Someone's spilling (a lot of) the beans. (Wikileaks)

S2 · 22 Dec 10,, 13:01

WAPO is reporting that a C.I.A.-based Wiki-leaks assessment team known as WTF has been launched-

C.I.A. Launches Wiki-Leaks Assessment Taskforce-WAPO Dec. 22, 2010

**Wooglin** · 22 Dec 10,, 15:19

Right, thats why i asked gunnut to mention which leaks. Your article is from June and refers to the afghan war logs and not the embassy cables.

They say they found names but did that cause problems ?

Do you think publishing the names, locations and relatives names of informants does not cause problems? Or do you think it's ok until someone gets dead?

Legally speaking, it doesn't matter whether someone ultimately gets killed or not. The legal question here is did Assange intend to do harm by leaking the docs, or have knowledge that they would do harm if released?

Well according to the quote you pulled the answer is "yes". If you don't think there's any harm then there's no point in having a harm-minimisation policy is there?

And I think this money quote...

"We have read more leaked documents than any other organisation that's not a spy agency. If someone can apply this policy, surely we can do it."

...is going to come back to kick him in the ass.

So how did that policy work out there Assange?

In just two hours of searching the WikiLeaks archive, The Times found the names of dozens of Afghans credited with handing intelligence to US forces. Their villages are given for identification and, in many cases, their fathers' names.

Arrogant ass. Nice going.

**Blue** · 22 Dec 10,, 16:01

Originally Posted by S-2

WAPO is reporting that a C.I.A.-based Wiki-leaks assessment team known as WTF has been launched-

C.I.A. Launches Wiki-Leaks Assessment Taskforce-WAPO Dec. 22, 2010

Tinhat on....

This is interesting. CIA finally launches a TF into this, there have been next to no CIA docs leaked, tinhat society says that the rape accusers are CIA agents. Are they trying to rope in thier own guy?

Tinhat off.....

**Double Edge** · 22 Dec 10,, 16:18

Originally Posted by Wooglin

Do you think publishing the names, locations and relatives names of informants does not cause problems? Or do you think it's ok until someone gets dead?

Legally speaking, it doesn't matter whether someone ultimately gets killed or not. The legal question here is did Assange intend to do harm by leaking the docs, or have knowledge that they would do harm if released?

Well according to the quote you pulled the answer is "yes". If you don't think there's any harm then there's no point in having a harm-minimisation policy is there?

So can it be shown that such harm has actually occurred ?

And, what his intent to achieve is, with these cables.

All i know is he likes challenging secretive conspiracies.

**Wooglin** · 22 Dec 10,, 16:40

Originally Posted by Double Edge

So can it be shown that such harm has actually occurred ?

Doesn't matter

let me repeat myself:

Legally speaking, it doesn't matter whether someone ultimately gets killed or not. The legal question here is did Assange intend to do harm by leaking the docs, or have knowledge that they would do harm if released?

Well according to the quote you pulled the answer is "yes". If you don't think there's any harm then there's no point in having a harm-minimisation policy is there?

And, what his intent to achieve is, with these cables.

Good question. I wonder what the intent of releasing a list of sites that are key to US security would be? I see no journalistic value there. What WAS the intent in leaking stuff like that?

**Double Edge** · 22 Dec 10,, 19:14

So why the wait for the US to formally charge him ?

What gets me is if he's sent to Sweden then supposedly he's vulnerable to being extradited.

Why can't they get him from the UK ?

S2 · 22 Dec 10,, 19:27

Don't think it really matters who gets him. If he's charged with these crimes in Sweden and they really think they've got a legit case then Sweden should prosecute him. If there's a case against him in America that can be made, he can be extradited to stand trial here at anytime the Swedes agree.

Assange's not the central issue. At this point there's an apparatus and infrastructure set up that'll survive him. The cat's likely out of the bag on most of what's already in their possession. Now the issue becomes learning from these errors and mitigating future sources of problems. Leaks, espionage, and hidden agendas abound in any case. How to identify those like our army intelligence specialist abetting these revelations seems more important.

**Sidney** · 22 Dec 10,, 19:29

Indeed, Assange would seem more vulnerable to US extradition attempts in the UK. Then again, a Kafkaesque trial in the socialdemocratic paradise state for crimes against feminism might be even worse.

**Wooglin** · 22 Dec 10,, 19:48

Originally Posted by Double Edge

So why the wait for the US to formally charge him ?

What gets me is if he's sent to Sweden then supposedly he's vulnerable to being extradited.

Why can't they get him from the UK ?

What's the rush? We know where he is and where he's likely going. Perhaps it would be easier to extradite him from Sweden, thus they're waiting for that. Perhaps they are still building the case...it's too high profile to F up. Perhaps they don't have the balls to do it at all. We can only speculate the answers to that question.

**Double Edge** · 22 Dec 10,, 20:10

Originally Posted by S-2

WAPO is reporting that a C.I.A.-based Wiki-leaks assessment team known as WTF has been launched-

C.I.A. Launches Wiki-Leaks Assessment Taskforce-WAPO Dec. 22, 2010

This article says the same what I believed that Bradley is suspected of copying the cables via a thumbdrive. Meaning Bradley would not have needed Assange's help.

"It's just a huge vulnerability," the former high-ranking CIA officer said. "Nobody could carry out enough paper to do what WikiLeaks has done."

This would be a win for Assange as he believes the secret conspiracy then would not be able to move as fast or be more efficient because it takes longer for information to be disseminated within.

Originally Posted by Wooglin

What's the rush? We know where he is and where he's likely going. Perhaps it would be easier to extradite him from Sweden, thus they're waiting for that. Perhaps they are still building the case...it's too high profile to F up. Perhaps they don't have the balls to do it at all. We can only speculate the answers to that question.

Posted this earlier

Assange prosecution would be "extremely dangerous"

Have there been any reports on the bolded bit ?

**Wooglin** · 22 Dec 10,, 21:08

Originally Posted by Double Edge

Posted this earlier

Assange prosecution would be "extremely dangerous"

Have there been any reports on the bolded bit ?

Well from the first line of the article it appears that "The Obama administration is exploring the possibility of prosecuting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the century-old Espionage Act"

There's been a bunch of news articles about it recently. Just google "assange espionage"

BTW, here was the first hit (same source). The argument within should sound familiar by now.

Yes, Julian Assange actually is a criminal - WikiLeaks - Salon.com

**Sidney** · 22 Dec 10,, 21:13

Just trying out the attachment feature:

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**Double Edge** · 22 Dec 10,, 21:45

Originally Posted by Wooglin

Yes, Julian Assange actually is a criminal - WikiLeaks - Salon.com

I would favor passage of some sort of reasonable act to protect legitimate government secrets, because democratic republics have a right to protect themselves from genuine spies and real traitors, as well as vengeful employees.

This quote of the article begs the question why the US does not have an equivalent of an 'Official Secrets Act' as in the British commonwealth.?

**xinhui** · 23 Dec 10,, 00:13

CIA task force to assess WikiLeaks damage

AFP: CIA task force to assess WikiLeaks damage

(AFP) – 3 hours ago

WASHINGTON — A CIA task force -- known by the suitable acronym WTF -- is to assess damage done by WikiLeaks' mass release of classified US documents, an official said Wednesday.

The WikiLeaks Task Force will "examine whether the latest release of WikiLeaks documents might affect the agency's foreign relationships or operations," CIA spokesman George Little said.

Few of the thousands of confidential documents leaked by WikiLeaks were from the CIA, but many were secret communications by high ranking diplomats discussing sensitive questions of world and US affairs.

The task force, headed by the CIA's Counterintelligence Center, is to make an inventory of the leaked cables and will report on the impact of the leaks, particularly regarding the ability to recruit of informants, a source who asked not to be named said.

Some of the leaked documents originated on the protected SIPRNET, or Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, which is used to share classified information between different government branches.

The embarrassing saga could lead to a tightening of the rules for sharing, the source said. "The recent WikiLeaks episode points to the serious need for our government to look closely at whether it might be time for need-to-know to make a comeback."

Bradley Manning, the soldier accused of stealing the information and passing it to WikiLeaks, had access to SIPRNET as an army intelligence analyst.