Well done wikileaks.

In war civilian lives should be protected. So, on balance if one soldier dies because of this leak, but in future one less civilian is killed because of the leak, the net effect is positive.

That’s not to devalue the life of a soldier, but wars are meant to be fought by armed forces, not civilians.

Well, I’d be very surprised if the insurgents knew everything in the leaded papers and most of the insurgents aren’t iraqi anyway and generally are know by the iraqis as “the foreigners”.
I’d also be concerned about ANY more pointless deaths and agree with project on this one.

As far as I am concerned anything that is done to put their life, or any other forces, at risk is simply wrong and you can argue all night but you won’t convince me otherwise.

i completely agree with and understand what you are saying
these leaks may surprise us with shocking abuses and tragic civillian deaths commited mainly by iraqis and ignored by us/uk troops

im sure the native population is well aware that this kind of abuse is endemic its this that fuels resentment of our troops,

forcing the us/uk administration to investigate the attrocities id like to think will improve support for the coalition troops

its just another example of the failure to prepare for defeating saddam and what would come after and understand what the sectarian divisons in the country would mean

backhander – Member

Well, I’d be very surprised if the insurgents knew everything in the leaded papers and most of the insurgents aren’t iraqi anyway and generally are know by the iraqis as “the foreigners”.

No I’m not having that backhander.

I’m sure the the insurgents didn’t think “those Americans are really OK geezers” and were shocked to discover after reading Wikileaks, that maybe that wasn’t entirely true.

“most of the insurgents aren’t iraqi anyway”

😕 What’s that got to do with it ?

Are you suggesting that they had forgotten why they were in Iraq until they read Wikileaks ? !

No, it was in response to;

have to read Wikileaks to find out what is happening in their country ?

And you should read the post;

I’d be very surprised if the insurgents knew everything in the leaded papers

There are still numerous British Military serving in Iraq; if the leaks endanger them then it is just one more risk to add to the many they already have to face. Whilst it makes me uncomfortable to say it…the price they pay so the rest of the world can know the truth is a justifiable one and I support the actions of Wikileaks.

No, it was in response to;

have to read Wikileaks to find out what is happening in their country ?

Oh I see, it was a technical point………I should have said “are suggesting the insurgents have to read Wikileaks to find out why they went to Iraq ?”

I would also be surprised if “the insurgents knew everything” btw.

Although I would be even more surprised, if they had forgotten why they were in Iraq.

The problem with with the files is that they show a single point of view. The majority of the reports are incident reports from troops, where is the document from the insurgents or the Iraqi / Afghan governments – surprise, surprise, they don’t exist!

Don’t blame the troops for the actions of their governments, you and I are as much to blame them. What right do we have to impose OUR values of morality on other nations – the UN conventions have been written with Western European values. We have no idea about the conditions have lived in for many years with oppressive governments and the risk of being killed every day by terrorists/insurgents. How we YOU behave in that situation? Remember it was Western Europeans who committed the largest single act of genocide in history – why do we have the moral upper hand.

Wikileaks is not about helping individuals it is about raising the profile of its founder – read the reports from his fellow workers and he comes across in a different light. There is no balance, no objectivity and the decision to release documents is taken in secret. Perhaps one day there will be an objective assessment of their behaviour, perhaps by Wikileaks?

Life is full of moral dilemmas. Which is the lesser evil: to keep the secret or risk the truth? I don,t know.

Remember it was Western Europeans who committed the largest single act of genocide in history – why do we have the moral upper hand.

Hold on we are in western Europe we fought and died to rid the world of that yrannyt but we cannot have any moral authority because geographically we live in the smae continet..I dont agree and Godwin

hat Wikileaks has done is just let all the bloody do-gooders lose for a few days until they shuffle off and find something else to whinge about.

Just read the latest Wikileaks report in The Guardian. They have released video of two Apaches falsely claiming that they are being shot at, then opening fire on Iraqi civilians, including children and a Reuters reporter, then laughing about it, then firing on the people that arrive to help the wounded.

The US military refused to release this video under Freedom of Information.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/05/wikileaks-us-army-iraq-attack

Why would that be then? What was ‘secret’ about it?

Do you really think casting a light on the murdering of civilians for sport is just do-gooders whinging?!?

Words fail me after watching that

I feel for the tainted image of the soldier. I can’t get my head around the whole thing, but anyone who compromises the integrity and courage of honest soldiers needs weeding out. Ideally those who misuse thier position such as the Apache pilots should be dealt with internally, leaked footage could be used as propaganda in the long term. Or am I just not seeing the bigger picture???

Ideally those who misuse thier position such as the Apache pilots should be dealt with internally, leaked footage could be used as propaganda in the long term. Or am I just not seeing the bigger picture???

Except the Americans “investigated” internally, concluded there was no wrong doing then refused to release the video under Freedom Of Information.

You’re right that it will be used for propaganda. But then at least if you get propaganda from both sides you can start getting a truer idea of what is happening on the ground.

I think I am struggling to accept it’s going on rather than opposed to it. Such a horrific crime, I really do feel for soldiers and what they go through. Having friends in the armed forces I would hate to think thier already difficult positions were not made harder by the actions of a minority amongst them.

Forget the contents – someone leaked SECRET documents. I’m sorry, but no matter what the contents, that is wrong and there is no excuse.

That’s one of the strangest things I’ve read in a long time.

I thought now that Barak Obama was in charge, everything was going to be different.

How’s that hope-y change-y thing goin’ for ya?