Clinton: WikiLeaks attacks whole world

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has branded the release of top secret files by the whistle- blowing website Wikileaks as “an attack on the world”. Washington’s most senior diplomat vowed to prevent further leaks and denounced the publication of the confidential diplomatic cables as a crime. Clinton: WikiLeaks attacks whole world “Let’s be clear: this disclosure is not just an attack on America’s foreign policy interest, it is an attack on the international community, the alliances and partnerships, the conversations and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity,” Clinton said. The 250,000 documents communicate some candid and sometimes unflattering views of world leaders and blunt assessments of security threats. Some were published online by Wikileaks but the entire bundle was made available to five media organizations worldwide including Britain’s Guardian newspaper and Germany’s Der Speigel magazine. Wikileaks caused a similar uproar earlier this year when it published secret US files on the Afghan conflict in July and some four hundred thousand documents about the Iraq war in October. Hillary Clinton (Beta/AP, file) Fallout continues The Wikileaks revelations continue to reverberate around the world, reports euronews. Nowhere more so than the White House. The leaking of such a huge amount of confidential diplomatic correspondence is the stuff of nightmares for the Obama administration. Spokesman Robert Gibbs says no course of action has been ruled out: “The president was – this is an understatement – not pleased with this information becoming public. An open and transparent government is something he believes is truly important. But the stealing of and dissemination of classified information is a crime.” The release of the candid and unguarded assessments of many global figures has prompted condemnation from around the world. But Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez praised what he said was the “courage and bravery” of Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange. Chavez, a vocal critic of Washington, said the documents showed the US to be a “failed state”. Wikileaks has so far posted only a tiny fraction of the emails it says it has obtained – 278 of 251 thousand plus messages. However all the material has been given to five newspapers around the world, who say they have published it in the public interest.

Clinton: WikiLeaks attacks whole world

“Let’s be clear: this disclosure is not just an attack on America’s foreign policy interest, it is an attack on the international community, the alliances and partnerships, the conversations and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity,” Clinton said.

The 250,000 documents communicate some candid and sometimes unflattering views of world leaders and blunt assessments of security threats.

Some were published online by Wikileaks but the entire bundle was made available to five media organizations worldwide including Britain’s Guardian newspaper and Germany’s Der Speigel magazine.

Wikileaks caused a similar uproar earlier this year when it published secret US files on the Afghan conflict in July and some four hundred thousand documents about the Iraq war in October.

Fallout continues

The Wikileaks revelations continue to reverberate around the world, reports euronews.

Nowhere more so than the White House.

The leaking of such a huge amount of confidential diplomatic correspondence is the stuff of nightmares for the Obama administration.

Spokesman Robert Gibbs says no course of action has been ruled out:

“The president was – this is an understatement – not pleased with this information becoming public. An open and transparent government is something he believes is truly important. But the stealing of and dissemination of classified information is a crime.”

The release of the candid and unguarded assessments of many global figures has prompted condemnation from around the world.

But Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez praised what he said was the “courage and bravery” of Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange.

Chavez, a vocal critic of Washington, said the documents showed the US to be a “failed state”.

Wikileaks has so far posted only a tiny fraction of the emails it says it has obtained – 278 of 251 thousand plus messages.

However all the material has been given to five newspapers around the world, who say they have published it in the public interest.