Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 1 (Up To May 2009)
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 2 (2000s)
Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 1 (Up To May 2009)
“US Air Force Wikileaks blocked screenshot” under public domain by The U.S. Air Force.
Wikileaks is an organization founded by Julian Assange that gained prominence for its release of classified government information. The story of Wikileaks begins in the mid-1980s when a former Navy intelligence analyst, Samuel Loring Morison, was sentenced to two years in prison for providing classified photos of a Soviet ship to Jane's Defence Weekly, a British publication. This incident marked an early example of the government's crackdown on unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.
Fast forward to the mid-1990s, the Clipper Chip controversy emerged. The U.S. government proposed the Clipper Chip as a means to ensure encryption could be decoded by law enforcement agencies. However, this raised concerns about privacy and sparked a debate over government surveillance.
By the late 1990s, the online industry advocated for self-regulation regarding privacy issues. Companies wanted to maintain control over user data without government intervention, which further emphasized the ongoing struggle between privacy and surveillance.
In the early 2000s, Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent, emerged as a political figure in Russia. His background as a spy shaped his leadership style and policy decisions.
During the 2000 U.S. presidential elections, the Green Party, led by Ralph Nader, drew the attention of both major political parties. Democrats accused Nader of being a spoiler who cost them the election, ultimately leading to George W. Bush's victory.
In 2000, the contentious election came to an end when the Supreme Court ruled in Bush v. Gore, blocking a recount of votes in Florida and effectively securing Bush's presidency.
In the following years, controversies continued to unfold. President Clinton issued pardons, generating debate over his use of executive power. The concept of "Speaking Lies to Power" gained attention as people questioned the integrity of political leaders.
In 2002, the Total Information Awareness program, aimed at gathering vast amounts of data for counterterrorism purposes, drew concerns about privacy invasion and government surveillance.
The Iraq War, which began in 2003, led to further unrest. In 2004, the deaths of four U.S. contractors in Falluja, Iraq, shocked the nation, and Democrats worried that Ralph Nader's candidacy could again impact the presidential election.
Allegations surfaced that Republican donors were supporting Nader's campaign, raising suspicions of political manipulation and the potential for spoiler candidates to sway election outcomes.
As the 2004 presidential election approached, reports of Republican dirty tricks emerged, fueling speculation about the integrity of the electoral process.
In September 2005, a tragic stampede on a Baghdad bridge resulted in the deaths of 950 individuals during a Shia pilgrimage. This incident highlighted the challenges faced in post-war Iraq.
The controversy over domestic surveillance intensified when it was revealed in 2005 that President George W. Bush authorized the spying on phone callers without obtaining court orders. This revelation stirred a debate on the balance between national security and civil liberties.
In 2006, it was disclosed that the U.S. government was secretly sifting through bank data to detect potential terrorist financing. This revelation raised concerns about privacy and government overreach.
The involvement of Republican operatives in supporting Green Party candidates in Pennsylvania drew attention to political manipulation in the 2006 elections.
In 2007, discussions on the surge of U.S. troops in Iraq took center stage. The White House assured that the judiciary would monitor the controversial surveillance program.
Journalists faced peril in Iraq, as evidenced by the deaths of two reporters during clashes between U.S. forces and militias. These incidents highlighted the dangers faced by journalists reporting from conflict zones.
The rhetoric between Russia and the United States escalated in 2007 when Vladimir Putin criticized U.S. foreign policy, evoking comparisons to the Cold War.
In 2008, the death toll rose in Iraq due to bombings, while in the U.S., controversies swirled around inflammatory comments made by media personalities and the treatment of political candidates.
The year 2008 also witnessed the emergence of blogger Gorshkov, who promised to expose dirt on Russian politicians for a price. This illustrated the presence of corruption and scandal in the political landscape.
NATO faced challenges in 2008 as it grappled with Russia's aggressive actions, causing tensions between the alliance and the Russian government.
In the lead-up to the 2008 U.S. presidential elections, a lawsuit alleged that Florida Green Party candidates were actually moles planted by the Republican Party, raising questions about the legitimacy of third-party candidates.
In early 2009, the U.S. Intelligence Court ruled wiretapping programs legal, despite concerns over potential violations of privacy.
As the decade progressed, instances of corruption emerged, with contractors being held accountable for fraud in Iraq. Revelations also indicated that U.S. wiretaps had exceeded legal boundaries, raising further concerns about government surveillance.
In May 2009, a State Department official was among the casualties in Iraq, highlighting the continued dangers faced by U.S. personnel in the region.
These events set the stage for the later developments in the Wikileaks saga, which would come to define Julian Assange's role as a whistleblower and the organization's questionable intent and controversial tactics.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on June 5, 2023
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Putin Is A War Criminal
Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6 (2022+)
Sources for Profile In Focus | Wikileaks - Part 1 (Up To May 2009):
THE NATION; TWO YEARS FOR MORISON – The New York Times December 8, 1985
Battle of the Clipper Chip – The New York Times June 12, 1994
Vladimir Putin: Spy turned politician – BBC January 1, 2000
GOP Group To Air Pro-Nader TV Ads – AP News October 27, 2000
Speaking Lies to Power – reason May 1, 2002
The Year in Ideas; Total Information Awareness – The New York Times December 15, 2002
Democrats Fear Nader Could Be ‘Spoiler’ in 2004 Election – VOA News May 20, 2004
Nader Republicans – The Atlantic September 1, 2004
Republican Dirty Tricks – AlterNet October 15, 2004
Why Kerry Lost – Slate November 3, 2004
950 Die in Stampede on Baghdad Bridge – The New York Times September 1, 2005
Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts – The New York Times December 16, 2005
Bank Data Is Sifted by U.S. in Secret to Block Terror – The New York Times June 23, 2006
GOP Aids Green Candidate Carl Romanelli – FOX News August 1, 2006
GOP Donors Funded Entire PA Green Party Drive – Talking Points Memo August 2, 2006
Options Weighed for Surge in G.I.’s to Stabilize Iraq – The New York Times December 16, 2006
White House Says Judiciary Will Monitor Spy Program – The New York Times January 17, 2007
2 Iraqi Journalists Killed as U.S. Forces Clash With Militias – The New York Times July 13, 2007
Putin rails against US foreign policy – Financial Times February 10, 2007
Putin’s speech: Back to cold war? – BBC February 10, 2007
2 Iraqi Journalists Killed as U.S. Forces Clash With Militias – The New York Times July 13, 2007
Toll Rises Above 500 in Iraq Bombings – The New York Times August 22, 2007
From Errand to Fatal Shot to Hail of Fire to 17 Deaths – The New York Times October 3, 2007
MSNBC Hosts Founder Of Anti-Hillary Group “C.U.N.T.” – Huffington Post March 28, 2008
Blogger Gorshkov Will Dish Dirt on Russian Politicians — for a Price – Wired July 21, 2008
Analysis: NATO grapples with the angry bear – CNN August 19, 2008
Intelligence court rules wiretapping program legal – The New York Times January 5, 2009
Contractor Must Pay in Iraq Fraud, Court Rules – The New York Times April 10, 2009
Officials Say U.S. Wiretaps Exceeded Law – The New York Times April 15, 2009
State Department Official Is Among 3 Killed in Iraq – The New York Times May 26, 2009