The War on Terror is a campaign that always needs a target to go after... The newest target is Julian Assange, founder of the controversial website Wikileaks. Assange was largely off the radar of Western governments until his website published a series of reports on Iraq, Afghanistan, and diplomatic dealings that have seriously embarrassed the administration. Now he is being vilified in the press, and called a "threat to national security" by government officials. A warrant has been put out for his arrest under the espionage act of 1917.
I could understand how Assange could be called a threat if he was really damaging national security, but I don't think this is the case. If anything, he is improving security by showing us the monumental gaps that exist in the current system. With all the cover ups and conspiracies surrounding our operations in the WOT, it is frankly a bit refreshing to get a new perspective based on... well... the truth. 15,000 deaths in Iraq that were previously unreported are now known. Will this effect Public opinion? Undoubtedly. If the administration and DOD is embarrassed about the effects of the War on Terror, maybe they should consider that all of this was actually a bad idea. Governments should not be afraid of the truth, neither should the people who give them their mandate. Hopefully Assange will not be tried and found guilty in the court of Public opinion.
Mr. Assange is currently running at the front in TIME magazine's "person of the year" poll. For his sake, let's hope that this is because he is seen as a hero and not a villain.
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