In a spectacle of bold defiance, WikiLeaks has begun publishing yet another groundbreaking series of secret documents. On Sunday, Nov. 28, the website dedicated to global transparency began publishing over 250,000 U.S. embassy cables. Though the cables will give people around the world an unprecedented look into the inner workings of U.S. foreign policy, there has been international backlash against their publication.
This publication will be the largest set of confidential documents ever released to the public domain. The cables include vast quantities of information about the diplomacy of the United States, relations with other countries and the United States' foreign policy objectives. The documents provide important eye−opening accounts of otherwise unknown contradictions in U.S. foreign policy, as well as secret diplomatic dealings.
The downsides of this maximal level of openness are numerous and important. Many of the cables expose the sentiments of Arab leaders who had previously been secretly opposed to and wary of Iran's nuclear ambitions. These leaders, in conversations documented by the cables, were all too clear about how they feel. A telling example of this is the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi's description of Iran's (at best) aberrant president: "Ahmadinejad is Hitler." There is no question that these leaders will be more guarded in dealing with the United States on this and future issues, which could undermine U.S. diplomats in future negotiations.
In addition to a loss of confidence in U.S. diplomatic partnership, another downside to the publication of the cables is a threat to national interests. It has been made public that the United States and South Korea have begun planning a strategy in the event of an impending collapse of North Korea. Report of this will shake up the region and may cause North Korea to act even more desperately than it has recently.
Though these negatives are real and relevant, the positive aspects of this publication outweigh them. WikiLeaks' mission is in accordance with the basic tenet of a free press that holds the government accountable. Any democracy must be subjected to this in order to function properly. Moreover, this level of transparency is necessary to deter future war crimes because of the fear of exposure.
The cables also illustrate how the Obama administration's diplomatic relations have been successful in crucial areas. For one, the United States has successfully built a network of allies against Iran as a potential enemy. Of course this coalition includes Israel, but the cables reveal that many Arab nations, Russia and, most surprisingly, China, have been added to this list. It is important for the American people to be made aware of this point of pride, but it is equally important for Iran to see how effective our policies have been, so as to encourage them to engage with us. It should be noted that Iran mocks the whole operation as a Western propaganda game.
Meanwhile, many around the world have not received this well. Sweden has issued an arrest warrant on charges of sexual assault for Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. Interpol has added him to their global wanted list. Assange claims the allegations are part of a smear campaign, and I personally believe him. The United States has begun an "active, ongoing criminal investigation" of WikiLeaks under the Espionage Act, according to Attorney General Eric Holder.
The assault on WikiLeaks and Assange should stop. The benefits of their actions exceed the faults, which amount to a few headaches for U.S. diplomats. We are well served by the publication of these materials. The cables give the public an essential degree of transparency that would otherwise be forgone, and Americans have a right to know what is being done on our behalf around the world.
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Joshua Youner is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Joshua.Youner@tufts.edu.
