By FITSNews || While the nine-year Afghan War rages on, a new battle is brewing over the release of classified military documents by whistleblowing website Wikileaks.
The documents – all 92,000 of them – have yet to be thoroughly analyzed even though they were released on an embargoed basis several weeks ago to The New York Times, The Guardian UK, and Germany’s Der Spiegel. The early assessment, however, is that the body of material paints a less-than-flattering picture of the U.S.-led war effort – and in particular the lack of support it is receiving from the Pakistani government, which is supposed to be partnering with America in its war against terrorism.
Comprised mostly of “war logs” – or journals of troops on the ground that are then forwarded up the chain of command in order to help create policy – the majority of the documents are not “top secret.” Also, the vast majority of files would invite criticism of policies enacted under the administration of former President George W. Bush, although the chronology runs through late 2009 – well into the administration of Barack Obama.
Obama’s White House wasted little time blasting the whistleblowers, saying that the release of the documents “could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security.”
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange flatly disputed that contention.
“We are familiar with groups whose abuse we expose attempting to criticise the messenger to distract from the power of the message,” he said. “We don’t see any difference in the White House’s response to this case to the other groups that we have exposed. We have tried hard to make sure that this material does not put innocents at harm. All the material is over seven months old so is of no current operational consequence, even though it may be of very significant investigative consequence.”
The document dump immediately prompted comparisons to the 1971 release of the “Pentagon Papers,” classified Defense Department documents which revealed that the administration of former President Lyndon B. Johnson had misled both the public and the U.S. Congress about critical elements of American foreign policy related to the Vietnam War. After being restrained from publishing many of the documents initially, the U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled that the media had the right to print them.
While the debate has begun in earnest over whether Wikileaks should have published these Afghan War files, of note from a political perspective was the response of U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) to their release.
“However illegally these documents came to light, they raise serious questions about the reality of America’s policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Kerry said. “Those policies are at a critical stage and these documents may very well underscore the stakes and make the calibrations needed to get the policy right.”
Kerry, for once, is correct.
This leak clearly comes at a critical time in America’s prosecution of the Afghan War – which, incidentally, Democrats favored during the 2008 campaign as the real battleground in America’s War on Terrorism as opposed to the hugely unpopular Iraqi War. Currently, U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan is reaching its climax, although the Taliban is still mounting effective resistance and U.S. casualties remain on the rise. In fact, approximately 260 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan already this year, compared to 317 a year ago.
To put that figure in perspective, last year was the bloodiest year yet in Afghanistan – as U.S. combat fatalities more than doubled from the previous year.
Last month, Obama relieved General Stanley McChrystal of command in Afghanistan – not because of the deteriorating situation on the ground, mind you, but because a news report revealed that McChrystal and members of his staff had made comments disparaging of top administration officials. McChrystal had been on the job for roughly a year. His predecessor, Gen. David McKiernan, was fired last June by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates after just eight months on the job.
General David Petraeus was tapped by Obama to replace McChrystal, although Obama noted at the time that he was making “a change in personnel … not a change in policy.”
By OhNoNotAgain July 26, 2010 at 1:24 pm
If Bush-Cheney had done the job full measure in the first place we wouldn’t be facing a “scrappy” resurgent Taliben that is putting up “effective” resistance.
By Crooner July 26, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Hopefully this is the beginning of the end. Much like the “Pentagon Papers” ended Vietnam.
By sclawboy July 26, 2010 at 1:53 pm
“Kerry, for once, is correct.”
Words that will forever haunt you.
Full disclosure is a good thing. Shine a little light.
By CNSYD July 26, 2010 at 2:56 pm
What a shock! The Pakis aren’t holding up their end.
By countryboy July 26, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Did Bush-Cheney prosecute the war in Afghanistan in the best possible manner? Certainly not. However, the Clinton administration had opportunity after opportunity to kill Bin Laden and pissed them away. Had Clinton let the CIA/Military take out OBL, 9/11 would not have happened and we would not be in Afghanistan. But with the candy assed, no balls president we have now, there is no hope of winning that war, so I say just get the f*ck out.
By No Name July 26, 2010 at 4:08 pm
This is Bush’s war.
The Dems have the race car as a rally point ….the GOP claims National Defence and it is always easier with a bull shit war.
The Paki’s have always been the control agents in the region.
The Paki’s are Muslim and have many Nuclear Bombs in the arsenal.
The Paki’s gave NK and others the bomb through a Paki proxy …a scientist who has since been released from jail….after he was convicted of the nuclear treason.
The Paki’s blew the head off of the female President who was demanding too much to STFU.
The WAPO article on The Top Secret America and now the Pentagon Papers Two are all the result of internal Obama people knowing that he is not running for a second term and these angry Obama true believers are trying to get some evidence of Bush bull shit out in the public before Clinton\Biden runs against Bush\Jindahl.
Barry does not care….even four years as President is so much more than he ever thought possible…..he is guaranteed riches galore and will run for the President of Africa….a new UN post….. soon after he turns down the President of Harvard.
The Wiki papers show you what every Afghan vet returns with….it is hopeless corruption against a bunch of 11 th century religious fanatics….with our son\daughters and billions of tax dollars in the middle for what…….Lindsey gets teary and says it is all about women being crowded into soccer stadiums…..and what???????….getting shot in the head……oh no …that was Paki again was it not.
By snodgrass July 26, 2010 at 4:46 pm
But war is good for the economy, right?
By What a joke.... July 26, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Who cares about wikileaks releasing this information? It just goes to show the incompetence of gov’t in general….regardless of who is on the throne.
Throne is a good word…because whichever anointed one the mobocracy elects gets to rule over a bowl of crap.
When the US fought WWII it swept across Europe and northern Africa to defeat Germany & Italy and then reclaimed all of its territories from Japan and dropped a few atom bombs on it for good measure.
Total time for world domination: less then 5 years
Today: Our military is nothing but a shiny cod piece. We can even keep some poorly armed Afghani goat herders in check and our installed puppet is back talking us. In Iraq we’ve achieved some detente but at what cost?
We’ve amassed the biggest debt the world has ever seen in ALL recorded history…sitting our troops in hundreds of countries around the world while supporting our own huge welfare state….mark my words this will not last.
Who’s to blame? Republicans or Democrats? Neither…you’re all a bunch of buffoons. It is the amorphous mass of multiheaded reptiles knows as govco….they win…and if you’re not part of govco you lose.
By Cooter Brown July 27, 2010 at 6:44 am
Dat yung feller iz doin’ a gud thing fer da peoples ov all countries involved in dis imperial blood-letting!
By Mike at the beach July 27, 2010 at 6:59 am
Minor point, but at least use a pic of an American soldier (since we’re doing the heavy lifting in the “coalition”)…
By Red July 27, 2010 at 4:38 pm
This guy at Wikileaks is a true hero and deserving of the Nobel peace Prize.
U.S. elected leaders need to go to jail for continuing this senseless occupation.
By dirtbogger August 4, 2010 at 1:11 pm
convienant leak to spread the war into Pakastan, and save face in Afgainastan