FT: states cannot wish away existence of operations such as WikiLeaks

PanARMENIAN.Net - WikiLeaks, a website dedicated to disclosing official secrets, has begun releasing about 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables.

This follows its publication of thousands of confidential military files relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Much of the new information is unsurprising – the U.S. is concerned about Pakistani nuclear weapons; U.S. diplomats, like their counterparts, spy as well as lie abroad for their country. The cumulative effect will cause embarrassment, if not lasting damage, says the editorial on Financial Times.

It goes on:

“Red faces are a small price to pay for freedom of information. Full facts about the actions of those who govern them enable citizens to make better decisions about their leaders, and hold them to account. Where evidence of wrong-doing by those in authority has been suppressed, making it freely available is a public service. Many of WikiLeaks’ previous disclosures – such as the killing of unarmed civilians in Iraq – fit into this category.

But this does not mean that all information belongs in the public domain. In order for states to conduct their affairs effectively, and ensure the security of their citizens, some secrets must remain. WikiLeaks’ latest disclosure does not quite cross this line. But nor does the release of this trove pass the public interest test unequivocally. The material released so far does not reveal any wrongdoing.

One consequence could be that diplomats become more guarded in communicating with their masters. It would be most unfortunate if this important flow of diplomatic information were a casualty of WikiLeaks’ crusade for free information.

There are two sides to preventing such an outcome. States cannot wish away the existence of operations such as WikiLeaks. Rather, they must adapt and overhaul their information handling. This may mean protecting a narrower set of crucial secrets better.

But WikiLeaks and its ilk also have a duty to use the information they receive responsibly. WikiLeaks stresses that it seeks to minimize the harm caused by its revelations. But its inadequate redaction of the Afghan information trove put lives at risk. That is reprehensible.

The bigger concern about WikiLeaks is that it is structured to be beyond the reach of any jurisdiction. This is understandable for a small organization taking on the world’s powers-that-be. But it gives WikiLeaks power without accountability – which is precisely what it claims to be fighting.”