NY Times Public Editor Explains Why WikiLeaks Information Is So Important

Posted by | December 5, 2010 11:43 | Filed under: Top Stories


Arthur Brisbane, the New York Times pubic editor, shows why information obtained from WikiLeaks is helpful in a democratic society. Among other revelations, these help our understanding:

  • North Korea: The Chinese don’t know what’s going on with Kim Jong-il’s nuclear program, a surprising revelation for anyone who thought the Chinese could, as a last resort, put a lid on little brother.
  • Pakistan: American diplomats seriously doubt that Pakistan’s military, which effectively controls the state, will ever suppress extremist groups that conduct operations against our forces in Afghanistan and threaten India. That knowledge implies continuing futility for further American efforts to combat such groups in Afghanistan.
  • Iran: United States officials believe that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government obtained so-called BM-25 missiles from North Korea, enabling Iran to extend its range enough to strike Western Europe or Moscow. This development largely explains the Obama administration’s willingness to shift its missile defense strategy in Europe.

And Brisbane asks these important questions:

What if The New York Times in 1964 had possessed a document showing that L.B.J.’s intent to strike against North Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin incident was based on false information? Should it have published the material?

What if The Times had possessed documentary evidence showing that the Bush administration’s claims about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction were unfounded? Should it have published the material?

And, in a country that brags about a “free press,” do we not have the right to know?

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Copyright 2010 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

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