WikiLeaks 'morally guilty' over war records
Source: Agencies |
August 2, 2010, Monday
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WIKILEAKS is at least morally guilty over the release of classified United States documents on the Afghan war, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday, as investigators broaden their probe of the leak.
The whistle-blowing website published tens of thousands of war records a week ago, a move the Pentagon has said could cost lives and damage the trust of allies by exposing US intelligence gathering methods and names of Afghan contacts.
Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the top US military officer, appeared on television talk shows renewing those concerns amid fears WikiLeaks may publish more documents.
"My attitude on this is that there are two areas of culpability. One is legal culpability. And that's up to the Justice Department and others - that's not my arena," Gates told the ABC News show "This Week with Christiane Amanpour."
"But there's also a moral culpability. And that's where I think the verdict is 'guilty' on WikiLeaks. They have put this out without any regard whatsoever for the consequences."
The release of the classified documents has fanned doubts about President Barack Obama's strategy to turn the tide in the unpopular war. July was the deadliest month for US forces since the conflict started in 2001.
Mullen, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," called the leak "unprecedented" in its scope and volume.
The US investigation is focusing on Bradley Manning, who worked as an Army intelligence analyst in Iraq, US officials say. Manning is already under arrest and charged with leaking a classified video showing a 2007 helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Iraq.
Adrian Lamo, who reported Manning to authorities this year, said he believed US investigators were also looking at people close to Manning with ties to WikiLeaks.
The whistle-blowing website published tens of thousands of war records a week ago, a move the Pentagon has said could cost lives and damage the trust of allies by exposing US intelligence gathering methods and names of Afghan contacts.
Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the top US military officer, appeared on television talk shows renewing those concerns amid fears WikiLeaks may publish more documents.
"My attitude on this is that there are two areas of culpability. One is legal culpability. And that's up to the Justice Department and others - that's not my arena," Gates told the ABC News show "This Week with Christiane Amanpour."
"But there's also a moral culpability. And that's where I think the verdict is 'guilty' on WikiLeaks. They have put this out without any regard whatsoever for the consequences."
The release of the classified documents has fanned doubts about President Barack Obama's strategy to turn the tide in the unpopular war. July was the deadliest month for US forces since the conflict started in 2001.
Mullen, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," called the leak "unprecedented" in its scope and volume.
The US investigation is focusing on Bradley Manning, who worked as an Army intelligence analyst in Iraq, US officials say. Manning is already under arrest and charged with leaking a classified video showing a 2007 helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Iraq.
Adrian Lamo, who reported Manning to authorities this year, said he believed US investigators were also looking at people close to Manning with ties to WikiLeaks.
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