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Leaks served conscience

Julian Assange of WikiLeaks, in the New Yorker of June 7, 2010: “Our primary targets are those highly repressive regimes in China, Russia and Central Eurasia, but we also expect to be of assistance to those in the West who wish to reveal illegal or immoral behavior in their own governments or corporations.”

Army Specialist Bradley Manning relayed to WikiLeaks a video taken from an attack helicopter in Baghdad, showing crew members laughing while slaughtering innocent civilians, with the OK of superiors.

Who of conscience wouldn’t want the world to know of that terrible crime?

Commander-in-Chief Obama complains WikiLeaks’ revelations endanger troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s nothing more endangering to the troops than being there, and Obama bears his share of the blame for that. What should be endangered is the public trust in the government for its unwarranted secrecy and deliberate deception.

If the U.S. mainstream print and electronic press engaged in probing journalism instead of lazily relying on “official” sources of information – the notorious New York Times’ Judith Miller parroting Pentagon sources for promoting the war in Iraq – there would be little WikiLeaks shock.

Thanks to Assange and Manning for giving us the truth.

Buell Hollister

Spokane



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