WikiLeaks Reportedly Outs 100s of Afghan Informants

Hundreds of Afghan civilians who worked as informants for the U.S. military have been put at risk by WikiLeaks' publication of more than 90,000 classified intelligence reports which name and in many cases locate the individuals, The Times newspaper reported Wednesday.

Click here to see The Times article, but note, it's behind a subscription firewall.

The article says, in spite of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's claim that sensitive information had been removed from the leaked documents, that reporters scanning the reports for just a couple hours found hundreds of Afghan names mentioned as aiding the U.S.-led war effort.

Special Section: Afghanistan

One specific example cited by the paper is a report on an interview conducted by military officers of a potential Taliban defector. The militant is named, along with his father and the village in which they live.

"The leaks certainly have put in real risk and danger the lives and integrity of many Afghans," a senior official at the Afghan foreign ministry told The Times on condition of anonymity. "The U.S. is both morally and legally responsible for any harm that the leaks might cause to the individuals, particularly those who have been named. It will further limit the U.S./international access to the uncensored views of Afghans."

One former intelligence official told the paper that the Taliban could launch revenge attacks on "traitors" in the coming days.

President Obama first warned on Tuesday that operatives inside Afghanistan and Pakistan who have worked for the U.S. could be at risk following the disclosure, former and current U.S. officials told the Associated Press.

Speaking in the Rose Garden Tuesday, President Obama said he was concerned about the massive leak of sensitive documents about the Afghanistan war, but that the papers did not reveal any concerns that were not already part of the debate.

In his first public comments on the matter, Mr. Obama said the disclosure of classified information from the battlefield, "could potentially jeopardize individuals or operations."

Appearing on CBS' "The Early Show" Tuesday morning, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said a probe into who leaked the documents was in its early stages. More on the Afghanistan WikiLeaks:

Pentagon: "Very Robust" Probe of WikiLeak Source
WikiLeaks Unlikely to Change Afghan War's Course
Obama: Nothing New in WikiLeaks Documents
WikiLeaks Draws Focus to Military Hit Lists

[scholar12345678]

I am not even American, am neither Muslim nor Christian. But I disagree with wikileaks. Endangering someone's life for a principle is bad karma. Buddha said, do unto others what you want others to do unto you. Have Julian ever put himself in the other person's shoe and ask himself what it would be like?

[jstan442]

the owner of wikileaks should be sued and held judicially responsible for any pakistani operative that gets murdered becoz of their zealous act

[Cassarit]

I'm no fan of the Afghan or Iraqi campaigns or neocon Zionists and have repeatedly called for Bush and company to be put on trial for treason and sent to the Gallows.

But if anyone who helped the United States against the enemies is killed because of this leaker and his website, he should be targeted and assassinated like the Al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership.

[stormkeep]

How completely irresponsible. If anything happens to any of those Afghans, I hope someone kidnaps the wikileak founder and gives him a taste of the same.

[asantemed]

This is treason!

[ghwab1949]

At least one knows who shares the blame when anything happens to any Afghani who is injured as a result of this stunt.

[starving1968-3]

Blame the republicans.

They abandoned the "war on terror" in 2003, to instead focus on the fake threat from Iraq, that never existed.

Our focus has been skewed ever since.

[love2ridend]

Love the people who say nothing worse than a stool pigeon. Wonder if there daughter or wife was raped and murdered they would feel the same way. Hopefully nobody will be a stool pigeon and tell the police who it is.

[berlinfoto-2009]

I understand how snitches (informants) are being used in the United States, what particular troubles me is the use of snitches, in the, engineering of entrapment.
I use to live across the street from a snitch, he lived rather well, he was constantly selling, the idea that crime does in fact pay, well yes your crime pays him while you spend time in jail. It is my belief that most of the individuals entrapped by him were first time offenders.
I really know nothing about informants in Afghanistan.
But what I know about the ones in the United States, I say "burn every last one at the stake". It would be a good riddance for the United States.

[j-scholl]

@berlinfoto-2009 wrote: But what I know about the ones /("snitches")\ in the United States, I say "burn every last one at the stake". It would be a good riddance for the United States.

How do we not include Eddie O'Hare, James Jordan, Linda Kasabian, and John Dean who directly and indirectly testified for the prosecution of Al Capone, 18 other Klansmen, Charles Manson and other members of the Manson Family, and Richard Nixon and affiliates?

Or Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, Ambassador Craig Murray, Ikram Yakubov, Sibel Edmonds or even Daniel Elsberg?

Our leaders sold us that their means are justified for our benefit. Now we get a better glimpse of "their means". Are we all that clear about "our benefits"?

[Noval53]

WikiLeaks will soon join all the rest with blood on their hands. Exposing informants not only endangers the informant, but also their families. The blood will flow and WikiLeaks, with its actions, has contributed to the suffering that will follow.

[Zaggs]

Well its quite simple. If anyone listed in the documents are killed in revenge then Julian Assange and his leaker should immediately be charged with conspiracy to commit murder and then you tack on a new count for everyone murdered.
Its hilarious all the supporters of this POS have constantly used the defense of "well nothing he has leaked can harm anyone". Well now he has very much put people in harm's way. So what is the excuse now? That his actions which led to innocent deaths is ok if he exposes others?

[j-scholl]

@Zaggs
Signaling our second war Scott McClellan told reporters Libby and Rove were not involved in outing a member of the CIA, whose husband had just written "What I Didn't Find in Africa". You asked, "So what is the excuse now?" Well, what was the excuse then? As if comparing current suffering based on 'tiny lies' with the hyped hypothetical outing of assets based on reality? No one is advocating outing of assets, nor are many defending Cheney anymore, but now we cope with the information revealed. If our forces are said to be fighting for human rights and justice, is there evidence for or against?