The WikiLeaks News & Views Blog, Special Weekend Edition! | The Nation

As I've done for more than seven weeks, I will be updating news and views on all things WikiLeaks all day, with new items added at the top. All times are ET in USA. Contact me at epic1934@aol.com. Information on some of my books here.

** SUNDAY **

UPDATE:  Go here for Monday edition of this blog, launched already.

10:00  Here we go: Palestinian official calls parts of Palestine Paper leak "fabricated."  But then, he almost has to.  Time will tell.  The Guardian with other reactions.

8:30  If anyone has seen anything on who leaked "The Palestine Papers" -- WikiLeaks inspired? Open Leaks involved?  Or just Guardian massive coverage similar?    Write  epic1934@aol.com, or twitter @GregMitch.

6:30  NYT carries AP story on the big Al Jazeera / Guardian coverage of "The Palestine Papers."

5:50  Glenn Greenwald tweets re: the item just below:  "The point of the Quantico episode was to deny Manning his only real visitor: more likely solitary will crack him & induce anti-WL testimony."

4:30  FireDogLake now with full wrapup of today's events at Quantico, with Jane Hamsher and David House denied a visit with Bradley Manning, car searched and impounded, and so on.

4:20  Here's how Al Jazeera (in English) is handling its massive leak on Israel-Palestine that it has shared with The Guardian (see below)

3:25  The Guardian on the leak but no clue at all on who was leaker.  "The 1,600 confidential records of hundreds of meetings between Palestinian, Israeli and US leaders, as well as emails and secret proposals, were leaked to the Qatar-based satellite TV channel al-Jazeera and shared exclusively with the Guardian. They cover the period from the runup to the ill-fated Camp David negotiations under US president Bill Clinton in 2000, to private discussions last year involving senior officials and politicians in the Obama administration."

3:15  Here's the Guardian's special page for what it is branding "The Palestine Papers."  Includes data base, video, a strong editorial, much more.  Agreement with Al Jazeera means they can publish up to eight docs a day, while Al Jazeera publishes all them.  Background on deal here.  Jonathan Freedland with commentary on Palestinians willing to go extra mile and Israeli's "intransigent" -- in private and public.

3:10  The Guardian's lede:  The biggest leak of confidential documents in the history of the Middle East conflict has revealed that Palestinian negotiators secretly agreed to accept Israel's annexation of all but one of the settlements built illegally in occupied East Jerusalem. This unprecedented proposal was one of a string of concessions that will cause shockwaves among Palestinians and in the wider Arab world." Also make use of WikiLeaks cables.

3:05  Massive Guardian coverage of Isarel-Palestine documents just breaks, as they promised.   Were leaked to them exclusively by Al Jazeeera. Go to home page for list of stories.   Top:  "Papers Reveal Slow Death of Middle East Peace Process."  More:  "Massive new leak lifts lid on negotiations  • PLO offered Israel key settlements  • Concessions on refugees and Holy sites."   NYT does NOT have so far. 

2:35  FDL's Jane Hamsher and Manning friend David House being hassled today at Quantico while trying to deliver petition with 42,000 names. Car searched, impounded, loaded on tow truck. Hamsher latest tweet:  "For whatever reason, Quantico Marine brass don't want Manning 2 have visitor now. Isolation & enforcement of solitary confinement complete." She's @JaneHamsher.   Earlier:  "Can't leave base, can't go 2 brig, can't get my driver's license, Gunt Foster threatening 2 arrest us. Haven't done a thing."

2:30  Aaron Sorkin in London talk says he's usually in favor of privacy but can "argue both sides" relating to WikiLeaks.  Naturally he also talks about his aversion to Facebook.

2:25   Okay, folks, here is the cover, as of now, for my book (available in a week to 10 days).  Title, design, colors, photo, could still all be changed (by me) in next few days.  Feedback appreciated @GregMitch or:  epic1934@aol.com.   Subhed, if you can't read it, is "From Collateral Murder to Cablegate."  I suppose I could add, "and Beyond."  Yes, there is a Bradley Manning chapter.  This is my 11th book, some of previous ones featured here.

2:20  Both The Guardian and Al Jazeera hyping release of cables on secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at 3 pm  ET time.

12:15  Ha, nice puff piece here on State Dept. spokesman Crowley, responding to WikiLeaks, and as alleged new Twitter master. 

10:25  Wild: Jerusalem Post says new cable shows Israel asked for half a billion from Germans as World War II "reparations," plus German subs!

10:10  From official WIkiLeaks twitter feed:   "The NYTimes has got to go. It can not be repaired. It is a hopeless government shill | FDL http://is.gd/9FyXEx  "  And:   "Shamans stomp on Assange face, while holding US flags high. All perfectly innocent of course... http://is.gd/ICMoG4  "  

9:20  Assange in new interview slams arrest of Rudolf Elmer.  Reuters: "The founder of whistleblower site WikiLeaks attacked Switzerland on Sunday for arresting a Swiss banker on suspicion of breaching banking secrecy instead of investigating the tax evasion he said he had uncovered.I  n an interview published in the Swiss weekly Der Sonntag, Julian Assange, whose website has angered Washington by releasing confidential U.S. diplomatic cables, said Switzerland's actions were drawing renewed international attention to its controversial banking practices." 

9:05  The Australian with big story on Afghanistan:  Karzai blaming Obama, U.S. asking Aussies to keep Dutch from pulling out, and more, from cables.

9:00 Story says first big debate on WikiLeaks set in an Arab city. "An Arab audience is preparing to have its first public debate about Wikileaks, after an avalanche of newly-released cables threw a harsh - and sometimes embarrassing - spotlight on Middle Eastern leaders and politicians.  The latest Doha Debate, which takes place tomorrow at Qatar Foundation Headquarters at 7.30pm, will address the motion that "This House believes the world is better off with Wikileaks".   Debates' Chairman Tim Sebastian said the revelations seemed to have excited huge interest in many Arab capitals, where information about the ruling elite remained tightly censored."

8:20  Major AP wrap-up on past two months of WikiLeaks.  Notes only 1% released so far by the organization, although actually number a bit higher when you count what news outlets have published totally on their own.  Looks at what's come out and impact -- in some cases understating that. 

8:15   Evgeny Morozov tweets:  "Just did a BBC radio show with US Ambassador to Tunisia. He refused to speak of 'purported cables.' Purported" .... The ambassador didn't explain why 2 weeks ago State Dept was still expressing concern with cyber-attacks on web-sites of Tunisian govt.....Lastly, he made a favorable reference to George Bush, saying that US record on democracy in Tunisia is "clear" & Tunisian people know it

SATURDAY

11:20  Michael Hastings, who blew whistle on Gen. McChrsytal for Rolling Stone,  on Bill Maher last night on Tunisian revolt and his support for WikiLeaks ("as a journalist it's like crack cocaine").   Short clip here.

10:00  Birgitta Jonsdottir, the Icelandic MP and ex_WikiLeaks helper, tweets:  "Spy computer in a room next to my office - could not be placed by WikiLeaks, no one from WL in Iceland at the time it logged into network."  Earlier tonight she noted:  "this computer was found in a vacant room belonging to both the movement and the independence party."

9:45  Guardian writer, frustrated by official UK Chilcot probe of how Iraq war started, and letting Tony Blair off the hooks, says, thank god for WikiLeaks.

6:50  Hu's not even on first?  New cables and the Chinese leader.

5:00 Just up, Carol Rosenberg of McClatchy on those new Cuba cables and what they show about Gitmo, most notably how Congress scuttled any chance Obama admin had for bringing some detainees to U.S. And:  "In cable after cable sent to the State Department in Washington, American diplomats make it clear that the unwillingness of the United States to resettle a single detainee in this country - even from among 17 ethnic Muslim Uighurs considered enemies of China's communist government - made other countries reluctant to take in detainees.

"Europe balked and said the United States should go first. Yemen at one point proposed the United States move the detainees from Cuba to America's SuperMax prison in the Colorado Rockies. Saudi Arabia's king suggested the military plant micro-chips in Guantanamo captives before setting them free."

3:30  German newspaper Die Welt covers cables re: Cuba and U.S.  My associate Kevin Gosztola reports that the Google translaton:  "Cuba seeks 'normal relations' with U.S.   Raul Castro quoted saying, 'The snappy sarcastic language of the older Castro is really a personal rage and do not necessarily reflect the real state of US-Cuban relations.  The diplomats reported that critical bloggers are now considered to be the 'most serious challenge to the regime:''   The old dissident groups have been largely isolated from the rest of the island - they have no resonance in Cuba and only a limited international response."

2:00 It's taken awhile for the translation, but here's good summary of former Swedish judge weighing in on the Assange sex crime case.  "It does appear as if something is being hidden under the carpet.”

1:35  As I noted yesterday, my WikiLeaks book will be published in print and available in a week or so.  However, I do not have an e-book / Kindle publisher right now.  If you have a suggestion (or offer)  let me know at my email,  epic1934@aol.com  and thanks.

12:10  Amnesty International sends protest letter to Robert Gates, Pentagon chief, on Manning's confinement.   Call conditions "harsh" and "punitive" and presuming guilt, and Manning has not shown poor or dangerous behavior.  Says they appear to "breach" international standards.

11:10  Mark Stephens, Assange attorney, just tweeted @MarksLarks: Lawyer threatens to prosecute Palin for incitement to kill if she goes to Australia."   http://bit.ly/gnfDpD   Anyone who incites others to commit violence against his client, even outside Australia, Stary says, is violating Australian law and can be held accountable for it.  Certainly if Sarah Palin or any of those other politicians come to Australia, for whatever purpose, then we can initiate a private prosecution, and that's what we intend to do," Stary said.

10:40   WikiLeaks tweets at official feed: Authoritarian governments have immensely benefited from the web. We agree: http://is.gd/E2BTkQ ." 

10:35  Since it's  Saturday I can say I'm now in day 56 of  the WikiLeaks blog, which ties DiMaggio's streak.  No Marilyn Monroe or Mr. Coffee  for me.  Cal Ripken next!

10:20  New cables reveal secret spy operations by.... Australia., working with U.S. and Japan.

9:55 Digital Journal on Obama admin internal memo on Miranda warnings and terror subjects, wonders how might apply to their treatment of Assange and Manning.  (h/t Kevin Gosztola).

9:15  Still waiting for Assange to leak the real reasons for Olbermann's exit at MSNBC.  If it was at least partly mutual (he has not fought back so far, as in previous situations)  and partly due, as some claim, to his growing fatigue in fending off critics, one wonders if the recent attacks on him, via Twitter and blogoshere,  related to coverage of  the Assange sex crime case had anything at all to do with it.

9:10  Swell effort, partly from my old friends at the Government Accountability Project but asking for your help:  Which U.S. Senator put a secret hold on the Whistleblower Protection Act? 

9:00  Three well-known  journalists on panel abroad defend the mainstream, hit WikiLeaks'  lack of context, at Wall St. Journal today.

LATE FRIDAY

11:20  We've reported on the first Hollywood-type biopic on Assange (even promoting  a pick-the-star frenzy), and then Universal making a deal for a doc by Alex Gibney.  Now word that HBO interested in its own film based partly on Raffi Khatchadourian's great New Yorker piece from when he was in the "bunker" in Iceland with him as he worked on the Collateral Murder video.

11:15  Interesting  piece on Facebook "fighting U.S. pressure over WikiLeaks."   Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes told InfoWorld  " that the social network is 'required to regularly push back against over-broad requests for user records. … in most cases we are able to convince the party issuing legal process to withdraw the overbroad request, but if they do not we fight the matter in court' and have a history of success in those cases."

11:10 Tonight I uploaded 90% of my WIkiLeaks book to publisher, will have finished copies within 10 days you can order and get them right away then.  Patience. With a little luck, it will still be first out of the gate.

10:30  Paging Julian Assange -- need you to leak real reasons for Keith Olbermann's exit at MSNBC.

5:45 Glenn Greenwald's "tribute" to Joe Lieberman does not, of course, miss Joe's attempts to shut down or shut off or shut up WikiLeaks and Assange.

4:35  Just out, Universal studio has just made deal with the great Alex Gibney to direct doc on Assange.  I interviewed Alex recently for The Nation about his current Eliot Spitzer Client 9 film. Gibney, of course, did Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and so many others.  He also told me he is nearly finishing one on Ken Kesey.