US Ambassador Refuses To Comment CableGate Spying Revelations, UN Looking For Answers

US Ambassador Susan Rice declined to comment on the authenticity of the State Department cables released by Wikileaks yesterday that show American diplomats were directed to collect personal information like credit card numbers, passwords and even biometrics information from Security Council members and top UN officials such as Ban Ki Moon.

“Our diplomats are doing what diplomats do around the world every day, which is build relationships , negotiate, advance our interests and work to find common solutions to complex problems. Thats what they do. And they do it extremely well, with great  integrity with hard work.” said Rice, “I’m not going to get in to commenting on classified material or alleged classified material and its contents . “

Rice was also unwilling to speak about the damage the cables might have on American diplomacy at the UN, and instead tried to highlight the Obama administration’s efforts at strengthening the US participation within the world body.”This has been a time when the United States, under president Obama’s leadership, has made enormous progress in repairing and rebuilding our relationships with partners and allies around the world.”

The Secretary General’s deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the UN could not comment  on the authenticity of the documents but noted that the organization relied on member states to adhere to the UN Charter, Headquarter Agreements and 1946 Convention that protect UN property and assets as inviolable. 

Haq says the Secretary General was informed of contents of the cable by Ambassador Rice before they were released by Wikileaks yesterday and that the UN would further investigate the claims.”Certainly we will need further information on this and we will respond as appropriate. We will talk to our US counter parts at various level, but at this stage, I don’t have precise details” said Haq

Pentagon Notes

From Monday’s press gaggle with Pentagon spokesperson Colonel David Lapan.

WikiLeaks

According to Lapan, the 120 person review team set up to respond to the anticipated release of 400,000 Iraq war documents through the whistleblower website WikiLeaks has already gone over the Iraq database and will put the DoD in a position to promptly respond to possible dangers resulting from the release.

Lapan said that news organizations should not publish the leaked material so as not to legitimize WikiLeaks.

DADT

A federal judge in California is set to rule today on whether she will grant a request from the Obama administration to place a stay on an earlier order to halt the enforcement of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

If the stay is denied, Lapan said that the Pentagon will keep their recent suspension of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in place.

When asked if the suspension has resulted in any breakdowns in unit cohesion or disciplinary troubles in the field, Lapan remarked that there were none that he was aware of, but that minor disciplinary issues in individual commands don’t typically reach him.

Bin Laden Story

Lapan didn’t have any comments on the CNN story regarding the possible location of Bin Laden, but said that there isn’t anything in it that hasn’t been reported previously.

Pentagon Demands Return Of Leaked Documents

The Pentagon has demanded WikiLeaks to return the more than 90,000 documents obtained by the whistle-blower website, and to expunge copies of the files from their webpage and records.

“These documents are the property of the U.S. government,” Pentagon spokesperson Geoff Morrell said during a briefing Thursday. “The only acceptable course is for WikiLeaks to take steps immediately to return all versions of all of these documents.”

While Morrell did not elaborate on the legal authority behind the request, he said that the Department is essentially asking WikiLeaks to “do the right thing” and warned that specific binding steps to ensure the return of the documents could follow.

Last month, WikiLeaks published 75,000 classified documents, a portion of which identified Afghan informants and revealed other sensitive information, on their website.

The site is withholding an additional 15,000, and claims to have asked the Pentagon for assistance in redacting data that could harm individuals. However, Morrell reasserted Thursday that the Pentagon has not yet received a direct request from the site, nor would it be particularly inclined to cooperate.

“We’re not looking to have a conversation about harm-minimization,” Morrell said. “We’re looking to have a conversation about how to get these perilous documents off the website as soon as possible.”

Gates: Leaked Documents Could Have Grave Consequences

Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Thursday that the recent release of thousands of classified military documents on the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks could put the lives of U.S. servicemen and their collaborators in jeopardy.

“The battlefield consequences of the release of these documents are potentially severe and dangerous for our troops, our allies and Afghan partners,” Gates told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon. 

Gates characterized the revelation of hundreds of Afghan informants, whose names are included in the documents, as “one of the worst aspects” of the scandal.

“I’ve spent most of my life in the intelligence business where the sacrosanct principle is protecting your sources,” Gates, who served as CIA Director under George Bush Sr., said. “As a result of this massive breach of security, we have considerable repair work to do in terms of reassuring people and rebuilding trust.”

Gates pledged to aggressively investigate the leak and, if possible, prosecute the responsible party, adding that he has requested the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. When asked by a reporter if the Defense Department has spoken with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Gates simply said that he was not sure.

“I’m not sure why we would,” Gates added. “Do you think he would tell us the truth?”

Leaked Documents Reveal Afghan Informants

While the U.S. government is downplaying the strategic impact surrounding the publication of classified military documents on the whistle-blower website Wikleaks, concerns linger over the danger the documents pose for Afghan informants.

According to the Times of London, hundreds of Afghans are named in the documents, and in one instance, the name of the father and village of a would-be Taliban defector is listed.

The Pentagon has not yet revealed any instances of violence against Afghans working with Americans spurred by the publication, but Pentagon spokesperson Colonel David Lapan noted anecdotally Wednesday that U.S. officers in the field have received ‘communications of displeasure’ from at least one informant.

Although the Pentagon is eager to avoid any more leaks, Lapan suggested that Wikileaks should at least run any additional documents by the Department of Defense to determine if they pose any risks.

Representatives from multiple corners of the U.S. government have claimed that the bulk of the information included in the leaks is already known, and thus argue that the leak would have little effect on American strategy. However, on Wednesday, Major General John F. Campbell told reporters in a briefing from Afghanistan that concerns over the revealed informants are warranted.

“If it does, in fact, name names of people who have worked with coalition forces, I could see that that could have a detriment down the road,” Campbell said.

Wikileaks released 75,000 of the 92,000 documents in their possession Sunday.