Information that was published on the website WikiLeaks Sunday caused quite a stir. The documents included details about US troops in the Middle East accidentally killing civilians and Pakistani intelligence assistance to insurgents in Afghanistan. It also mentioned corruption in the US-backed Kabul government.
Senator Lindsey Graham on Fox News Wednesday, disagreed, and says that the leak put coalition forces in Afghanistan at risk.
“It undermines the war effort and will make it difficult for allies in the future to share information with us, if they believe it’s going to be leaked to the press. I would be willing to prosecute anybody who led to undermining the war effort.”
The reports were written by military and civilian officials in Afghanistan between 2004 and last year.
Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, says the leaks uncovered no revelations, no important issues that have not already been brought to light.
Graham says the leak put lives at risk in Afghanistan and compromises the supported that coalition forces will receive, at least in the short term.
“What you’ve compromised is the ability to collect information in the future. It will get out pretty quickly in Afghanistan that the people who cooperated with coalition forces are now known to the enemy. So put yourself in the shoes of someone in Afghanistan. If you had an American commander come up and ask for your assistance, wouldn’t this make it more chilling for you?”
Graham says the leak should not be a reason to stop fighting in Afghanistan, but an opportunity to let the people there know that such behavior won’t be tolerated and guilty parties will be prosecuted.
National news stories say Pentagon officials are investigating whether the source of the leak is Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old Army private who was already charged in July with providing information to WikiLeaks, including video showing an Apache helicopter attack in Iraq that killed a journalist.
The L.A. Times reports that the information leaked showed that U.S. commanders had specific information that Pakistan’s spy service was helping Afghan insurgents.
