Wikileaks

[allingeneral]

Important Information from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, (Networks and Information Integration)/Department of Defense Chief Information Officer:

Department of Defense military, civilian and contractor personnel should not access the WikiLeaks website to view or download the publicized classified information. Doing so could introduce potentially classified information on unclassified networks. There has been rumor that the information is no longer classified since it resides in the public domain. This is NOT true. The subject information was not "declassified" by an appropriate authority and requires continued classification or reclassification.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... eaks-site/

[Mindflayer]

I think it's funny as hell that Assange is telling the worldthat Amazon shut down Wikileaks hosting due to US Government pressure but that the real story is much more cynically humorous. Turns out that Wikileaks violated the Amazon Terms of Service (ToS).

In other words, your service providers' ToS is more powerful than the US Government.

There have been reports that a government inquiry prompted us not to serve WikiLeaks any longer. That is inaccurate.
There have also been reports that it was prompted by massive DDOS attacks. That too is inaccurate. There were indeed large-scale DDOS attacks, but they were successfully defended against.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) rents computer infrastructure on a self-service basis. AWS does not pre-screen its customers, but it does have terms of service that must be followed. WikiLeaks was not following them. There were several parts they were violating. For example, our terms of service state that "you represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content... that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity." It's clear that WikiLeaks doesn't own or otherwise control all the rights to this classified content. Further, it is not credible that the extraordinary volume of 250,000 classified documents that WikiLeaks is publishing could have been carefully redacted in such a way as to ensure that they weren't putting innocent people in jeopardy. Human rights organizations have in fact written to WikiLeaks asking them to exercise caution and not release the names or identities of human rights defenders who might be persecuted by their governments.

We've been running AWS for over four years and have hundreds of thousands of customers storing all kinds of data on AWS. Some of this data is controversial, and that's perfectly fine. But, when companies or people go about securing and storing large quantities of data that isn't rightfully theirs, and publishing this data without ensuring it won't injure others, it's a violation of our terms of service, and folks need to go operate elsewhere.

We look forward to continuing to serve our AWS customers and are excited about several new things we have coming your way in the next few months.

-- Amazon Web Services

[Jim]

Well, as it turns out, all that technology wasn't necessary after all, huh? This just goes to prove that old adage about giving a man enough rope.

[zephyp]

What gets me are all of the newscasters and pundits talking about how bad this is and how it has damaged national security. Then you see that the very next segment or article is a discussion centered on content disclosed from some of the documents...

Being on the inside I will refrain from further comment...

[NYQUIL]

The government's "dirty laundry" needs to be exposed. Our leaders have lost their minds or maybe we've lost our minds for electing these "empty suited clowns"! Wikileaks poses no threat to our national security and who the hell does our government think it is to shut them down. Are we in China or Cuba?

Frankly, I'm surprised by all of the love on this board for our government and all of the hate directed at Wikileaks! Our troops are in harms way because of the lack of leadership and integrity that exist in nearly all of our elected federal government officials (this administration the last and the one before that are all included). I've never had a problem putting a "beat down" on any and every clown that tries to harm our country, but this last 10 years of war has been completely misguided and misdirected. Our leaders need to be exposed for what they are, a bunch of spineless, gangsters paid by banksters!

Even though the Wikileaks founder may be a pervert (and who knows what else), the "enemy of my enemy is my friend"! Either way, good luck to us all! Nyquil

[GS78]

The government's "dirty laundry" needs to be exposed. Our leaders have lost their minds or maybe we've lost our minds for electing these "empty suited clowns"! Wikileaks poses no threat to our national security and who the hell does our government think it is to shut them down. Are we in China or Cuba?

Frankly, I'm surprised by all of the love on this board for our government and all of the hate directed at Wikileaks! Our troops are in harms way because of the lack of leadership and integrity that exist in nearly all of our elected federal government officials (this administration the last and the one before that are all included). I've never had a problem putting a "beat down" on any and every clown that tries to harm our country, but this last 10 years of war has been completely misguided and misdirected. Our leaders need to be exposed for what they are, a bunch of spineless, gangsters paid by banksters!

Even though the Wikileaks founder may be a pervert (and who knows what else), the "enemy of my enemy is my friend"! Either way, good luck to us all! Nyquil

I agree with much of what you have posted. I do not agree that the entire last ten years of fighting has been a waste, but I absolutely agree that our leaders are derilict in their duties and our young men and women are being prostituted to uphold criminal regimes across the globe. There is nothing in Afghanistan that is worth ONE drop of American blood, NOTHING.

[gunderwood]

What gets me are all of the newscasters and pundits talking about how bad this is and how it has damaged national security. Then you see that the very next segment or article is a discussion centered on content disclosed from some of the documents...

Being on the inside I will refrain from further comment...

I was trying to start a discussion around that idea, but nothing materialized. Is the position that it is wrong for Wikileaks to do it, but ok for CNN (etc.) and elected representatives simply untenable? I'm curious because there is so much hatred towards wikileaks, but as soon as <insert favorite media organization here> posts an article about what they have found, people rush off to read every bit and learn all the secrets.

Seems a bit disingenuous to me.

[zephyp]

What gets me are all of the newscasters and pundits talking about how bad this is and how it has damaged national security. Then you see that the very next segment or article is a discussion centered on content disclosed from some of the documents...

Being on the inside I will refrain from further comment...

I was trying to start a discussion around that idea, but nothing materialized. Is the position that it is wrong for Wikileaks to do it, but ok for CNN (etc.) and elected representatives simply untenable? I'm curious because there is so much hatred towards wikileaks, but as soon as <insert favorite media organization here> posts an article about what they have found, people rush off to read every bit and learn all the secrets.

Seems a bit disingenuous to me.

Indeed it does...

Based on what I saw on the television (Fox)...about 6% was Secret, 35% Confidential, and the rest Unclassified...this is based on memory...

Now, later I heard a pundit (O'reily) talking about TS information leaked...not consistent with what was previously reported on Fox...

So, those of us that understand security classifications can draw the conclusion (assuming the percentages were accurate) that relatively little opportunity for "grave harm" to come to anyone except maybe hillary and a couple of her cronies.

Now, should the soldier who leaked the stuff be punished...IMO yes. The death penalty as being touted by pundits (O'reily)...I dont think so...based on what past "spies" have gotten at most he should lose his clearance and be reassigned.

What about Wikileaks...if we let the government shut them down then who is next and for what...

The media...same thing however they can be touched directly by the Feds...

Bottom line is the cat is out of the bag. The soldier should lose his clearance and be reassigned. Federal government is relegated to damage control with wikileaks and the media. If the stuff was that sensitive and again assuming the Fox breakdown was correct why the hell wasnt it classified at a higher level with stricter controls...

[CowboyT]

Now there you go making sense, DK...don't you know that's not in the Gubment Manual?

[Yarddawg]

Question - How would the government know that someone who is a government contractor (I'm not allowed to say whether I am or not) accessed the Wiki Leaks site from home? Wouldn't that constitute unlawful search and seizure if they accessed my ISP records without a warrant?

I don't know how or if they could obtain my browsing history without access to my computer, so this is why I ask.


In the mean time, I may need to get fitted

[zephyp]

@Cowboy - hey, we are allowed to make sense only if its in the best interest of the gubment.

@Yarddawg - regarding whether or not you are a contractor, check your post and read it carefully... ...btw, I believe the guidance is for those employees thinking about accessing wikileaks from a government network.

[ThereIsNoSpoon]

How do we know that Julian Assange is not a political tool and these leaks were not intentional to further the political agenda a political power (Obama, Saudi Arabia, Israel....). I am sure that if little Julian Assange has the ability to leak this stuff then so does the intelligence communities of just about every civilized country in the world. I for one believe that if it is coming from the mainstream media then it is probably there to deceive you.

[Yarddawg]

@Yarddawg - regarding whether or not you are a contractor, check your post and read it carefully... ...btw, I believe the guidance is for those employees thinking about accessing wikileaks from a government network.

Yep, went back and checked and you are correct, no access from unclassified government computers. (Which oddly enough implies that it is perfectly fine to use a home computer - very weird, it's information that has already been leaked, the proverbial cat is out of the bag!)

I went back and checked my post, I never come out and say whether I am or not (that I can see). How does the saying go...I could tell ya, but then I'd have to shoot ya!

[Chasbo00]

Yep, went back and checked and you are correct, no access from unclassified government computers. (Which oddly enough implies that it is perfectly fine to use a home computer - very weird, it's information that has already been leaked, the proverbial cat is out of the bag!)

The concern by DoD is that still "classified" information will get on their unclassified network/computers. Then, they have this cleansing Kabuki dance they must do to make the now compromised unclassified network/computers unclassified again and this is a lot of time and effort.

[zephyp]

I went back and checked my post, I never come out and say whether I am or not (that I can see). How does the saying go...I could tell ya, but then I'd have to shoot ya!

Yes but your choice of words leads one to believe you are...my guess is that its ok for you to say you are a contractor but might not be able to associate that with any other relevant info...

Like...I am a contractor working for company ABC contracted to govt agency XYZ...

[Kreutz]

Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

Really hope he hits Russia, China, and the corporate world next...the lies and evils of those three alone will form a nice a counterweight to our own governments lies. Shame the Russian and and Chinese docs would be unreadable by most. Also very curious to see some Israeli dirty laundry-especially how it relates to the US, Russia, and China.