Is the release of classified information about the Afghan war a good thing?
Posted at 5:00 AM on July 27, 2010
by Eric Ringham
(26 Comments)
Filed under: International affairs, Politics/Government, Security
The unauthorized release of classified material about the war in Afghanistan has painted a bleak picture of that effort. Today's Question: Is the release of classified information about the Afghan war a good thing?
Comments (26)
Its a 'bad' thing someone in the military had the lack of respect to maintain integrity of our security.
It was 'secret' but not 'top secret' ....
The whole incident was rather pathetic how easy it was for him to get the information....
(Bradass87? Gee... someone named Brad born in 1987... not hard to track...)
Anyway, despite the unusual 'volume' the only issue is how he got access with no ability to hide his identity...
I'm appalled by many of these answers. This is not a "freedom of information" issue. It's a military security issue. The important thing is not that the information was being kept from the American people, but that it was being kept from the enemy-- people who wish to do us harm.
Openness is a fine thing in the abstract. However, when someone asks you for information intending to use it for nefarious purposes, you don't owe them a straight answer. When the Nazis knock on your door and ask if you're hiding Jews, and you are, the ethical thing to do is say no. If someone asks you for the password to your account on a web site or the PIN for your ATM card, you shouldn't tell them.
I'm as suspicious of some of the motives of our government as the next person, but
for those of you who think the leaking of this information was a good thing, I dare you to tell that to the families of our people who will be killed because the enemy now knows some operational details they didn't before.
Why is it that this question elicits some feeling that our military is hiding some illegal action? Many of the previous post immediately assume some covert activity is taking place. We have great military leaders, we have oversight responsibilities of our congress and I would hope we have national leaders voted in that we can trust. I would also hope we have the corrective action to take if that trust is broken. I doubt that this question will shed much light on the issue.
Yes, it is vital that information is shared publicly so citizens can make informed decisions. Unfortunately, the U.S. government shrouds so much in a veil of secrecy, groups like Wikileaks are essential. They deserve our gratitude.
The immediate effect of the leak will not be good - in the short term it makes the job of our military and our diplomats harder. However, over the long term, it serves a valuable purpose: even if no lies are found within the leaked documents, it will make the government think twice before undertaking any kind of systematic cover-up in the future. Over the long term, this can only be beneficial. There must always be a balance between security and truth in international affairs, or otherwise we will end up possessing neither.
Of course it's a good thing for those who choose "the red pill". For those who choose to take "the blue pill", (ref. The Matrix) will obviously feel threatened. I wonder if it will make much of an impact, as much of the media (including NPR and MPR) have chosen to take "the blue pill", and will simply parrot "The Matrix" rather than do real journalism and look for the True story contained in these documents. I challenge NPR and MPR to dedicate the necessary resources to explore the contents of these documents and do real original reporting. If they do not, they risk further marginalization by those courageous enough to do otherwise.
The group at Wikileaks should be given the Nobel Peace Prize, as they expose ALL who would deceive for private gain. Freedom begins and ends with Truth. Those who seek to obscure or hide the Truth seek to be your Master. Those who seek to shine the light and spread the truth seek to be your collaborator.
Of course it's a good thing for those who choose "the red pill". For those who choose to take "the blue pill", (ref. The Matrix) will obviously feel threatened. I wonder if it will make much of an impact, as much of the media (including NPR and MPR) have chosen to take "the blue pill", and will simply parrot "The Matrix" rather than do real journalism and look for the True story contained in these documents. I challenge NPR and MPR to dedicate the necessary resources to explore the contents of these documents and do real original reporting. If they do not, they risk further marginalization by those courageous enough to do otherwise.
The group at Wikileaks should be given the Nobel Peace Prize, as they expose ALL who would deceive for private g
We as a society, and our government, should be searching for ways to prevent and end war. While at war or not. It's not in our national interest to go to war. It's unpopular and costly. Not only in a dollar amount but the greatest price of all - human lives.
It's unfortunate this information had to be released under such stagnant circumstances but they need to be released. Our government should not be hiding information from it's people. We are the curators of this country, we need to know how it's operating it's business.
Since we've been there 9 years without progress, it's difficult to imagine that more information would be a bad thing—nearly as difficult to imagine as what success in Afghanistan would look like.
http://www.slate.com/id/2261780
Unfortunately the release was a necessary thing, because the American government has repeatedly proven over the last decade that we cannot trust it to tell us the truth. In the last decade our government has lied up reasons for an unprovoked war of aggression, allowed for the torture and murder of prisoners in direct violation of U.S. law and treaty, sought to deny these prisoners any real chance to prove their own innocence (even when most prisoners that have gone to GITMO have ended up being released anyways) and curtailed our civil rights in secret. My distrust was legitimately earned.
How can it even remotely be considered a good idea?? Information is classified for a reason by the government, and I can guarantee the reason is not solely to hide information from American citizens. Its national security people. Last thing we need is terrorist groups getting a hold of classified information.
Obama promised transparency in government. I don't really care if these specific documents were released... however, this information should have been released by our government as part of its "transparency."
It is a GREAT thing. We are living in a society where information has been greatly limited by lack of finances to properly research and report, by the reticence of the the media to speak the truth with knowledge and courage, by the rehashing as news of the bulletins given by the government, and by the general inclination of people to listen to and believe only that with which they agree. The resulting polarization of our society further creates a landscape in which no one dares rock the boat with the truth. Not since Daniel Ellsberg has there been someone willing to put his career, his freedom, and even his life on the line to get the TRUTH out to the American public. We deserve to know what is actually occurring in the war arena that our country supports, and for which we and our children must pay. We began an ill conceived and unjust war during the Bush administration, and have continued to pursue a war we cannot win in Afghanistan under the Obama administration. Only when people put their own interests aside in favor of the future of our country and the entire world to give us the information that we need to make good decisions, can we expect to have any hope of making positive changes in our lives, and those of all the people on our planet.
Please take the time to really understand what is in the reports, and then act upon that information as your conscience dictates.
Pfc Bradley Manning should be awarded the Medal of Freedom and given an honorable discharge. The troops should be brought home as this is an undeclared therefore illegal war.
Pfc Bradley Manning should be awarded the Medal of Freedom and given an honorable discharge. The troops should be brought home as this is an undeclared therefore illegal war.
The release of classified information is terrible and very damaging for the troops and the Obama administration. The lack of security with documents is a wake-up call to tighten avenues for classified documents. The person was disgruntled and the net effect will dissallow everything we built-up in this long difficult war that was beginning to turn around!
A follow up regarding some others' comments: If war crimes are being committed, it is the act of the crime, not of revealing it, that is putting our troops in danger.
Yes, this leak was very good. the Powers that be will do whatever they can to keep us uniformed or misinformed about their wars for corporate profit. Their feigned concern for troup safety is a red herring. If they were really concerned about their safety they would not have sent them in to battle.
Sincerely,
John Schmid, Mpls.
It doesn't matter, if you as a citizen of the US can't figure out we are in a no win war, your head has been in the sand.
Absolutely not! Why should we show our hand to the enemy? This will only serve in helping them and tie our hands even tighter behind our back. I know in a democracy there's supposed to be transparency, but whoever said it was OK for us citizens to know everything. I believe that type of thinking comes from the entitlement mindset of so many in our nation.
Information yearns to be free, yet everywhere is in chains. The promise of the internet is the undoing of information controls. Information is made artificially scarce to protect its value. Artificial scarcity is the cause of famine and unmet needs. Freeing information is to return it to its preferred state, and opens its use to all. Inherently a just thing.
"All secrets are lies"
This is a great idea if you want to increase the threat against the men and women fighting for our safety in these countries...this action was treasonous and the traitor that turned over these documents should be hanged for treason.
Telling your enemy what you know isn't the best of ideas...the reason these documents were classified...and the general public doesn't need to know this information...if they do, they should sign up like those of us who have been there...then maybe, just maybe they will have a clue of what is really going on over there.
No. I tihnk it is important for citizens to have a good idea of how US war efforts are going. However, from what I have heard about these documents on NPR, they provide a level of detail that could be harmful to the troops and the NATO effort. It would have been more appropriate to report a summary of the what was in the documents rather than the documents themselves.
Since the truth is always the first casualty of war, having some truth about the climate there and what our armed forces are doing in our name is good.
Absolutely not. If the data is classified the person / people releasing it should be prosecuted. Data is classified for a reason whether you agree with it or not. People lives rest on someone's arbitrary decision that this would make good news or that they do not agree with a governments current position. There are means thru the Freedom of Informatin Act to pursue these releases in a fair and safe way.
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