2010. United States. Wikileaks Document Dump.
"Wikileaks Top Secret Mobile Information Collection Unit visits The New York Times on the 4th of July" by Wikileaks Mobile Information Collection Unit under CC BY 2.0
In 2010, WikiLeaks released a video showing a U.S. Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed two Reuters journalists and several other civilians. The video caused controversy and raised questions about U.S. military operations in Iraq. The release of this video was followed by the publication of hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables in 2010, causing the U.S. government to condemn WikiLeaks for putting national security at risk.
The debate over whether WikiLeaks' release of classified information was brave or unethical continues. Some argue that the group is simply acting as a journalistic outlet, while others view the releases as a threat to national security. There are also concerns that the release of documents may have put people's lives in danger.
Foreign Policy reported in 2010 that WikiLeaks had potentially put sources at risk. The Guardian reported in 2011 that unredacted U.S. embassy cables had been made available online after a WikiLeaks breach, potentially exposing people who had spoken to U.S. diplomats. WikiLeaks has also been criticized for publishing personal information about private individuals, such as their credit card details.
In 2012, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's TV show was aired on a Russian channel and it was revealed that he was to host a Kremlin-funded TV show. There have been allegations of a WikiLeaks-Russia connection since before the 2016 U.S. election, and in 2018, AP News released documents exposing the group's inner workings.
In 2019, the Mueller report confirmed that Assange was not a whistleblower or a journalist, and he was later arrested and charged with espionage by the U.S. government. The controversy surrounding WikiLeaks and its impact on national security and the safety of sources and individuals whose personal information has been leaked continues to be a topic of debate.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on April 3, 2023
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Sources for 2010. United States. Wikileaks Document Dump:
Leaked U.S. video shows deaths of Reuters' Iraqi staffers - Reuters April 5, 2010
Is WikiLeaks Release Brave Or Unethical? - NPR November 30, 2010
Has release of Wikileaks documents cost lives? - BBC News December 1, 2010
How many sources has WikiLeaks put at risk? - Foreign Policy December 4, 2010
Unredacted US embassy cables available online after WikiLeaks breach - The Guardian August 31, 2011
WikiLeaks founder to host Kremlin-funded TV show - Reuters January 26, 2012
The WikiLeaks-Russia connection started way before the 2016 election - Vox January 6, 2017
AP Exclusive: WikiLeaks files expose group’s inner workings - AP News September 17, 2018