Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Wikileaks: The Cable Guys

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  • Josh Addison,

    Frankly, I'm completely lost - I've read back a couple of pages, and I honestly can't get straight who's responding to whose response to what. Possibly an indication that things are getting too personal?

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    Not sure whether this has already been mentioned, but it looks like the retaliation hacking has begun. I get the impression that this is just the beginning for both sides, frankly. The next few days will be messy to say the least. VISA is next in line, too, I see.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

  • James Butler, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,

    And in response, David Frum conflates Wikileaks with Anonymous. Perhaps this little misunderstanding explains some of the US establishment's fear and rage. If all this information had in fact been leaked to 4chan, I would be much more worried.

    [twitter pros - noob question - how do I get a link to an individual tweet?]

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,

    I get the impression that this is just the beginning for both sides, frankly.

    As I said upthread, it's the war being fought above our heads, by means of vandalism.

    The Jester and whoever else haven't succeeded in stopping Wikileaks and Anonymous will have as much success shutting down Visa, Mastercard and the Swedish government as it has in putting an end to Scientology. That won't stop both sides trying.

    Sadly, a couple of people I follow on Twitter have already reported their servers being caught in the crossfire. All this macho talk about "infowar" gets on my tits a bit.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to James Butler,

    If all this information had in fact been leaked to 4chan, I would be much more worried.

    Heh. It would probably be way more entertaining though ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kracklite, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Playing Pollyanna here perhaps, but it could be worse - people here are angry, but there is a general conciliatory will.

    I had a look at... I know, I got what I deserved... T' Standard. Vile, truly vile; I need brain bleach.

    I was going to add a couple of quotes, but it would be in bad taste. God only knows what Trotter's come up with... (that was rhetorical - I don't want to know)

    The Library of Babel • Since Nov 2007 • 982 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Meanwhile, in Australia a Labor cabinet minister has now been outed as an American spy

    This is getting better and better. *gets popcorn*

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    Assange is doing a good job of ticking all the cult leader boxes.

    I wonder what reception a Tea Partier doing the same to undermine Obama’s diplomacy – because he hasn’t bombed Iran yet – would get.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    Assange is doing a good job of ticking all the cult leader boxes.

    Isn't this sort of statement just as vile as the idiots seeking to denigrate those women who have lodged their complaint against Assange?

    Neil, let me know when you next win an award from Amnesty International for your work making it safer to expose human rights abuses in Africa.

    I agree with the sentiment that this does not make Assange infallible, far from it. But a cult leader? For goodness sake.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Dawson,

    Interesting al jazeera blog on non-secret information that has been released to no impact, the allure of secrets.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 294 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I know it’s not quite as exciting to contemplate as a sprawling CIA honeytrap plot, but sometimes more mundane explanations are worth considering.

    Totally. Without in any way writing off the honeytrap plot as completely implausible. The way Assange carries on, it would hardly have been difficult to set up.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Tim Hannah, in reply to BenWilson,

    Though it would have to go down as one of the worst planned and executed honey traps of all time.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • Neil Morrison,

    Assange is claiming these allegations are a all plot which suggests to me he has either lost contact with reality all together or he's a nasty piece of work. Cult leader may be a bit harsh but why is it every cult leader invariably has something dodgy going on in their sex life.

    Since Nov 2006 • 932 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Greg Dawson,

    Yes, I was thinking just the same thing last week - that what we know for absolute straight up fact about things our governments have done on record is every bit as bad as anything in the cables. Hence the comments lots have people have made about not being much surprised (although of course mightily interested).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    I had a look at... I know, I got what I deserved... T' Standard. Vile, truly vile; I need brain bleach.

    Kiwiblog's as bad which is why maybe we should all heed Russell's plea?

    I certainly agree that Assange has a right to be presumed innocent but don't see that as meaning the charges are any less serious.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Though it would have to go down as one of the worst planned and executed honey traps of all time.

    How's that? The shit hits the fan just as he releases all his cables, immediately undermining the moral authority of them with people who are inclined to believe allegations pre-trial. Seems like good timing (although I still think that's just because it suits the prosecution, rather than a deep conspiracy. But I don't know).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to Neil Morrison,

    why is it every cult leader invariably has something dodgy going on in their sex life

    invariably, because they can.

    that mick jagger comparison was a good one. men with groupies will indulge.

    #notmakingexcuses

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Neil Morrison,

    Cult leader may be a bit harsh but why is it every cult leader invariably has something dodgy going on in their sex life.

    It's one of the big perks of being a cult leader. Dodgy sex. So it must be true.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    Meanwhile, in Australia a Labor cabinet minister has now been outed as an American spy

    Spy? He's only working to restore Australia to its former status under Julia Gillard's hero Hawkie as a de facto 51st US state. Compared to Howard's clumsy deputy sheriff approach under Bush, Arbib is a very slick operator. The Greens will make hay from this, while Tony Abbott will be driven into Phil Goff mode.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Tim Hannah, in reply to BenWilson,

    Though it would have to go down as one of the worst planned and executed honey traps of all time.

    How’s that?

    Personally, if I was planning it, I’d have suggested not making the tweet about hanging out with the coolest people on the planet, I’d have made sure the complaints had a bit more, you know, substance to them, I’d probably have had them lay complaints individually before talking to each other and I’d have had my prosecutors lined up a bit better.

    Unless all that is a planned double fake out to make me doubt it’s a honey trap, of course.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    Bit of Wikileaks update.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • HORansome,

    Here’s a bit of speculation (I’m only putting this out there because it provides a rival explanatory hypothesis for the timing of the arrest warrants; I’m not saying this is the case):

    Perhaps the Swedish authorities, when the cables were leaked, went “We need to act with regard to this investigation sooner rather than later because we now have good reason to think Assange will go to ground.”

    If anything like that were true, it would provide a plausible explanation of the timing of the arrest warrant that does not invoke a grand conspiracy or smear campaign.

    Tāmaki Makaurau • Since Sep 2008 • 441 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Tim Hannah,

    Unless all that is a planned double fake out to make me doubt it’s a honey trap, of course.

    Or it was a seat of the pants operation, full of amateurs doing their best, and hey presto, right now, look who's in police custody facing sex crimes charges...

    I don't know enough about the way spooks work to know whether you'd expect all honeytraps to have highly trained agents from Quantico* doing the actual shagging.

    *Edit: Indeed even a spook n00b knows that it wouldn't be the FBI doing it...doh.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Kracklite, in reply to Paul Williams,

    Kiwiblog’s as bad which is why maybe we should all heed Russell’s plea?

    Agree, and I’m optimistic that aided by the fundamental good will of this community, it will happen/is happening.

    Kiwiblog was never anything other than a sewer, but I did, once have higher expectations of The Standard, which I’ve abandoned. Lynn Prentice has definitely not covered himself with glory in his handling of a correspondent who has dared to argue that rape is in fact rather a serious matter versus others who think that even shouting “No, stop!” still somehow constitutes consent and makes it no more than “bad sex” or the one who insinuates that the charges are part of a Jewish plot and calls for the stalking and persecution of the complainants. Ugh.

    The Library of Babel • Since Nov 2007 • 982 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    meanwhile, Shell is - surprise surprise - up to it's eyeballs in Nigeria.

    you know, the place with the oil slick bigger than the Gulf of Mexico that no-one seems interested in.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

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