WikiLeaks: Secret Documents Lead to "Diplomatic Crisis"

WikiLeaks, the whistleblower website has obtained and is releasing more than 250,000 U.S. embassy cables which were previously secret dispatches. The U.S. administration is already contacting foreign governments around the world in order to brace them for what might be coming out. This is embarrassing for the U.S. but it is also quite revealing in terms of U.S. foreign policy and prophetic related insights into world affairs:

US embassy cables leak sparks global diplomacy crisis

The United States was catapulted into a worldwide diplomatic crisis today, with the leaking to the Guardian and other international media of more than 250,000 classified cables from its embassies, many sent as recently as February this year.

At the start of a series of daily extracts from the US embassy cables - many of which are designated "secret" – the Guardian can disclose that Arab leaders are privately urging an air strike on Iran and that US officials have been instructed to spy on the UN's leadership.

Among scores of other disclosures that are likely to cause uproar, the cables detail:

• Grave fears in Washington and London over the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme

• Alleged links between the Russian government and organised crime.

• Devastating criticism of the UK's military operations in Afghanistan.

• Claims of inappropriate behaviour by a member of the British royal family.

The leaks also involve the Middle-East and Haaretz has an interesting article:

Israel, U.S. tense as WikiLeaks set to release classified bilateral communiques

The United States Embassy in Tel Aviv has informed the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem that the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks was planning on releasing hundreds of thousands of American diplomatic cables, some of which might deal with Israel-America relations.

The Americans said they wanted to let the Israeli government know so it would not be surprised and would be prepared for publicity that might cause diplomatic embarrassment.

Sources in Washington said the documents would be coming out soon, perhaps even today.

A senior Israeli official familiar with the contents of the message, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that according to the Americans, the WikiLeaks material includes diplomatic cables sent to Washington from American embassies throughout the world.

The cables date from the past five years and include media reports, talks with politicians, government officials and journalists, as well as evaluations and various analyses by American diplomats regarding their host countries.

The most recent article reveals some disturbing news that was previously undisclosed:

WikiLeaks documents reveal sensitive U.S. cables:report

The documents show Saudi donors remain chief financiers of militant groups like al Qaeda and that Chinese government operatives have waged a coordinated campaign of computer sabotage targeting the United States and its allies, according to a review of the WikiLeaks documents published in the Times.

The cables also showed that Iran has obtained sophisticated missiles from North Korea capable of hitting western Europe and the United States was concerned that Iran was using those rockets as "building blocks" to build longer-range missiles, the Times said.

The advanced missiles are much more powerful than anything U.S. officials have publicly acknowledged that Iran has in its arsenal, the newspaper said.

The U.S. government, which was informed in advance of the contents, has contacted governments around the world, including in Russia, Europe and the Middle East, to try to limit any damage. Sources familiar with the documents say they include corruption allegations against foreign leaders and governments.

The information may be very revealing when it actually comes out, especially in terms of the type of news that a prophecy watcher follows. Already, even before the information is "officially" out and in circulation, we see that Iran has obtained much more advanced missiles than previously acknowledged, even capable of reaching the U.S. Additionally, as suspected, China has been engaged in a "coordinated campaign of computer sabotage targeting the United States".

As soon as tomorrow, we will begin to see more and more such information as it becomes available. This could become interesting.

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UPDATES: Information already coming out:

WikiLeaks: Saudis on Iran: Cut off the head of the snake

Key Arab states, foremost among them Saudi Arabia, that have publicly been sitting on their hands regarding Iran’s nuclear march have privately been exhorting the US to military action, US diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks showed on Sunday night.

According to a report of the more than 250,000 cables, that appeared on The Guardian’s website, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah asked the US repeatedly to attack Iran and destroy its nuclear program, and in 2008 the monarchy’s envoy to Washington told US Gen. David Petraeus to “cut off the head of the snake.”

And Saudi Arabia was not alone. According to the Guardian report, “officials in Jordan and Bahrain have openly called for Iran’s nuclear program to be stopped by any means, including military.”

Likewise, leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt referred to Iran as “evil,” an “existential threat” and a power that “is going to take us to war,” the paper reported.

Additionally, we see the following bits of information related to Israel:

• Iran used the cover of the Iranian Red Crescent to smuggle intelligence agents and missiles into Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, according to a cable from 2008 that originated in Dubai and was based on a meeting between a US diplomat and an unnamed source.

• Mossad director Meir Dagan told Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns in 2007 that Israel and the United States need to do more to create regime change in Iran.

There is a lot more in the article above which makes for interesting reading.

Also see:

Leak: Iran used Red Crescent to smuggle weapons

Iran used the cover of the Iranian Red Crescent to smuggle intelligence agents and missiles into Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War, according to a leaked US Embassy cable published on Sunday by WikiLeaks.

The source also said, according to the cable, that medical supplies had been used to facilitate weapons shipments.

And this:

Analysis: WikiLeaks vindicate, don't damage Israel

From an Israeli perspective, therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that WikiLeaks may have done the country a service on Sunday. By presenting the Arab leaders as more extreme in their remarks than Israeli leaders, the cables show the dissonance in the region and the danger involved in allowing Iran to continue with its nuclear program.

In general and contrary to earlier predictions, the cables did not appear to contain information that could significantly harm Israeli national security.

Amos Yadlin, appear to be careful in what they say in the meetings, which are clearly being documented by American aides in the room. In one cable, while Yadlin said that covert means needed to be used to stop Iran, he was quoted as refusing to elaborate.