predecessor, Avelino “Nonong” Cruz. “

It continued: “Ebdane was far from the best choice President Arroyo could have made to succeed former Secretary Cruz. He is clearly no intellect, but a through-and-through loyalist, a quality that the president, who only a year ago faced down a coup attempt, treasures. “

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Humaneness in the age of technology

Published by Ellen on August 1, 2010

Stirring journalism and security worlds are WikiLeaks releases of classified military documents on the war in Afghanistan filched by a 22-year old American intelligence analyst from State department online files.

The leaked documents are unprecedented in terms of volume – 91,000 diplomatic cables out of the 260,000 that Bradley Manning, the intelligence analyst, said he downloaded covering the years from 2004 to 2010. The leaks underscored the game-changing role of the internet in information dissemination.

The leaks, which have been condemned by the White House, Pentagon and State Department, raises anew the endless debate on press freedom and the public’s right to know versus national security.

There is also the aspect of humaneness , of not putting innocent people at in harm’s way, that every journalist should value.

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WikiLeaks on Afghan War stirs journalism debate

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2010

It brings back the unending journalist dilemma of the right of the public to information versus national security.

By Ron Synovitz
Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty

As the Pentagon investigates the potential damage from the leak of more than 91,000 classified U.S. military reports on the war in Afghanistan, the leak is fueling debate about the role of whistle-blowers as journalistic sources in the age of digital data.

WikiLeaks, a website that tries to foster policy debates by making classified information available to the public, received the cache of documents from sources it will not disclose. Wikileaks then passed the materials on to three media organizations — “The New York Times,” “The Guardian” newspaper in the United Kingdom, and “Der Spiegel” magazine in Germany.

Officials in Washington say they are concerned the leaks pose a national security threat and may endanger people in Afghanistan or Pakistan who have worked against the Taliban or Al Qaeda.

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