Monday, July 26, 2010

Julian Assange interview on the Afghan war logs

Julian Assange on Wikileaks release of 91,000 classified Afghan war documents from 2004 to 2009 to The New York Times, The Guardian, and Der Spiegel.

"This is the story of the war since 2004. Like most of the accidents on the road are the result of cars not of buses, most of the deaths in this war are the result of the every day squalor of war not the big incidences."

Among other disclosures, the US gives Pakistan $1-billion a year to help fight the "insurgency" in Afghanistan but these reports indicate that the Pakistani spy service ISI, which works in concert with the CIA, is guiding the attacks on US/NATO/Afghan troops.

The Real News Network, who you should all be sending money to, has a very good interview up with Assange on the significance of these leaks and how they were obtained.

Ch. 4 : So how does Wikileaks work?

JA : Other journalists try to verify sources. We don't do that, we verify documents. We don't care where it came from - but we can guess that it probably came from somewhere in the US military or the US government, from someone who is disaffected. Clearly, a heroic act by the whistleblower.

CH. 4 : So the same computer system that protects the source also stops you from knowing that source?

JA : The system we have deployed to make whistleblowers to us untraceable, also prevents us knowing who they are.

Two hour presser with Assange in London yesterday that was excerpted in the clip at top. First 40 minutes is a Q&A, followed up by Assange giving the press a workshop on how to read, dissect, and package the released material. Preceded by annoying 30 second ad. (h/t Waterbaby)

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1 comment:

West End Bob said...

Any comments from south of the 49th yet, Alison?

Thought there might be.

Guess not . . . . ;-)

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