I just read this on the msnbc site. The original article is posted on the Times of London, available only by subscription.
A list drawn up by U.S. officials of companies and installations around the world regarded as "critical" to the security of the United States has been published online by controversial website WikiLeaks.
The list includesfactories, ports, fuel companies, drug manufacturers, undersea cables, pipelines, communication hubs and a host of other "key resources."
WikiLeaks publishes list of worldwide infrastructure 'critical' to security of U.S.
I am completely and throughly floored.
I was thoroughly behind the outing of the extent of Iraqi-on-Iraqi torture, and Rumsfeld's part in squelching any protest by US soldiers.
I was not thrilled by the outing of the diplomatic cables--all that did was undermine much of our relationship with other countries, including the Gulf States. It's important for governments behind the scenes to signal to each other what they will and will not stand for, even as they posture differently to their people [Saudis and Iran are a good example]. I thought it was shooting himself in the foot hubris.
His nya-nya to the US by releasing the cables immediately made him the target of a manhunt, thus diminishing Wikileaks ability to function. Did he really expect the US [and every other country compromised by the cables' release] would take it lying down?
Releasing this list of targets seems sheer spitefulness, and an attack on--dare I say--America? [The list also identifies targets of other countries around the world, but not a comprehensive list, as with the US.]
I am about the least jingostic USer around, but this latest development does nothing but increase the risk of terrorist attacks, and the likelihood that our scarce resources will have to be deployed in increased guarding of these places. My country is falling apart from this nonsense already. Our civil liberties have been savaged (I was roughly frisked at the airport this week). This is going to ratchet things up all the more.
This does nothing to further peaceful ideals, or to bring war criminals to justice.
UPDATE: I am apparently not making myself clear. What floors me is that the anti-US nature of the whole Wikileaks enterprise seems undeniable to me now. Maybe I have missed something, but I don't believe Wikileaks has ever done anything so anti-safety against another country before. Yes war criminals had to worry, but...
I was mistaken in my first idealistic response to the release of the Iraqi torture documents. Here is a great organization that will uncover war criminals! I thought The diplomatic cables soured me, but this last floors me in its lack of any redeeming purpose--that's what floors me--except to make life difficult for the United States government.
Yes, duh, many of these places are self-evident, or anyone with a terrorist cell and an inclination to do some research could figure most of these out. But there's no need to now! Handy-dandy list for any maroon...This guy has made a lot of work for this country. We are also complete idiots in the eyes of the world; then again, their opinion of us hasn't been particularly high for a decade or so.
Really, I am quite ready for my country to relinquish being the world's superpower, or indeed, a superpower at all, but I don't see the benefit of this action.