# Wikileaks has released the documents **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 28, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198 "2010-11-28T19:56:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/1 "2010-11-28T19:56:58Z")
The Guardian has an interactive browsable database. > **[US embassy cables: browse the database](https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-wikileaks)** > > Use our interactive guide to discover what has been revealed in the leak of 250,000 US diplomatic cables. Find stories and original documents by country, subject or people ---
**Author:** ![Sri\_Theo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sri\_Theo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sri_Theo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/2 "2010-11-28T20:16:13Z")
Lets discuss the content from the recent leaks. Such as what things are released that we previously didn’t know about, what things were previously unproven, and what the consequences of _specific_ incidents are. This thread is _not_ for discussing Julian Assange, the morality of the leaks, rape charges, Democrats versus Republicans or whether hyping is a good thing. Responses such as “what’s all the fuss about, eh?” can go in another thread. * * * What I’ve found so far from other news sources: US Spying on UN leadership - attempting to gather DNA, fingerprints and iris scans on many UN officials > **[US diplomats spied on UN leadership](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-spying-un)** > > • Diplomats ordered to gather intelligence on Ban Ki-moon• Secret directives sent to more than 30 US embassies• Call for DNA data, computer passwords and terrorist links Saudi Arabia wanted the US to attack Iran > **[Saudi Arabia urges US attack on Iran to stop nuclear programme](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-saudis-iran)** > > • Embassy cables show Arab allies want strike against Tehran• Israel prepared to attack alone to avoid its own 9/11• Iranian bomb risks 'Middle East proliferation, war or both' The USA has been helping the PKK with activities in Turkey/ Turkish citizens have been helping Al Qaeda in Iraq. (Misleading headline) > **['Wikileaks documents show Turkey helped al-Qaida'](https://www.jpost.com/International/Wikileaks-documents-show-Turkey-helped-al-Qaida)** > > Report: Documents expected to be leaked allege that Turkey allowed citizens smuggle weapons into Iraq, US helped Kurdish terrorists. Possible information about a nuclear stand-off between Libya and the US, > **[A Nuclear Standoff With Libya](https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/11/a-nuclear-standoff-with-libya/67076/)** > > State Department documents show that, for 32 tense days last year, Muammar al-Qaddafi's government tried to use its stockpile of weapons-grade material to blackmail the United States The release is being done over a few days to spread out the news cycles - in the future we should see: Diplomatic assessments of Robert Mugabe, Hamid Karza and Colonel Gaddafi and David Cameron (not thought to be complimentary. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8165041/Embarrassment-for-Coalition-as-Wikileaks-prepares-to-release-secret-US-papers.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8165041/Embarrassment-for-Coalition-as-Wikileaks-prepares-to-release-secret-US-papers.html) Here’s a link to the Guardians ever friendly database- separated by country. [US embassy cables: browse the database | World news | theguardian.com](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2010/nov/28/us-embassy-cables-wikileaks) * * * Have you found any other good stuff? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/3 "2010-11-28T20:49:50Z")
[Wikileaks under “mass distributed denial of service attack.”](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11858637) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/4 "2010-11-28T20:53:35Z")
[Wikileaks under “mass distributed denial of service attack.”](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11858637) ---
**Author:** ![Sri\_Theo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sri\_Theo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sri_Theo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/5 "2010-11-28T21:13:46Z")
The BBC has a good summary: Evidence that China was responsible for hacking Google. The favours the US had to give out to get other countries to accept Guantanamo prisoners. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is referred to as “feckless, vain, and ineffective as a modern European leader”. > **[Wikileaks US diplomatic cables: Key issues](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11858990)** > > Some of the key issues contained in the release by Wikileaks of 250,000 secret US diplomatic cables. Also Germany being warned against arresting CIA operatives who kidnapped an innocent German Citizen. And possible confirmation that the USA has launched attacks agains Yemen, with the Yemen government covering it up. > **[Wikileaks release of embassy cables reveals US concerns](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11858895)** > > Controversial whistle-blowing website Wikileaks begins releasing secret messages sent by US embassies, giving an insight into current American global concerns. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/6 "2010-11-28T21:28:13Z")
They’re blogging the releases all day [here](http://www.thenation.com/blog/156701/blogging-wikileaks-release-return-here-all-day-updates). [This](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/28/american-escape-iran-horse-turkey)story is pretty cool. A 75 year old Iranian-American flew to Iran to see family, had his passport confiscated by Iranian authorities, and was barred from leaving for months. So he did what any of us would do in that situation: he rode a horse over the mountains into Turkey. ---
**Author:** ![Sri\_Theo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sri\_Theo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sri_Theo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/7 "2010-11-28T21:35:37Z")
Yeah but a shocking number of people get a heads up on the news from the dope. Thought I’d do my part in ensuring this stuff gets seen. You see any significant stories I’ve missed that are there? ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/8 "2010-11-28T22:11:23Z")
My oh my, this is certainly interesting. I look forward to some very entertaining coverage i the next few days. I think the bit I found most intriguing was " A scornful analysis of UK “paranoia” over the US-UK so-called special relationship. It is suggested that “keeping HMG the British government “off-balance” about the relationship might be a good idea.” If that’s how the US treats its closest ally then that doesn’t really bode terribly well for its behaviour internationally generally does it? This story didn’t really surprise me though, I work in government and I know full well that what we say and what we privately think are completely different. The “risks to national security” bits are, as ever, complete bullshit. The US just doesn’t like being made to feel stupid by having its disgusting ongoing hypocrisy of claiming to promote world democracy but acting like any other imperial power made so totally evident for all to see. But hey, I live in the UK and we’re just as bad, so… I’d like to know if anyone at all was surprised to learn that the hacker attacks on Google China were orchestrated by the Chinese government. I mean, this \*is \*China we’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/9 "2010-11-28T22:13:24Z")
> [@Sri\_Theo](#): > > Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is referred to as “feckless, vain, and ineffective as a modern European leader”. “In other news tonight, Bear shits on Pope” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/10 "2010-11-28T22:27:08Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > My oh my, this is certainly interesting. I look forward to some very entertaining coverage i the next few days. > > I think the bit I found most intriguing was " A scornful analysis of UK “paranoia” over the US-UK so-called special relationship. It is suggested that “keeping HMG the British government “off-balance” about the relationship might be a good idea.” > > If that’s how the US treats its closest ally then that doesn’t really bode terribly well for its behaviour internationally generally does it? This story didn’t really surprise me though, I work in government and I know full well that what we say and what we privately think are completely different. > > The “risks to national security” bits are, as ever, complete bullshit. The US just doesn’t like being made to feel stupid by having its disgusting ongoing hypocrisy of claiming to promote world democracy but acting like any other imperial power made so totally evident for all to see. But hey, I live in the UK and we’re just as bad, so… > > I’d like to know if anyone at all was surprised to learn that the hacker attacks on Google China were orchestrated by the Chinese government. I mean, this \*is \*China we’re talking about. This has been my take on the releases so far. It’s not so much that there is anything particularly surprising so far, it’s the vindication of finally having confirmation of it all. I mean sure, we all suspected to the point of ‘knowing’ that the Chinese government was behind the google thing, and we all ‘know’ that the U.S. government does quite a bit of dirty work, but it’s nice to finally see it in print from a non-crackpot source. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/11 "2010-11-28T22:36:30Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Wikileaks under “mass distributed denial of service attack.”](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11858637) [http://twitter.com/th3j35t3r](http://twitter.com/th3j35t3r) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/12 "2010-11-28T22:40:17Z")
This seems to be the first outbreak of actual cyberwar, no? ---
**Author:** ![Sri\_Theo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sri\_Theo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sri_Theo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/13 "2010-11-28T22:41:27Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > I think the bit I found most intriguing was " A scornful analysis of UK “paranoia” over the US-UK so-called special relationship. It is suggested that “keeping HMG the British government “off-balance” about the relationship might be a good idea.” That’s very interesting - do you have a link? > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > “In other news tonight, Bear shits on Pope” Very true. But considering his precarious position right now it takes on a whole new flavour - might explain some of the over dramatic comments coming from Rome right now. “This is a diplomatic 9/11!” etc. Trying to blow smoke in order to avoid closer scrutiny? ---
**Author:** ![mil0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mil0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mil0)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/14 "2010-11-28T22:51:30Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > [http://twitter.com/th3j35t3r](http://twitter.com/th3j35t3r) So this guy, who was unable to take down some Mujaheddin website that looked like it was created on Geocities in '97, is suspected to be the person behind the DDoS on wikileaks? :dubious: Edit: Heh, if you go down the list, it seems all of his tangos are up. Some “hackivist.” ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/15 "2010-11-28T22:53:46Z")
> [@Sri\_Theo](#): > > Very true. But considering his precarious position right now it takes on a whole new flavour - might explain some of the over dramatic comments coming from Rome right now. “This is a diplomatic 9/11!” etc. Trying to blow smoke in order to avoid closer scrutiny? I doubt this changes anything in Italy: the government is due to fall on the 14th December anyway, when they face an already delayed vote of no-confidence. (Delayed to ease pressure on the economy from the bond markets, as “everybody knows” that the current administration is set to lose the vote.) [Der Spiegel’s front page tomorrow](http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2010/11/spiegelgoodbig.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/16 "2010-11-28T22:56:29Z")
> [@mil0](#): > > Edit: Heh, if you go down the list, it seems all of his tangos are up. Some “hackivist.” My thoughts exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Sablicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sablicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sablicious)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/17 "2010-11-28T22:59:11Z")
China using their fangled super computers for hacking Western goverment servers?! Shock and/or horror!! :eek: And there we were, lavishing our soon-to-been Sino overlords with our precious, irreplaceable resources in exchange for cheap shit, child manufactured products under the pretence Communists were benevolent and trustworthly! :mad: You’re right Chuck - you never can tell… :o [/sarcasm] ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/18 "2010-11-28T22:59:39Z")
A DDOS attack has to end at some point. [These guys](https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/2990-Exclusive-Video-of-XerXeS-DoS-Attack.html) seem to take him seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/19 "2010-11-28T23:03:05Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > [Wikileaks under “mass distributed denial of service attack.”](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11858637) Oh darn. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198/20 "2010-11-28T23:03:22Z")
> [@mil0](#): > > Edit: Heh, if you go down the list, it seems all of his tangos are up. Some “hackivist.” You are totally going to get a knock on the door in the night for looking… 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wikileaks-has-released-the-documents/562198.md?page=2)