dagblog - Comments for "Free Speech Gone Rogue"

thank ye both, I am just

artappraiser — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 22:08:20 +0000

thank ye both, I am just greatful no one's bitching that I am filling up the "latest comments" menu with stuff that's not "discussion." If they set up a news section here, I would be posting stuff there instead.

Back to my point above about leakers having leaked a lot of this stuff. I just ran across this which made me laugh despite the seriousness of the topic:

Meanwhile, Egypt and other NAM members expected Iran would use the opportunity of a previously scheduled October 2 NAM Plenary to plead its case as to reporting the facility to the IAEA. According to an Egyptian readout, Iran addressed the issue under Any Other Business in response to questions from other NAM members. Holding up a copy of Iran's letter to the IAEA, Iranian Ambassador Soltanieh bitterly complained that after he informed ElBaradei and DDG Heinonen, the letter was referenced in the press two days later; he argued that something must be done about this breach of confidentiality, the press leak makes it more difficult domestically....

from

State Department cables: IAEA/IRAN: CONSULTING BOARD MEMBERS ON QOM

Friday, 02 October 2009, 15:20
C O N F I D E N T I A L UNVIE VIENNA 000457

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/228121

If you've read on topic, it's especially rich along the lines of "I'm shocked, shocked that gambling is going on here" because whenever Iran is unhappy with what's going on with the process, they go to leaks to the media, too. They're actually pretty good at the diplomatic leak game....as many point out, the game of chess was probably invented in Persia.

I will say one thing, I have greater respect than I did before for the international coverage at the New York Times over the last couple years in that not much is suprising me, a lot of it was suggested already in the past iin the paper delivered to my door every day.

And that comes back to the topic of the internet. Before, things that were being leaked to elite journalists to spin a story line, to push talking points, to expose the truth, whatever, now are being published for eveyone to access. Two things will happen: most won't even look at it or care, didn't before, don't now. Others still want to chose someone to read it for them and tell them what's going on, if not the NYT, then their favorite blogger. Problem is those bloggers can be spinning just as badly or likely worse than Judith Miller, Things don't change that much; real revolutions are slow.

Edit to add:

I made a mistake in my comment above. I meant to say most of the cables seem to be labeled "Confidential," not "Classified" (and as opposed to "Secret," of which there are a lot fewer.)

Agreed. Public service.

quinn esq — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:26:24 +0000

In reply to Thanks for this and the other

Agreed. Public service.

Thanks for this and the other

Obey — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:11:35 +0000

In reply to Yeah, mho, the blogosphere

Thanks for this and the other tidbits. You and Gasket have been great with dropping these links in here and there.

Yeah, mho, the blogosphere

artappraiser — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:00:56 +0000

In reply to "The damage is to the global

Yeah, mho, the blogosphere with the US political media following its lead, has lost all perspective on this story, is way overreacting.

So far as I can see, and I have been looking at a lot of it, that's there is nothing "top secret" being published, it's all either "secret" or "classified," and mostly "classified."

The Guardian docs also often have names redacted.

I think I also saw an example of them taking one down, as after I glanced at it, I went to go back to look at it and the url was no longer good, but the title and introtext still existed on the search engine. The title and introtext was this, for those who are curious:

South Korea Rings Alarm Bells

Monday, 22 February 2010, 08:54C O N F I D E N T I A L SEOUL 000290 SIPDIS EO 12958 DECL: 02/23/2030 TAGS PREL, PGOV, SOCI, MARR, ECON, ETRD, KN, KS, CH SUBJECT: A/S CAMPBELL'S FEBRUARY 3 MEETING WITH NSA KIM Classified By: Ambassador D. Kathleen Stephens. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary ------- 1. (C) During a February 3 meeting, National Security Adviser Kim Sung-hwan told EAP

(...)with Washington about delaying the planned transfer of wartime operation control to Korea. Kim agreed that turbulence in Sino-American relations meant Beijing would (...)

Actually, a lot of the most interesting stuff is just confirmation and detail on things leaked weeks, months or years ago to the New York Times or similar. I.E., you thought it might be true because you saw an article with "sources" saying this in the past, and now you have confirmation that that wasn't just bull.

One also comes across strange redeacted stuff like this one, lots of XXXXX and not much else:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/250573

Party I think the overreaction is because it is, after all, about the potential of the internet, and about free speech on the internet, and that is certainly a topic that interests the blogopshere.

Like a military-encrypted

we are stardust — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:27:31 +0000

In reply to "The damage is to the global

Like a military-encrypted version of a Diplomatic Pouch?

"The damage is to the global

Obey — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:59:02 +0000

In reply to Free Speech Gone Rogue

"The damage is to the global diplomatic process, the international friendships and alliances that have developed, the veil of secrecy that historically has protected high-level international negotiations from politicization and fractious public opinion."

- There seems to be a general misunderstanding on this point. The leaked cables are 'local color' type pieces that go to general distribution. I.e. all State department staff have access, so that the sad bugger processing passports all day at the embassy can sound intelligent and 'in the know' over cigars and cognac. It's sensitive only because its embarrassing and information best kept 'deniable'.

The serious stuff, the 'high-level negotiations'-type material always goes through a different channel, not for general distribution. And there is no sign that any of it got caught up in this dump. Hence the absence of explosive inside guff from Israel-Palestine, Pakistan, and the six-party talks. There is only a bit of fourth-hand rumor mongering from the embassy in South Korea. The one exception that stands out like a sore thumb is King Abdullah singing the bomb Iran tune. That just looks like a huge mistake (or, alternatively, fodder for conspiracy theorizing). It shouldn't have been distributed.

My latest CAT scan revealed

tripper john — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:30:09 +0000

In reply to I hate all venomous

My latest CAT scan revealed no spiders or other venomous creatures lurking within my cerebral cortex. Thank you, though, for your classy reply, Gentle Reader.

I hate all venomous

we are stardust — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:23:54 +0000

In reply to Dear Gentle Reader: Thank you

I hate all venomous mouth-drool. Your words come across as the hissing of snakes, and you can;'t write past the barbed wire and spiders in your brain. That's all.

Nice on the Cockburn, Lulu.

we are stardust — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:13:34 +0000

In reply to The "gentle reader" crap

Nice on the Cockburn, Lulu. Thanks; he's a fave here. 'Rocket Launcher' and 'Indian Wars', too. ;o)

Quite correct, sort of. Much

tripper john — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:12:54 +0000

In reply to The "gentle reader" crap

Quite correct, sort of. Much better to have one super-decider in the form of Assange who is responsible for inciting world carnage.