Jeremy Scahill: WikiLeaks and War Crimes

[G_j]

http://www.thenation.com/article/154000/wikileaks-and-war-crimes

WikiLeaks and War Crimes
Jeremy Scahill
August 12, 2010

Four months before WikiLeaks rocketed to international notoriety, the Robin Hoods of the Internet quietly published a confidential CIA document labeled "NOFORN" (for "no foreign nationals")—meaning that it should not be shared even with US allies. That's because the March "Red Cell Special Memorandum" was a call to arms for a propaganda war to influence public opinion in allied nations. The CIA report describes a crisis in European support for the Afghanistan war, noting that 80 percent of German and French citizens are against increasing their countries' military involvement. The report suggests that "Afghan women could serve as ideal messengers in humanizing the role in combating the Taliban because of women's ability to speak personally and credibly about their experiences under the Taliban, their aspirations for the future, and their fears of a Taliban victory."

On July 25 WikiLeaks published its massive cache of classified documents on the war in Afghanistan. Four days later, Time magazine posted on its website its August 9 cover story, featuring a horrifying image of a beautiful young Afghan woman named Aisha with a gaping hole where her nose once was, under the headline "What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan"—echoing the strategy laid out in the Red Cell report .

These two media events unfolded in starkly different ways. While Time has been praised for telling Aisha's story, WikiLeaks has been characterized as a criminal syndicate with blood on its hands. Former Bush administration speechwriter Marc Thiessen called for the United States to use whatever means necessary to snatch WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, including rendering him from abroad. Others have called for the United States to shut down WikiLeaks and prosecute its members. Michigan Republican Congressman Mike Rogers has called for the alleged leaker, 22-year-old Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning, to be executed if he is convicted.

Time managing editor Richard Stengel drew the contrast with WikiLeaks in an editor's letter accompanying the story, claiming that the WikiLeaks documents, unlike the Time article, fail to provide "insight into the way life is lived" in Afghanistan or to speak to "the consequences of the important decisions that lie ahead." Actually, the documents do exactly that. WikiLeaks may not be a media outlet and Assange may not be a journalist, but why does it matter? The documents provide concrete evidence of widespread US killings of Afghan civilians and attempts to cover up killings, and they portray unaccountable Special Operations forces as roaming the country hunting people—literally. They describe incidents of mass outrage sparked by the killing of civilians and confirm that the United States is funding both sides of the war through bribes paid to the Taliban and other resistance forces.

..more..

[ThomWV]

1. He will be interviewed on this subject on C-Span at 3:30 this afternoon

At least that is what they said this morning during the Washington Journal program.

[polly7]

2. This concern over Afghan women / girl-children, is bullcrap.

When the CIA provided their elderly husband warlords with Viagra did they also warn them of the dangers of marrying multiple child-brides, young women / children and treating them like sex-slaves? Whenever I read this stuff about concern for these women and children I think of this, and it makes me ill.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/world/asia/31flogging.html

"Forced into a so-called marriage exchange, where each girl was given to an elderly man in the other’s family, Khadija and Basgol later complained that their husbands beat them when they tried to resist consummating the unions. Dressed as boys, they escaped and got as far as western Herat Province, where their bus was stopped at a checkpoint and they were arrested.

Although Herat has shelters for battered and runaway women and girls, the police instead contacted the former warlord, Fazil Ahad Khan, whom Human Rights Commission workers describe as the self-appointed commander and morals enforcer in his district in Ghor Province, and returned the girls to his custody.

After a kangaroo trial by Mr. Khan and local religious leaders, according to the commission’s report on the episode, the girls were sentenced to 40 lashes each and flogged on Jan. 12."


Another example of two different girls running away resulted in their father taking them up to the mountains and killing them.

Caring with Viagra? Sure ....

[snot]

3. Agreed. How many wars have we maintained to prevent female castration?

[area51]

4. Time mag

It's outrageous that Time is trying to guilt-trip the U.S. into staying in one of Obama's wars of choice. Our country is in the 2nd Great Depression, our infrastructure is crumbling, we need more doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, and to begin a transition to single-payer health care. We don't need more war.

[G_j]

7. a major work of propaganda

it never seems to end...

[L0oniX]

5. We have our own problems here ...example: cops tazering pregnant women, etc.

or how about women getting raped in the military? For fucks sake ...we won't even prosecute government administrative war criminals ...and you know who all I mean ...and there are lots of them.

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. This, it seems to me, is the heart of the matter:

>>>>The documents provide concrete evidence of widespread US killings of Afghan civilians and attempts to cover up killings, and they portray unaccountable Special Operations forces as roaming the country hunting people—literally.>>>>>


as far as the "case" against wikileaks is concerned. And explains the frantic effort of the govt to change the subject to the alleged danger faced by US sources who lost cover because of the leaks.



Re. Mr Manning : the following info seems sufficient to decide what we're dealing with:



>>>>>>In one chat, Manning and Lamo are discussing Manning's passing of documents to WikiLeaks. Lamo asks Manning what his "endgame" is. Manning replies, "god knows what happens now," and adds, "hopefully worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms if not... than we're doomed as a species."

In one of his last chats with Lamo, reportedly on May 25, Manning says, "what if i were someone more malicious i could've sold to russia or china, and made bank?"

"why didn't you?" Lamo asks.

"because it's public data," Manning responds. "information should be free it belongs in the public domain...if its out in the open... it should be a public good." He adds: "im crazy like that."

Within days, Manning was arrested.>>>>>>>



Jeeeezus.He wants ".....worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms...." This is what he said when he was being TAPED WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. Despicable character. Absolutely despicable.

*Someone* should be in custody. (Perhaps many people.) But it isn't Mr. Manning.

[G_j]

8. "..if not... then we're doomed as a species."

:think: