Google hands over Wikileaks staffers data

[patrickjp93]

I absolutely loath quoting myself but seems there is no option here. "Name one instance where WikiLeaks have leaked intelligence on a future military action"

I read that entire article and it talks about the past, and while I expected there to be more of a time gap than just 1 year its still the past.

Oh and PS:

no mention of deaths in that article, wtf are you on about dude.

again, Name one instance where WikiLeaks have leaked intelligence on a future military action

Have you no ability to think? Those people were in Pakistan at the time and died less than a week later due to blown cover.

[Trik'Stari]

I know what you meant.

However when you use the words "remember that this administration has secured more jail time for whistleblowers than the all of the past presidents in US history combined" makes it seem like you're singling the current president to be the cause of this.

 

You could've just as easily said "remember that this administration has secured more jail time for whistleblowers than the all of the past administration in US history combined".

Just my €0.02.

Same difference.

 

Have you no ability to think? Those people were in Pakistan at the time and died less than a week later due to blown cover.

We'd have less trouble with shit like that if our government would let the military to fight wars instead of conducting police actions and allowing politicians to decide tactics.

[patrickjp93]

Same difference.

 

We'd have less trouble with shit like that if our government would let the military to fight wars instead of conducting police actions and allowing politicians to decide tactics.

Excuse me?! That mission was on the generals' orders! That was not a political decision at all!

[Ethnod]

Have you no ability to think? Those people were in Pakistan at the time and died less than a week later due to blown cover.

 

You are extrapolating data from a news report and just imaging that it fits what you want it to. If the soldiers had of died that would be news and you would be posting that news story not this. You don't even know if the soldiers were there when they leak came out, the operation was probably finished by then. 

 

Excuse me?! That mission was on the generals' orders! That was not a political decision at all!

 

How naive are you? ALL Military action is politically driven, the military is a tool not a government. And if you think that the US special forces are inside Pakistan training people without the knowledge and say so of someone in the government you are even more naive that I think. 

Seriously, you know not what you speak of

[patrickjp93]

You are extrapolating data from a news report and just imaging that it fits what you want it to. If the soldiers had of died that would be news and you would be posting that news story not this. You don't even know if the soldiers were there when they leak came out, the operation was probably finished by then.

How naive are you? ALL Military action is politically driven, the military is a tool not a government. And if you think that the US special forces are inside Pakistan training people without the knowledge and say so of someone in the government you are even more naive that I think.

Seriously, you know not what you speak of

Yeah, put your head in the sand. Government transparency trumps the lives of people who protect the world. Typical naive libertarian.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

Meanwhile we're all still waiting for even the slightest bit of proof that those 9 deaths were related to Wikileaks. So far you've only linked to an article mentioning that there was leaked info about a past operation, but even a Google search doesn't produce 9 killed soldiers in Pakistan no matter how I submit the query. It's as if such a thing never happened.

Also,knowing the US government's stance on Wikileaks, they'd be in a hurry to have every bit of proof in all the newspapers so they can show that they're the good guys and Wikileaks was responsible.

[GzeroD]

I'm always confused by people who can take an absolute stand on Wiki-leaks and the actions of whistle blowers. The US system of government is based on checks and balance's and without accountability you cannot operate that system; so without leakers and whistle-blowers you have no way to ensure that the system protecting the citizens is operating in a manner acceptable to those citizens. At some point the protections an action can give you won't be worth the actions involved. From there you also need to take into account that any leak has a chance to endanger those actively protecting the citizens or increasing animosity toward country as a whole and potentially increasing or even creating new threats.

 

Personally I think the whistle blowers should not face charges of treason or face life in prison especially without trial, but still need to hold some liability for the consequences of revealing sensitive information. I think that releasing information like it was on wiki-leaks was reckless and irresponsible (releasing tons of files and information with little or no regard for their contents and its potential effects on people still actively working to keep the county safe). But at the same time if the government is threatening or preventing reporters from investigating and reporting on information leaked in a more traditional manner (who hopefully taking care to remove or at least limit the risk to individuals by verifying and not reporting all aspects of the leak) then a more direct and unfiltered leak looks like the only way to get a clandestine program publicly reviewed and held accountable. 

[Trik'Stari]

I'm always confused by people who can take an absolute stand on Wiki-leaks and the actions of whistle blowers. The US system of government is based on checks and balance's and without accountability you cannot operate that system; so without leakers and whistle-blowers you have no way to ensure that the system protecting the citizens is operating in a manner acceptable to those citizens. At some point the protections an action can give you won't be worth the actions involved. From there you also need to take into account that any leak has a chance to endanger those actively protecting the citizens or increasing animosity toward country as a whole and potentially increasing or even creating new threats.

 

Personally I think the whistle blowers should not face charges of treason or face life in prison especially without trial, but still need to hold some liability for the consequences of revealing sensitive information. I think that releasing information like it was on wiki-leaks was reckless and irresponsible (releasing tons of files and information with little or no regard for their contents and its potential effects on people still actively working to keep the county safe). But at the same time if the government is threatening or preventing reporters from investigating and reporting on information leaked in a more traditional manner (who hopefully taking care to remove or at least limit the risk to individuals by verifying and not reporting all aspects of the leak) then a more direct and unfiltered leak looks like the only way to get a clandestine program publicly reviewed and held accountable. 

^this.

 

If you do some looking, you can find plenty of stories about recent bullying and intimidation of journalists.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/10/28/federal-agents-pre-dawn-raid-on-reporter-home-raises-questions/

(yeah I know, it's fox, but sometimes they occasionally do report something that actually happened) They raided her home on trumped up gun charges, and stole her files to get the contact information of her sources. Never mind that what they did is completely illegal.

[blackadder]

i thought we had laws to protect whistle blowers. more along the lines of government waste, didn't you get some money for find these things? i don't know why we let these things happen in america. FREEDOM!!!!! 

[GzeroD]

^this.

 

If you do some looking, you can find plenty of stories about recent bullying and intimidation of journalists.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/10/28/federal-agents-pre-dawn-raid-on-reporter-home-raises-questions/

(yeah I know, it's fox, but sometimes they occasionally do report something that actually happened) They raided her home on trumped up gun charges, and stole her files to get the contact information of her sources. Never mind that what they did is completely illegal.

I have a lot bigger issue with that than I have with Google complying with a federal warrant especially when Google is know for not just blindly giving out information at every request. Their policy on the subject is available here: https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/userdatarequests/legalprocess/

[GzeroD]

i thought we had laws to protect whistle blowers. more along the lines of government waste, didn't you get some money for find these things? i don't know why we let these things happen in america. FREEDOM!!!!! 

We have laws protecting whistle blowers who report on issues of public interest usually centered on the public and workers health and well being . These laws do not apply to national security and I believe federal employees are excluded as well (I'm not entirely sure about that though). there is a site devoted to explaining the whistle blower protection program here: http://www.whistleblowers.gov/

[blackadder]

We have laws protecting whistle blowers who report on issues of public interest usually centered on the public and workers health and well being . These laws do not apply to national security and I believe federal employees are excluded as well (I'm not entirely sure about that though). there is a site devoted to explaining the whistle blower protection program here: http://www.whistleblowers.gov/

thanks for the website. it does seem a lot about osha, health and safety. This worries me. national security seems broad just like provide for the common defense.   

[Ethnod]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/10/28/federal-agents-pre-dawn-raid-on-reporter-home-raises-questions/

(yeah I know, it's fox, but sometimes they occasionally do report something that actually happened) They raided her home on trumped up gun charges, and stole her files to get the contact information of her sources. Never mind that what they did is completely illegal.

 

Seriously Fox news? No one else covered this story?