WikiLeaks is leaking: All classified documents are now in the public domain, unredacted. Diplomats and informants are mentioned by name in the so-called 'cables'. The whistleblower site no longer seems to be acting prudently, which is bad news for activists and dissidents.

by Willemien Groot and Hans de Vreij
 
It marks the final demise of the project as conceived by its founder Julian Assange. WikiLeaks was to consist of more than 250,000 confidential "cables" or official reports, in collaboration with five internationally respected newspapers, and carefully redacted for release into the public domain. But since Thursday the complete, unedited WikiLeaks file is available on the internet.
 
Criticism
The project already had its share of critics: human rights organizations and diplomats had strongly criticized the lack of redacting of the official documents. This would make quiet diplomacy impossible, and activists and dissidents were suddenly in great danger.
 
According to Ruud Bosgraaf of Amnesty International, human rights groups had substantial discussions with Mr Assange: "The total openness that WikiLeaks pursued, in conjunction with the lack of understanding about the concerns of Amnesty International, made the discussions somewhat difficult. Yet later they changed their policy."
 
Names in the public domain
The latest deluge of messages have appeared in the public domain without any changes. Witness the words "Strictly Protect" in some documents, while the name of the source is still included. An example from a cable on the highly sensitive situation in Syria, in which the name has been replaced with asterisks by RNW:
 
Syria-based Reuters correspondent *** (STRICTLY PROTECT) informed us that Maleh's detention, along with the ongoing prosecution of Muhanad al-Hasani, Indicated a new crackdown by SARG security That could only come from the top. (...)

Mr Bosgraaf has no examples of activists who have got into trouble because of WikiLeaks. But as the complete collection of documents was only recently released into the public domain, it's too early to foresee any new consequences.
 
Paternalistic
"In the Arab world, human rights activists are always careful in their contacts with foreign diplomats or journalists. You have to know the country, speak the language, and take the time and trouble to gain their trust," says Petra Stienen, a former diplomat in countries such as Syria and Egypt where she was involved with human rights.
 
But eventually activists and dissidents wanted to pass on information. "They knew I was a diplomat. And also that I passed it on to The Hague if they told me about things that happened after the publication of a displeasing play, or their treatment in prison. The Netherlands is on the diplomatic agenda. We're an intermediary. It's a somewhat paternalistic attitude if I go and tell them what's dangerous."
 
Importance
That's not to say WikLeaks isn't acting carelessly", said Ms Stienen. Because some things are better not made public, even though the former diplomat thinks that in general her colleagues have to work more transparently in the 21st century. "I find that worrying, though I don't know what it means for the Arab world. But I can imagine that, especially now that so many changes are taking place, for some people it's very difficult and even dangerous if it appears that they used to have regular contact with the Americans."
 
Yet activists and dissidents will always continue their work. "They want people in Europe and the US to know what is going on in their country. That interest will always exist," says Ms Stienen. Not for nothing do Syrians continue to risk their lives by publishing videos and reports on YouTube and the Internet.
 
Meanwhile, anyone can access the wealth of secret information that WikiLeaks managed to lay its hands on. Someone has published the more than 250,000 American cables with the corresponding password on BitTorrent, a site where music and movies are exchanged. The original file has already been copied and distributed many times. The genie is out of the bottle.

(as)

External link:

• WikiLeaks prepares to release unredacted US cables (The Guardian)