White House warns against release of classified cables
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The anticipated release by Wikileaks of several hundred thousand classified State Department cables on Sunday night can deeply impact foreign policy interests of the U.S. and its allies, the White House warned.
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"It is not an expression of policy, nor does it always shape final policy decisions," the White House said in a statement. " Nevertheless, these cables could compromise private discussions with foreign governments and opposition leaders, and when the substance of private conversations is printed on the front pages of newspapers across the world, it can deeply impact not only U.S. foreign policy interests, but those of our allies and friends around the world."
"To be clear, such disclosures put at risk our diplomats, intelligence professionals and people around the world who come to the United States for assistance in promoting democracy and open government," the statement said. "President Obama supports responsible, accountable and open government at home and around the world, but this reckless and dangerous action runs counter to that goal."
The statement added that "By releasing stolen and classified documents, Wikileaks has put at risk not only the cause of human rights but also the lives and work of these individuals. We condemn in the strongest terms the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents and sensitive national security information."
The State Department warned last week against the release, saying it is harmful to U.S. relations with other countries.
As a whistle-blower website, Wikileaks has previously made public tens of thousands of U.S. classified documents about wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
