Editors at the whistleblowing website Wikileaks.org believe that they are currently under investigation by American authorities.
Earlier this month, Wikileaks released a classified 2008 US Army document that called for an investigation into the website to determine its informants, with the hopes of prosecuting those individuals in order to deter future informants. Furthermore, the Pentagon placed the site on the list of threats to the military.
However, the editors believe they are now being targeted because of their plan to publish footage of an air strike in Afghanistan last year that killed 97 civilians. Allegedly, the Pentagon had planned to release the footage, but decided in the end that it was too “incriminating."
Wikleaks has tweeted (http://twitter.com/wikiLeaks) about its situation many times in recent days. In chronological order, the tweets read:
- WikiLeaks is currently under an aggressive US and Icelandic surveillance operation. Following/photographing/filming/detaining. (Note: Wikileaks was involved in helping to write legislation that would help make Iceland an international safe haven for investigative journalists)
- If anything happens to us, you know why: it is our Apr 5 film. And you know who is responsible.
- Two under State Dep diplomatic cover followed our editor from Iceland to http://skup.no on Thursday.
- One related person was detained for 22 hours. Computer’s seized.That’s http://www.skup.no
- We know our possession of the decrypted airstrike video is now being discussed at the highest levels of US command.
- If you know more about the operations against us, contact https://secure.wikileaks.org/
- We have been shown secret photos of our production meetings and been asked specific questions during detention related to the airstrike.
- We have airline records of the State Dep/CIA tails. Don’t think you can get away with it. You cannot. This is WikiLeaks.
After a delay of several hours, during which many were worried that the editors were being detained, they posted:
- To those worrying about us – we’re fine, and will issue a suitable riposte shortly.
Wikileaks provides a site for citizens to leak documents without exposing themselves, and in the past has leaked emails from former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s private account, operating strategies for Guantánamo Bay, and almost the entire order of battle for American forces in the War on Terror.
In 2009, German police forces raided the homes of the head of Wikileaks Germany (wikileaks.de). The police would give no information to Wikileaks before or after the search about why it occurred.
