Two websites-
–OWNI.fr and Wlcentral — are already tracking global speculation and analysis about the Wikileaks release of 2.8 million classified documents expected to happen Sunday at 2PM PST.
Hints of the release time came from Der Spiegal one of the newspapers along withThe New York Times, The Guardian (UK), Le Monde (France) and El País (Spain), that has early access to the about to be leaked documents.
Der Spiegel also leaked some details about the nature of the documents in a story published earlier today, but now removed from their website. The story reported that the documents include:
* 251,287 cables and 8,000 diplomatic directives
* Except one cable from 1966, most are newer than 2004
* 9,005 documents are from the first two months of 2010
The US has been alerting its allies to the imminent document release and global media has been weighing in on the potential harm and embarrassment that might arise when the public reads the diplomatic cables that are said to contain candid and impolitic remarks to and from US and allies including Canada, Great Britain and Pakistan.
Two websites are tracking the global speculation and response to the Wikileaks release:
OWNI in France published the Iraqi Warlogs, but this go round opted out
When we published the Iraqi Warlogs, Wikileaks contacted us directly and we worked with them on the browsing interface that helped users analyze the 400,000 Sigacts from the US Army. This time, as Wikileaks might be on the verge of releasing new information on a scale larger than before, we decided not to be bound by a Non-disclosure Agreement, as last time, and to keep our hands untied. Together with Le Soir in Brussels and Slate.fr in Paris, we will provide the tools and context to explore the logs OWNI decided to name this project #StateLogs.
OWNI will be providing a “narration of events as they unfold, augmented by the work of OWNI’s developers and partners.” Here’s a few recent headlines
18:28 Former ambassadors warn of serious damage
Over at the BBC, John Bolton, the former US Ambassador to the UN, warns of serious consequences of such leaks. In the past, revelation of confidential diplomatic material caused huge problems that took decades to calm down. For him, diplomacy is about handling murky business and no alternative exist.
17:31 Clinton personally called China
17:34 Less than 600 documents concern France
16:52 Spiegel gives out the details
WLCentral
WLCentral is the “Unoffical Wikileaks Information Resource that was started by a group of Wikileak supporters:
We come from different countries and backgrounds, and our personalities are just as colourful. But we share the same ideals of truth and justice, the same respect for WikiLeaks and similar organizations, the same belief in individual responsibility and action. And last but not least, we are here because we believe in doing the right thing.
Like OWNI, WLCentral will also track the release of the documents and also attempt to “counteract the many rumours and plain false information disseminated about WikiLeaks.” They also had compiled a comprehensive set of global news stories about the upcoming release including these:
Radio Free Europe: WikiLeaks And Its Brave New World“The imminent new WikiLeaks expose promises to be especially revelatory because, simply put, the Americans have dirt on everyone. Assange and company’s logic is as elegant as it’s unsettling: by revealing the secrets of the world’s leading superpower, the secrets of the world — namely, the all-too-often dirty web of interconnections between governments, corporations, intelligence and media agencies, and key personalities — are also revealed. Read More
Scotsman: Wikileaks: The gathering storm – leaks leave US with few friends
“THE UK Government has been briefed by the American ambassador about the imminent release of highly embarrassing diplomatic files by the whistleblower website Wikileaks with the potential to damage relations between the two countries.
Politicians and officials in the UK and US were last night on tenterhooks as they waited for the release of the documents, which are understood to contain American officials’ candid assessments of governments that the US would rather keep secret including claims of alleged corruption in foreign administrations. […] Last night there were claims that there could be a backlash from upset countries that would lead to the expulsion of US diplomats.”
Read more