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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.
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.
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."
Originally posted by Birddog26
Originally posted by JohnJasper
Originally posted by Birddog26
Just started reading this porst and I don't think anyone understands how the COK (Capture or Kill) list is applied or how they go about hitting these targets. The COK list is signed of by the President, Sec at DOD, Dirt CIA, gang of 8 in Congress. In target and anyone on the COK if you are a field CO you go through a number of checks that determines the identity, then through JAG officers to make sure it is legal, then through a target mitigation process to reduce collaterial damage, then final approval. From exprience I would say that less than 1 in 7 targets are hit due to known collateral damage.
And how do you know this? What "experience" do you have in the targetted drone attack business?
...
John, I am and Army officer who has spent the best part of my life in Afghanistan since 9/11. I have been in a number of G2 and G3 positions with units. My most recent tour was on the J3 staff for JSOC. As to understanding the application of "pattern of life intel" to tracking I am very familar with this. This a tool that is used for tracking and predicting movements but is no where even near the only intel used in the go-no go of strikes.
Originally posted by pavil
reply to post by JohnJasper
I keep hearing about this pipeline as reason we invaded Afghanistan......Well it's been almost a decade.....where's the dang pipeline?? You'd think if it was such a high reason to invade we would have already built it and started sucking up all the resources for our benefit.
A Gas Pipeline Framework Agreement, signed by representatives of the four participating nations on April 25, 2008 in Islamabad, envisaged construction to start in 2010, supplying gas by 2015. The announced 1,000-mile route would follow the ancient trading route from Central to South Asia, extending from the Dauletabad gas field in Turkmenistan along the highway through Herat, Helmand and Kandahar in Afghanistan, to Quetta and Multan in Pakistan, and on to Fazilka in India. Participating countries have held numerous high-level planning meetings during the past eight years, with Asian Development Bank (ADB) sponsorship and multilateral support. When construction will start is uncertain because security in Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan remains a problem.
Afghanistan, the TAPI Pipeline, and Energy Geopolitics
Originally posted by LarryLove
reply to post by pavil
No, no pipeline. They seem to be the flavor of the month. Ostensibly, Afghanistan was a war against al-Qaeda, but that organization has set up camp in a number of other countries. My honest opinion, we went to war because we could. Initially, it was revenge and this has lasted a long time. The Taliban aren't our enemy and were never the reason for conflict.
Cooperation among Iran, al Qaeda and other Sunni extremist groups is more extensive than previously known to the public, according to details buried in the tens of thousands of military intelligence documents released by an independent group Sunday.
U.S. officials and Middle East analysts said some of the most explosive information contained in the WikiLeaks documents detail Iran’s alleged ties to the Taliban and al Qaeda, and the facilitating role Tehran may have played in providing arms from sources as varied as North Korea and Algeria.
The officials have for years received reports of Iran smuggling arms to the Taliban. The WikiLeaks documents, however, appear to give new evidence of direct contacts between Iranian officials and the Taliban’s and al Qaeda’s senior leadership. It also outlines Iran’s alleged role in brokering arms deals between North Korea and Pakistan-based militants, particularly militant leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and al Qaeda.
AL-QAEDA AND TALIBAN PLAN TO COMMANDEER THE FOOD SUPPLY TRUCKS OF COALITION FORCES AND INJECT THEM WITH CHEMICALS. COMMANDEER THE FOOD SUPPLY TRUCKS OF COALITION FORCES. THE TRUCKS CARRY SUPPLIES TO INCLUDE WATER AND DRY GOODS. THE PLAN IS TO INJECT THE BOTTLES OR THE PACKAGES OF FOOD WITH UNIDENTIFIED CHEMICALS, OR RECREATE THE SAME TYPE OF PACKAGES WITH CONTAMINATED VERSIONS OF THE SAME PRODUCT. COMMENTS: (U). (FIELD COMMENTS)-1. (U) SOURCE PROVIDED NO FURTHER INFORMATION AND IS AVAILABLE FOR RECONTACT. 2. (U) THIS IIR CORRESPONDS TO THT REPORT DIIR-THT08-0049-07.
Originally posted by Peruvianmonk
I do not like the sound of these consequences of the leak.
War against Iran more likely — thanks to Wikileaks
This worries me.
Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
If the US decides to escalate their ALREADY EXISTING PLANS TO WAR ON IRAN because of Wikileaks leaking data, and mucking up their timeline, how do you see this as Wikileaks, or Assange's fault?
Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
Yeah, right. You are building a case for the idea that the possibility that the US would suddenly leave Iran alone, after they have been casebuilding for an attack for 10 years or so now, (or more) is as likely as the possibility that they planned to attack it no matter what.
Its not as likely. Just like the US had been planning to attack Iraq for at least a decade or so before we did. (H.W. Bush, Clinton, then Jr.) the attack on Iran is inevitable unless we the people act to make it politically dangerous for them to do so.
Originally posted by Illusionsaregrander
But we wont. So stop trying to make it sound as if what our government does is Assanges fault. It isnt. Its ours.
Originally posted by LarryLove
In all honesty, I have only been able to find one data entry that lists an informants name and this goes back to 2007. I am not sure where people are getting 'hundreds' of names from. There is another mention of a double agent, but the intelligence details suggest this individual was more Taliban than coalition.