WikiLeaks should make us wise up as ‘free world’ goes on offensive

THE WikiLeaks highlights make great reading, though strangely enough most of the information is no surprise to the public and no doubt to countries diplomatic services.

That Berlusconi’s relationship with Putin may have a mutual business interest — well we all thought that.

That Sarkozy is hyperactive and impulsive; that Britain wants to be the US’s special friend; that Merkel’s finance minister is an angry old man; that Prince Andrew is an arrogant twit; that the US wants Europe to clean up after its Iraq debacle, replacing its soldiers in Afghanistan and taking Guantanamo prisoners.

That the US obviously does not trust its friends, allies or non-friends is confirmed by its attempts to get the credit card details and frequent flier numbers of Chinese, Russian, French and British representatives on the UN Security Council. The leaks confirm the US and other governments’ thinking, and should encourage everyone to wise up and take an interest in who is shaping our world and why.

The really big issue now is not the information itself, but what is happening as a result of the leaks and the danger that we are entering the zone of cyber-censorship.

Initially, WikiLeaks was showered with praise and awards by the western world when it confined itself to releasing material exposing China and other states not seen as democratic.

But now that whistle-blowers have turned their attention to the “free world”, the response has been aggressive and violent, with those connected with the site being harassed and their computers and phones being seized.

Perhaps the strangest attack is on the site’s front man Julian Assange and it comes from Sweden, a country with a reputation for openness.

Sweden issued an Interpol Red Notice — the kind used for terrorists — on foot of information, though not a complaint, from two women who said they had consensual sex with Assange but in one case he did not wear a condom and in the other the condom split. The potential charge is of sexual molestation which can be punished according to various accounts with either a €500 fine or two years jail. Some blame Swedish sexual politics; others suspect they are helping their US ally.

Some people see the leaks as treason and in the US in particular elected politicians are declaring open season on the site and its people, including Assange. US presidential hopeful, Sarah Palin has reportedly said he should be “eliminated”.

The US has mustered the full weight of its cyber power against the WikiLeaks site following it relentlessly, forcing it off its usual domain, then forcing Amazon to ditch it and now forcing eBay’s Paypal to stop taking contributions.

All this proves “they” can get you if they want to. And while freedom of speech may be enshrined in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, it apparently does not extend to letting people know what their government is doing on their behalf.

Claims that the leaks are putting lives at risk are no defence since some of the actions the governments are taking do just that.

Governments have roundly condemned China for censoring information and controlling the internet. But the supposedly free world is now guilty of trying to do the same, as those in power want to prevent us knowing what they are doing and saying supposedly on our behalf.