WikiLeaks Set To Release Unpublished Iraq War Docs 411
Tootech writes with this snippet from Wired:
"A massive cache of previously unpublished classified US military documents from the Iraq War is being readied for publication by WikiLeaks, a new report has confirmed. The documents constitute the 'biggest leak of military intelligence' that has ever occurred, according to Iain Overton, editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a nonprofit British organization that is working with WikiLeaks on the documents. The documents are expected to be published in several weeks. Overton, who discussed the project with Newsweek, didn't say how many documents were involved or disclose their origin, but they may be among the leaks that an imprisoned Army intelligence analyst claimed to have sent to WikiLeaks earlier this year."
You know what bothers me the most? (Score:5, Interesting)
Not the fact that Wikileaks is publishing information like this. Not the possible side effects from "inside information" being released.
No, what bothers me the most is that something like Wikileaks needs to exist at all.
what about the dude in prison? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I like the concept, not the implementation (Score:4, Interesting)
The inappropriate classification of documents is the reason Wikileaks does what it does. The government can only lie about the reasons for classifying documents so long before the people stop trusting the government, and we crossed that line a long time ago.
What if we made it a crime to over-classify documents, with identical punishments to disclosing classified material? Seems like an easy fix to me...
Re:I like the concept, not the implementation (Score:5, Interesting)
How would that law be enforced? If you cannot read the documents, how do you know whether or not they have been overclassified?
I have argued that items be reduced in classification from Top Secret to Secret. The entity with Original Classification Authority agreed and the classification level was reduced.
The parent has a point.
Even for non-classified documents or procedures. Consider a building permit. The group granting permits can only LOSE if they grant a permit which should not have been granted, but little to lose if they deny the permit for a new design. That is why we have so many homes built on previously approved designs, it makes the approval process safe for all parties. Classification is similar. No one wants to be the guy who reduced a classification level, and later we find out that it should have been higher. The burdon is dangerous and it is asking someone to accept responsibility and potentially liability.
I have proposed processes by which we increase periodic reviews of classified material with a de-emphasis on losing face or embarassment. (it isn't supposed to exist now, but being humans it will always be there) Naturally that won't fly without a LOT of pressure.
I would prefer such a system to the current wikileaks approach of "Release it all and let God sort it out". It is irresponsible.
Re:I like the concept, not the implementation (Score:0, Interesting)
How would that law be enforced? If you cannot read the documents, how do you know whether or not they have been overclassified?
It would work as an independent arm of government that 'meta-moderates' classifications. It would use 'random sampling' to pick up the works of 'moderators' and would allow an anonymous building of 'metamoderation' consensus. In theory the same pool of people who have clearance (who are allowed to moderate) could be used to both moderate and meta-moderation - if the pool is large enough then this works out just fine.
Even if it cannot possibly find all mis-moderations of documents, it would still be a statistical proof that the number of mismoderations must be below the rate of intensity of meta-moderation.
Policy-makers (our overlords) would constantly tune the knobs of meta-moderation via observed metrics of abuse of the moderation system - balancing the public interest of meta-moderation against the public interest of not spending more than necessary resources on meta-moderation.
Leaks from other countries? (Score:2, Interesting)
I understand pushing for government transparency and that there is a fine line between exposing government behaviour and causing damage to covert ops. But why is it always (or at least it seems always) US classified material they publish? Is it only the US leaks that get the headlines?
Re:This is happening because the Iraq war is unjus (Score:4, Interesting)
Those were governments with standing armies. That era is over.
Re:I like the concept, not the implementation (Score:2, Interesting)
if they hadn't released raw data... then this wouldn't have been possible:
http://www.colorado.edu/ibs/pec/johno/afpak/docs/OLoughlin_Wiki.pdf [colorado.edu]