Julian Assange: The end of secrets?

Julian Assange: The end of secrets?

www.newscientist.com

Once WikiLeaks receives a submission, Assange says there is a rigorous process to check that the information is genuine. This can involve contacting the subject of the leak, and- as in the case of the Iraq video footage- sending people to verify details on the ground. "As far as we know, we've never released false information," he says.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I guess we can all here on ATS sort of agree with the goal of making sensitive information available to the public. That is what ATS is all about. The problem is when the information endangers otherwise innocent government workers and especially military personnel which certainly seems to be the case!

WikiLeaks, founded in 2006 by Australian hacker and activist Julian Assange, is a web-based service designed to protect the identity of individuals who want to make sensitive information public. Its mission is to promote transparency in government to reduce corruption and promote democracy

This collection of over 91,000 documents chronicled virtually every battle and skirmish in the war in Afghanistan. Around 75,000 of them were released on WikiLeaks.

So much for military secrets! What is not secret now?

"WikiLeaks underlines to government that simply stamping something as secret isn't a solution, because it will come out,"

Is there anything governments can do to prevent (Wiki)leaks?

Is complete transparency a good thing?

www.newscientist.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by plumranch


If the Goverment didn't lie to the people and start wars based on lies, then I would agree releasing these documents is a bad thing...

But the truth is that we have all been lied to and it NEEDS to be uncovered.
Maybe they will learn to tell the truth in future but I wont hold my breath..

Wikileaks really is a great tool for monitoring terrorists within government.

One problem... what's to stop falsified/changed/adjusted/scripted information, being presented as totally legitimate and raw, from passing through as outright fact?

Hmm... may be the end of secrets, but not of Chinese-whispers.

reply to post by serbsta


I'm sure if Wiki told a lie TPTB would jump on it and castarate them on the MSM...

The fact that the Gove hasn't done that says Wiki is telling the truth,
OR, Wiki is in on the deal...

I'm open of either...

reply to post by CynicalM


So in your mind "uncovering" the blatantly obvious truth will some how fix what's happened over the last 10 years?

reply to post by FrancoUn-American


Yes, because its only blatantly obvious to the maybe 2% of people that look outside of the MSM.

That number is growing. Wiki has been covered in the MSM and more are looking.

reply to post by plumranch


If Wikileaks is such a safe and benign enterprise, why is Mr. Assange himself afraid to travel to the US? Sounds like he needs a bodyguard!

And the US military person that was suspected of doing the leaking. Whatever happened to him? My guess is the military did not take these leaks lightly!

I'll guess these guys are watching their six very closely.