WikiLeaks has published the ‘Kissinger Cables’: its largest public release of documents in nearly a year, totaling some 1.7 million classified files, including information on the US’s secret diplomatic history.
A variety of files have been collected and collated, including
from congressional correspondence, intelligence reports, and
cables.
Julian Assange, who heads the organization, told the Press
Association that the documents were illustrative of the “vast
range and scope” of global US influence. He is to present and
mark the release of the documents on Monday in a mass-press
conference.
Assange is currently residing at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London,
under the threat of arrest if he leaves.
Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is quoted as saying,
“Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at
meetings, ‘The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional
takes a little longer’,” during a 1975 conversation which
included a Turkish and Cypriot official.
Among the other information released is the revelation that the
Vatican may have collaborated with the US in supporting the
Pinochet coup in Chile, which saw in a regime of bloodshed and
disappearances.
In a cable dated 18 October 1973, it is stated that “Archbishop
[Giovanni] Benelli, Vatican Deputy Secretary of State, expressed to
illing [sic] his and Pope’s grave concern over successful
international leftist campaign to misconstrue completely realities
of Chilean situation.”
The events which preceded Pinochet’s 17-year dictatorship were
dismissed as overblown.
“Bellini labeled exaggerated coverage of events as possibly
greatest success of Communist propaganda, and highlighted fact that
even moderate and conservative circles seem quite disposed to
believe grossest lies about Chilean Junta’s excesses.”
It went on to admit that there had been bloodshed during what they
labeled ‘mopping up’ procedures in Chile, but followed it up
with the statement that the Junta was making ‘every effort’
to return the situation to normal.
Documents had previously come to light about US involvement in the
bloody Chilean coup. One CIA document released in a 2003 book of
collected works stated “It is firm and continuing policy that
Allende be overthrown by a coup…it is imperative that these actions
be implemented clandestinely and securely so that the USG [US
government] and American hand be well hidden.”
The WikiLeaks releases additionally suggest that former Indian
Prime Minister, Rajiv Ghandi, worked as a negotiator for Swedish
company Saab-Scania, which was trying to sell its Viggen fighter
aircraft to Chile in the 1970s.
The documents are comprised of the 250,000 leaked state department
memos made previously available through the ‘Cablegate’ release,
alongside the new 1.7 million US State Department files from
Kissinger’s time in the SoS position, from 1973-1976.
Although the 1.7 million had been officially declassified, and
accessible through the National Archives and Records Agency,
members of the WikiLeaks team consider their importance to be too
significant for them to stay subtly tucked away.
“The Kissinger Cables provides unparalleled access to journalists
and the general public,” said WikiLeaks in a statement.
Assange himself commented on the role that their publication of the
documents’ played in preserving all sides of US history.
“The US administration cannot be trusted to maintain the history of
its interactions with the world. Fortunately, an organization with
an unbroken record in resisting censorship attempts now has a
copy,” he said. He went on to call it the single most
significant the single most significant body of geopolitical
material ever published.
The lack of accessibility was also commented upon.
“One form of secrecy is complexity. That’s the reason why we
decided to merge these files with our existing cables and put a lot
of effort into making a user-friendly and accessible database”
a WikiLeaks spokesperson, Kristinn Hrafnsson, told Forbes.
WikiLeaks has voiced additional concern over the possibility that
some documents could be reclassified.
Julian Assange’s confinement in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy means
the country has already spent some $4.5 million on police officers
patrolling the building on 24-hour watch. He has been resident in
the building since he lost a UK court case demanding his
extradition to Sweden.
WikiLeaks dropped a bombshell when it released over 250,000 leaked
US cables in 2010, infuriating the US, as many related to the war
in Iraq.
The material released by the organization included the infamous
‘Collateral Murder’ video, which was shot from an Apache
helicopter gun-sight, and documented direct attacks on unarmed
Iraqi civilians.