Back in May, the international non-profit making media organisation WikiLeaks was listed by the New York Daily News as the foremost among “websites that could totally change the news”. In a way, the newspaper could not have described it any better.
WikiLeaks is the brainchild of Australian born Julian Assange. Launched only four years ago, WikiLeaks has become the most controversial website to rock the foundations of political elites around the world with its startling revelations. The organisation is shrouded in anonymity with no fixed address, no truly visible funding and armed with enormously powerful network of servers. It publishes submissions of classified documents from electronic leaks and anonymous sources.
Originally created on the Wikipedia format, where information was user-editable and accessible, it has progressively become a more standardised publication website. The website focuses exclusively on revealing some veritably damning secret information, the implications of which rocketed WikiLeaks to the top of media news resources. In this relatively short period of time, WikiLeaks and its founder have gained a ferocious notoriety forcing people around the world to stop and listen each time it makes a move.
Its list of stunning revelations is simply impressive. No one is spared!
Make no mistake. Powerful governments have been doing their very best to silence this unique phenomenon. Many attempts have allegedly been made to thwart the actions of the organisation. Mr Assange being the front man, financier and editor supremo of WikiLeaks, is by now truly a marked man. WikiLeaks’ latest diplomatic cable releases seem to have finally tipped the scales. Just days ago, Mr Assange appeared in a London court to face criminal charges relating to sexual assault, which he declares are trumped up accusations.
US State Secretary Hillary Clinton did not mince her words in describing WikiLeaks’ latest diplomatic cable revelations. Denouncing the group unreservedly, she declared “this disclosure is not just an attack on America’s foreign policy interests, it is an attack on the international community”. Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee of the US House of Representatives, dubbed WikiLeaks “a foreign terrorist organisation”.
But is WikiLeaks really and truly committing a crime?
The answer is rather more complex than it seems. On the one hand, Mr Assange and his supporters insist WikiLeaks is exercising its fundamental journalistic right of press freedom and complete disclosure of information without the need to uncover its sources, hence increasing transparency. Its job is to expose corrupt practices and criminal behaviour in government agencies and big business come what may. WikiLeaks’ detractors have a completely opposing view. WikiLeaks is viewed as criminal, irresponsible and damaging national interests on a global scale with its massive concerted distribution.
While WikiLeaks believes these technical breaches of security are essential to the public understanding of current events, opponents sneer at the “irreparable” damage it is causing. The latter believe these disclosures are disturbing the “natural” checks and balances of government. They view this information as stolen and could only lead to harm the people involved, especially those handling intelligence and covert information.
In a sense, the situation is ironic. On the one hand, the WikiLeaks exposures embarrassingly reveals the difficulty of decision making and the double standards politicians sometimes adopt. At the same time, it is understandable that information for information’s sake revealed so blatantly in the public domain may not be healthy for the mechanics of government. In a way, it is up to governments to see that their secrets are protected. It is the duty of the press to publish what it learns because, ultimately, that is its job. The question remains one that seeks to resolve to what extent should information be in the public interest or best left uncovered for its own sake.
Mr Assange has been remanded in custody. WikiLeaks is clearly in trouble with powerful forces working against it. Obviously, there is no guarantee that when/if Mr Assange is silenced someone else will not decide to pick up where he left off. It is most likely this will happen anyway. Maybe Mr Assange is just the tip of a much larger idea than it appears. Plugging this could prove impossible!
info@carolinegalea.com