State Dept. Denies WikiLeaks Warning to Columbia

Updated 8:30 p.m. ET

A State Department spokesman denies that anybody in the agency sent an e-mail to Columbia University warning students at the School of International and Public Affairs not to comment online about WikiLeaks if they were considering a diplomacy career.

The Huffington Post received a message from State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley that reads:

"This is not true. We have instructed State Department employees not to access the WikiLeaks site and download posted documents using an unclassified network since these documents are still classified. We condemn what Mr. Assange is doing, but have given no advice to anyone beyond the State Department to my knowledge."

Earlier, a spokesman for the Ivy League school confirmed Saturday that the Office of Career Services sent an e-mail to students at the School of International and Public Affairs.

The Nov. 30 e-mail says an alumnus at the U.S. State Department had contacted the office, saying the diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks were "still considered classified."

The e-mail said online discourse about the documents "would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information."

CBSNews.com Special Report: WikiLeaks

The Huffington Post has posted a full version of the e-mail, which reads, "[The alumnus] recommends that you DO NOT post links to these documents nor make comments on social media sites such as Facebook or through Twitter," the Office of Career Services advised students. "Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information, which is part of most positions with the federal government."

Most federal government jobs require a background check.

WikiLeaks has been releasing a trove of sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables over the past week.

[servantRdw]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/02/new-jersey-gun-case-highlights-patchwork-state-gun-laws-relatives-experts-say/
this story pulled after only hours never to be seen again

[msmsucks]

The US diplomatic cables reveal how the US seeks dirt on nations opposed to its approach to tackling global warming; how financial and other aid is used by countries to gain political backing; how distrust, broken promises and creative accounting dog negotiations; and how the US mounted a secret global diplomatic offensive to overwhelm opposition to the controversial "Copenhagen accord", the unofficial document that emerged from the ruins of the Copenhagen climate change summit in 2009.

So much for your HOPE AND CHANGE!

[prajaowain]

The illusion of free speech has been utterly shattered by the U.S reaction to wikileaks release of the cables.
If julian assange is assasinated we the citizens of earth must stage a world protest against this attack on free speech and secret government .

[spaceatoms]

Look, the nuclear launch codes are secretive, so there are limits on free speech and how much one person should say. The United States had an act in 1900's called the The Espionage Act but it mainly said that a person couldn't disrupt or cause mutiny, disloyal, or insubordination. Wikileaks. The Seduction Act of 1918 even went a bit further. Wikileaks though is much like a newspaper and reporting the facts and putting out information and its up to the people to interpret it. Without mass media, it wouldn't even be possible. Its pretty obvious what is going on now in the Untied States with Wall Street and so its up to each to make a choice as the elections played out.

[newerdeal]

That is the worse part in those leaks.

The USA govt. is sending American teenagers to fight and die to protect heroin dealers ! ! !

[newerdeal]

Online warning to president Obama.

The US govt. giving huge amounts of money to heroin dealers is WRONG and so is trying to cover it up ! ! !

Heroin kills more people every day that Bin Laden does.

[porcine_aviator]

The only secrecy that needs to be maintained is that of the details about our defense weapons systems and procedures, readiness levels, and about our confidential informants and/or intelligence assets. The rest is not really damaging to our defense posture.

I am not a huge fan of what Wikileaks did as it was a fairly indiscriminate release of info, but I do believe our gvernment has become addicted to secrecy and is set to become a full-blown police state in just a matter of a few years. We're already well on our way to Orwellian status. I think a little honesty once in a while is a good thing, and it's obvious that we have a lot of people that can't wait to turn this country into another N. Korea. Thugs, socialists, and statists are all delighted at the Machiavellian possibilities.

[berlinfoto-2009]

The United States is already a Police State, it is a Perfect Police State, this means that most of the population does not have a clue as to how much the government controls things. When I was fifteen in 1965, I had a meeting with Margaret Mead, she wanted me to agree to work for the government upon completion of my education I told her I would get back to her, I had no intention of doing so. With in a short time, we had a extra adult, in my families household. Someone from the government to watch me. It was not said that this person was from the government, but I know this for sure, today. Hindsight answers many questions and it did this one.
Today I can look back on many relationships, and realize that the person was spying on me. I really do not have any special talents or knowledge, however I am suppose to have an extreme high IQ. One thing that the government always did was to prevent me from learning, the things that I wanted to study. Consequently I do not have that great of education.
I truly think, of the various individuals who have kept tabs on me in my life, as such scum and ******.
I was no threat to anyone, but always watched. I no longer live in the United States, but I hope this sort of thing happens to each and everyone of you, for you deserve it, and you the public of the U.S. owes me damages. If the Constitution does not apply to me then it applies to no one.

[Mokkie57]

It has become quite clear that the government is starting to fear the people. When the government starts to threaten college kids future? The government is warning military personal and federal employees not to look at Wikileaks? What is wrong? Has all of the dirty deals that have been going on for the past 100 years started coming home to roost? What steps will the government take next? Will the government suspend the constitution? Someone has to stand accountable to the people of this country.