By Shoshana Bryen
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Stipulating that we are not at all sanguine about this and acknowledging that the fact of the leaks may ultimately be more important than the result of the leaks, the first headlines from Wikileaks mainly confirm what we think we already knew, and some things we’re happy to think the American government was doing. The New York Times and Reuters report, inter alia:
- The United States has been gaming an eventual collapse of North Korea and discussing prospects for a unified Korea with our South Korean ally.
- Turkey’s dependability is in doubt and its leadership is divided and permeated by Islamists.
- Libya’s Muammar Gadaffi is eccentric.
- In 2006, one week after Bashar al Assad promised not to send “new” arms to Hezbollah, the United States government knew he was providing increasingly sophisticated weapons.
- The Saudis finance Sunni terrorist groups including al Qaeda, while Saudi King Abdullah asked the United States repeatedly to attack (Shiite) Iran and destroy its nuclear program, asking Gen. Petraeus to “cut off the head of the snake.” King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain, where the HQ of the U.S. Fifth Fleet is located, seconded the message.
- Washington and Yemen agreed to cover up the use of U.S. planes to bomb al Qaeda.
- Diplomats called Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin an “alpha-dog,” said Afghan President Hamid Karzai is “driven by paranoia,” and German Chancellor Angela Merkel “avoids risk and is rarely creative.” The German foreign minister is described as “arrogant.”
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is compared to Hitler.
- London and Washington are worried about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. If the country faces economic collapse, government employees could smuggle out enough nuclear material for terrorists to build a bomb.
- The United States government suspects corruption in the Afghan government.
- U.S. officials have been instructed to spy on the UN leadership.
- Iranian Revolutionary Guards helped Hezbollah in 2006 Lebanon War, disguised as Red Crescent officials.
- Qatar’s security service was “hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals.”
- Slovenia, Kiribati and Belgium were pressed to take prisoners from Guantanamo – Belgium and Slovenia were told it was a good way to get Washington’s attention.
- Defense Secretary Gates told the French that, “Russian democracy has disappeared and the government was an oligarchy run by the security services… President Medvedev has a more pragmatic vision for Russia than Putin, but there has been little real change.”
Israeli officials told American government officials:
- Israel is not in a position to underestimate Iran and be surprised like the United States was on 9/11.
- Israel and the United States need to do more to create regime change in Iran.
- IDF operations against Hamas in the West Bank are preventing the terrorist group from taking over the Fatah-controlled territory.
- Israel tried to coordinate Operation Cast Lead with Abu Mazen and Hosni Mubarak.
We believe U.S. bilateral relations with our allies will survive, but strongly share the view of Harold Koh, Senior State Department Legal Advisor, that the leaks will:
Place at risk the lives of countless innocent individuals – from journalists to human rights activists and bloggers to soldiers to individuals providing information… (jeopardize) ongoing military operations, including operations to stop terrorists, traffickers in human beings and illicit arms and violent criminal enterprises (and could endanger) ongoing co-operation between countries – partners, allies and common stakeholders – to confront common challenges from terrorism to pandemic diseases to nuclear proliferation.”
Now the questions is where and how we apportion responsibility – and/or blame.
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Bryen is senior director of security policy of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. Her column is sponsored by Waxie Sanitary Supply in memory of Morris Wax, longtime JINSA supporter and national board member.