U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Defense (DOJ) are investigating the website Wikileaks over its release of confidential government communications. The release of the government cables at issue are claimed to threaten the security of those serving our country and to strain diplomatic relations, thereby constituting a threat to national security. The Obama administration has issued a statement condemning the releases as “reckless and dangerous.”
Last month, UN Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay and Human Rights Watch requested that the US investigate alleged human rights abuses committed by US soldiers in Iraq based on documents posted on WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, said in July that documents posted to the website may provide evidence of US involvement in war crimes in Afghanistan. Wikileaks does not ask sources to identify themselves. It is believed the documents were leaked by a former military intelligence officer in Iraq who is now in military jail in Virgina for leaking other government documents.
Sources: http://jurist.org/paperchase/2010/11/doj-announces-wikileaks-criminal-investigation.php
