2011-07-16 WikiLeaks Notes: Latest News on #Cablegate Releases & #WikiLeaks

This is a "WikiLeaks News Update," constantly updated throughout each day. The blog tracks stories that are obviously related to WikiLeaks but also follows stories related to freedom of information, transparency, cybersecurity, and freedom of expression. All the times are GMT.

02:35 PM Wikileaks classified as an "extremist website" by the NLA (National Library of Australia). The classification can be seen here, as printed in The Most Dangerous Man In The World, a biography of Julian Assange, authored by Andrew Fowler. Another book on Wikileaks, Daniel Domscheit-Berg’s, can also be found under the ‘extremist’ category in the Library of Congress catalogue. Only a second book shares this category in the LoC catalogue : ‘U.S. strategy for countering jihadist Web sites…’
Questions remain as to why this classification was applied to certain books regarding the whistleblowing organization.

A few Wikileaks supporters who brought this to my attention are joining forces to enquire about and, if considered necessary, to protest against the ‘extremist’ label.

To contact the NLA on this subject through an online form click here. (edit: fixed link) Their telephone number is 02 6262 1458 (international code for Australia +61)

09:15 AM Revolution Truth has now officially released its first Wikileaks short film(!).
Read the press release here and visit their website to know more about this project and and how you can participate in their Wikileaks campaign by signing the open letter to the U.S. government and their Bradley Manning Campaign in support of the alleged whistleblower.

08:30 AM ‘How Wired Magazine Tried (And Failed) To Help The US Government Frame Julian Assange’, Jaraparilla analyses the chat logs between Bradley Manning and Adrian Lamo, published by Wired in their redacted entirety this week.

And asks the important question: ‘Why would Wired with-hold this critically important information [Julian Assange was unaware of the identity of his source] unless they were actively co-operating with US agents trying to fabricate charges against Assange?’

08:00 AM ‘In a Cable Released by WikiLeaks, State Department Officials Encourage Canada to Spin News Coverage of Tar Sands Pipeline’ via ThinkProgress

A cable shows the U.S. encouraged the Canadian government to increase ‘visibility and accessibility of more positive news stories’ concerning the Keystone XL Pipeline in 2009, a $13 billion proposed expansion of the oil pipeline controversial for its environmental impact.

07:45 AM A Pública announces: all of Brazil’s cables have been released. Almost 3000 documents from Brasilia, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Recife are available for public viewing.

00:55 AM While Julian Assange’s extradition appeal hearing was happening in London, in San Francisco diplomatic cables were being sung as a ‘guerilla opera’ conducted by Tom Comitta, entitled ‘Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Prozac for your AntiSec)’. The performance lasted for a total of 12 hours.