We all applaud the successful thwarting of the Christmas-Tree
Bomber and hope our government continues to do all it can to keep us
safe. However, the latest round of publications of leaked classified
U.S. documents through the shady organization called Wikileaks raises
serious questions about the Obama administration’s incompetent handling
of this whole fiasco.
First and foremost, what steps were taken to stop Wikileaks director
Julian Assange from distributing this highly sensitive classified
material especially after he had already published material not once but
twice in the previous months? Assange is not a “journalist,” any more
than the “editor” of al Qaeda’s new English-language magazine Inspire is
a “journalist.” He is an anti-American operative with blood on his
hands. His past posting of classified documents revealed the identity of
more than 100 Afghan sources to the Taliban. Why was he not pursued
with the same urgency we pursue al Qaeda and Taliban leaders?
What if any diplomatic pressure was brought to bear on NATO, EU, and
other allies to disrupt Wikileaks’ technical infrastructure? Did we use
all the cyber tools at our disposal to permanently dismantle Wikileaks?
Were individuals working for Wikileaks on these document leaks
investigated? Shouldn’t they at least have had their financial assets
frozen just as we do to individuals who provide material support for
terrorist organizations?
Most importantly, serious questions must also be asked of the U.S.
intelligence system. How was it possible that a 22-year-old Private
First Class could get unrestricted access to so much highly sensitive
information? And how was it possible that he could copy and distribute
these files without anyone noticing that security was compromised?
The White House has now issued orders to federal departments and
agencies asking them to take immediate steps to ensure that no more
leaks like this happen again. It’s of course important that we do all we
can to prevent similar massive document leaks in the future. But why
did the White House not publish these orders after the first leak back
in July? What explains this strange lack of urgency on their part?
We are at war. American soldiers are in Afghanistan fighting to
protect our freedoms. They are serious about keeping America safe. It
would be great if they could count on their government being equally
serious about that vital task.
- Sarah Palin
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