Folks:
I call this blog 'Tools of the Trade'. What I'll attempt to do here is to focus on the technologies behind the Wikileaks story. This could be hardware, software and even just concepts which, when wedded with technology, produce results the makers never conceived of. Let's look at secure networks, encryption, national and corporate censorship... as well as how folks circumvent it, smart phones, thumb drives and other ways of staying connected.
The Guardian: Iran has cleared major hurdle to nuclear weapons
"Tehran has 'technical ability' to make highly enriched uranium, say experts, as efforts turn to disrupting supply of other materials.
US officials believe Iran now has the "technical ability" to make highly enriched uranium, an essential step towards building a nuclear bomb, according to a leaked US diplomatic cable."
The Guardian: US embassy cables: Botswana's forced relocation of indigenous tribespeople condemned
"Ambassador Huggins visited Botswana's western town of Ghanzi and the San/Basarwa relocation settlement of New Xade on March 10-11. Rural poverty, severe dependence on government assistance, lack of income-generating opportunities, despair among youth, and the underperformance of the parastatal Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) were identified by interlocutors as dominant issues in the district. Officials proclaimed the advantages of the relocation of the San/Basarwa out of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve into villages. NGOs emphasized the forcible aspect of the exercise and the psychological trauma and cultural disorientation it had produced. The GOB, as revealed in a subsequent meeting with the MFA PermSec, views the San as a group which, like other ethnic minorities in Botswana, should use education to move forward."
Hispanically Speaking News: Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom Said Rigoberta Menchu is “A Fabrication”
In a report on Wikileaks, Bloomberg disclosed on January 20 that U.S. authorities may now be using contractors to spy on Swedish servers looking for creative ways to prosecute Wikileaks and Julian Assange.
Bloomberg reports that Robert Boback, Chief Executive Officer of Tiversa, Inc., a spying and surveillance firm that contracts with the FBI, declined to say who his company's client was when his firm surveilled four unidentified Swedish servers.
According to Boback, during a 60 minute period on February 7, 2009:
"Tiversa’s monitors detected four Swedish computers engaged in searching and downloading information on peer-to-peer networks. The four computers issued 413 searches, crafted to find Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and other information-rich documents among some of the 18 million users the company estimates are on such file-sharing networks at any given moment."
Tiversa also claims that:
Corporations are being pressured to behave more ethically and transparently as a result of the increasing influence of Julian Assange's scientific journalistic enterprise, WikLeaks. Public relations professionals in Germany say that trying to sit out the storm is no longer a strategy for success in a post-cablegate world.
In the wake of the removal of Galileo CEO Berry Smutny and Rudolph Elmer's handover of banking data to Wikileaks, the German public relations portal PR Professional defines three reasons why WikiLeaks is dangerous for corporations, and advises them on how to avoid coming into difficulties resulting from potentially damaging disclosures.
According to Jörg Forthmann of Faktenkontor, WikiLeaks is dangerous to corporations because:
State department cable reveals possible use of Irish IT infrastructure to pilot unmanned drones in Afghanistan. A recent article in Phoenix Magazine (behind paywall) conjectures that undersea fibre-optic cables channeled through sites in Ireland, revealed in Wikileaks release of 09STATE15113, are in fact part of the U.S. military infrastructure for piloting Predator Drones in Afghanistan from a military base in Nevada. If true, this could be illegal under Irish constitutional commitments to neutrality.
Irish Labour politician calls out Irish government on rendition: A senior member of the Irish Labour party and spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Michael D Higgins, has criticized the Fianna Fáil government for apparent collusion with the US government on suspected rendition flights from Shannon airport in County Clare, indicated in US diplomatic cables from the Dublin Embassy.
In a statement made on January 17, Higgins referred to 04DUBLIN1739 and 07DUBLIN916 in support of his claim that the Irish government had knowingly conspired against popular and legal opinion in the use of Shannon airport by the U.S. military, while secretly harbouring a strong suspicion that it was being used for extraordinary rendition flights.
Cablegate reinforces suspicions of Irish government complicity in US rendition: US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks are gradually adding to a picture wherein the government of Ireland ignored public opposition to suspected US rendition flights through its territory, and looked for ways to co-operate with alleged US abuses while avoiding liability and political fallout.
What is the context?
The Shannon airport has a history of use as a military stopover point for foreign militaries. Post-9/11, the US military had been allowed to use Shannon as a conduit for "War on Terror" flights involving munitions, supplies, and the transport of vehicles and troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. This move was unpopular since the status of the Iraq war under international law was controversial, and the Shannon stopover was perceived by the Irish anti-war community as a violation of the principle of Irish neutrality.
"The lesson from what's happening in Tunisia is that (Arab leaders) won't be able to hide any more behind the Islamist threat argument."
-Amel Boubekeur
If Tunisians are protesting for freedom, not religion, what role did Wikileaks and online social networks play in mobilizing Arab populations to throw off the shackles of authoritarian, repressive, and corrupt regimes? Are our western institutions responsible for the waves of protest threatening to drown capitals in the Middle East?.
Swiss police on Wednesday arrested former banker Rudolf Elmer on fresh charges of breaching Swiss bank secrecy law for giving data to WikiLeaks, hours after he was found guilty of another secrecy offense.
"The state prosecutor's office is checking to see whether Rudolf Elmer has violated Swiss banking law by handing the CD over to WikiLeaks," the Zurich cantonal (state) police and state prosecutor said in a joint statement.
Earlier on Wednesday, a court found Elmer guilty of breaching banking secrecy for publicising private client data. He was also found guilty of threatening an employee at his former firm Julius Baer.
Update 1:
Submitted by KnowledgeEmpire on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 15:57
Le Monde: "La Tunisie fait des progrès sur les droits de l'homme..." ("Tunisia makes progress on human rights")
""La Tunisie n'est pas une dictature..." La phrase figure en sous-titre d'un télégramme diplomatique de l'ambassade des Etats-Unis, daté du 14 août 2007, obtenu par WikiLeaks et révélé par Le Monde. Les mots sont ceux de Serge Degallaix, ambassadeur de France en Tunisie de juillet 2005 à septembre 2009. ("Tunisia is not a dictatorship..." The sentence is found on the title of a diplomatic cable from the American embassy, dated August 14th 2007, obtained by Wikileaks and revealed by Le Monde. The words come from Serge Degallaix, ambassador of France in Tunisia between July 2005 and September 2009.)"
The Guardian: US advised to sabotage Iran nuclear sites by German thinktank
"As Stuxnet cyber attack pinned on US and Israel, US embassy cable reveals advice to use undercover operations.
The United States was advised to adopt a policy of "covert sabotage" of Iran's clandestine nuclear facilities, including computer hacking and "unexplained explosions", by an influential German thinktank, a leaked US embassy cable reveals."
The Guardian: US feared Turkish military backlash in 'coup plot' arrests
"Turkish arrests of senior military officers last year could trigger 'unpredictable reaction', US embassy cable warned.
US diplomats in Turkey feared that a wave of arrests of senior military officers last year over an alleged plot to topple the country's Islamist-rooted government could trigger an "unpredictable military reaction", according to a leaked diplomatic cable."
The New York Times, the Guardian, and WL Central have all reported on a new national-unity government being formed in Tunisia today. However, the NYT and the Guardian have delivered notably different accounts of what is unfolding in Tunisia, with the Guardian stressing national unity and concessions, and the NYT concentrating on the continued unrest and dissatisfaction. As reported by the Guardian:
The government hopes the new coalition cabinet will help to stabilise the north African country of 10 million, which is still in turmoil after the sudden collapse of Ben Ali's rule last week amid a popular uprising. "We are committed to intensifying our efforts to re-establish calm and peace in the hearts of all Tunisians," Ghannouchi told a news conference. "Our priority is security, as well as political and economic reform." He named Chebbi, founder of the opposition PDP party, as minister of regional development.
And the NYT reported:
Cross hairs and gun-sights are all the rage in the media these days after the killings in Tucson, with Sarah Palin getting flack for her mindless cross hairs map, to the inflamed calls for illegal assassination of Julian Assange. Could this be a time for a more self-conscious look at the violent undercurrents of our ‘civilized’ American society? Perhaps each one of us has at some point put someone in our own gun sights after reducing them into the role of an enemy. What responsibility does each of us share for this violent rhetoric and behavior?
Expatica.com reports that Labour MP Frans Timmermans is objecting to Mr Peter De Gooijer becoming the Dutch ambassador to the European Union, after messages from the US embassy in The Hague sourced from Wikileaks were reported in Dutch newspapers.
The challenge to De Gooijer comes days after he was named the top representative of the Netherlands at the EU last Friday, having until then served as director-general for political affairs at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. De Gooijer previously served as the counselor for political-military affairs for the Netherlands embassy in Washington 1994--97.
According to the cables cited by the newspapers, De Gooijer asked the US embassy to put pressure on the then Labour leader and deputy prime minister, Wouter Bos. He hoped Mr Bos would be pushed into agreeing to an extension of the Dutch military mission in Afghanistan.
The BBC reports that Berry Smutny, chief executive of the German partner in the EU's Galileo satellite-navigation project, has been removed by the board of OHB-System because of statements critical of the project that appear in a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks:
... Smutny [is] alleged to have told diplomats at a meeting in Berlin in October 2009 that Galileo, a flagship space programme of the EU, was a waste of taxpayers' money.
The cable, which was published by the Norwegian daily Aftenposten last Thursday, quoted the OHB-System chief as saying, "I think Galileo is a stupid idea that primarily serves French interests", and, in particular, French military interests.
Mr Smutny was further reported to say that Galileo was "doomed for failure" or would "have to undergo drastic scalebacks for survival".
Mr Smutny has denied making the statements reported in the cable.
Via Greg Mitchell at The Nation
The Guardian: TNK-BP boss predicted break-up of Russian joint venture
"Leaked comments suggest that BP sees Rosneft as its long-term partner, not TNK-BP, according to cables obtained by WikiLeaks.
BP's top executive in Russia predicted that its TNK-BP subsidiary would be carved up by the end of this year by Rosneft, the British oil company's new partner, acting with Gazprom, according to leaked US embassy cables."
The Guardian: Turkey let US use airbase for rendition flights
"Turkey allowed use of Incirlik airbase as refuelling stop, US embassy cable reveals, after Turkish denials of involvement.
Turkey allowed the US to use its airbase at Incirlik in southern Turkey as part of the "extraordinary rendition" programme to take suspected terrorists to Guantánamo Bay, according to a US diplomatic cable."
The Guardian: 'Baby Doc' Duvalier's possible return to Haiti concerned US
"US envoy said in 2006 that return of 'Baby Doc' Duvalier could complicate ability of Haiti's new government to establish itself.
The US expressed its concern about the possible return of Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier to Haiti as far back as 2006, when the country was about to hold elections, according to a confidential US diplomatic cable."
Le Monde: Les prédateurs du clan Ben Ali vus par les diplomates américains (The predators of Beli Ali's clan viewed by the American diplomats)
"Une blague circulait à Tunis avant la chute du régime : un jour, le président Ben Ali roulait au volant de sa voiture, dans les rues de la capitale, seul et sans garde du corps. A un feu rouge, un policier l'arrête. Ben Ali explique qu'il s'appelle Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali et qu'il est le président de la République. "Jamais entendu parler de vous ", lui rétorque l'homme en uniforme, avant de le conduire au poste de police. Le chef du poste est là. Il examine les papiers de Ben Ali et les lui remet aussitôt en disant : "C'est OK pour lui. C'est un parent des Trabelsi." (A joke circulated in Tunisia before the fall of the regime: one day, President Ben Ali was driving at the wheel of his car in the streets of the capital, alone and without a bodyguard. At a red light, a policeman stops him. Ben Ali says he is called Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and he is the President of the Republic. "Never heard of you", the man in uniform answers back before driving him to the police station. The head of the station is there. He looks at the papers of Ben Ali and tells right back: "It's okay for him. He's a parent of Trabelsi.")"
Aftenposten's cable releases for today focus on Haiti. Rather than editorializing, they have posted in full in English the following cables:
07.02.2006: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES HAITI
17.01.2006: HAITI: FM ABRAHAM DISCUSSES DUVALIER PASSPORT ISSUANCE WITH CHARGE
17.01.2006: DOMINICAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES STATE DAS FOR CARIBBEAN
Aftenposten's editorial analysis is reserved for Iran, examining the country's pursuit of materials for their nuclear program (in English). Update to follow.
Update 1:
Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, inherited power from his father in 1971, and ruled with the support of his father's Tontons Macoutes militia until forced to flee the country to France after a popular uprising in 1986.
The cables highlight U.S. concerns that Duvalier would attempt to return to Haiti, with France receiving the most pressure, as that was where Duvalier was residing at the time (even though the French authorities coud not find him in a hotel). Neighboring Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso is quoted as saying Duvalier's return to Haiti (along with Aristide) would be "unhelpful", because supporters of either side might seek revenge, "even after 20 years". U.S. efforts to get Duvalier's passport revoked fell on deaf ears, with Haitian Foreign Minister Abraham stating:
Die Welt Online breaks "The WikiLeaks Cartel"
In an online editorial published today, Germany's Die Welt Online writes:
"Up until now, only a few newspapers and magazines have been allowed to release a small percentage of selected cables under the supervision of WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange. This cartel is now broken. Die Welt Online, thru the Norwegian paper Aftenposten, now has unimpeded access to all cables, without restrictions."
"Aftenposten received access to all of the cables in the middle of december last year. Die Welt Online will now sift through the cables without being bound to the approval of WikiLeaks, and the stories that result will be handled under the same research criteria and ethical guidelines as the rest of our stories."
"The material will be treated as "source material", and the editors of Die Welt Online will decide what is interesting, and what can be released under the standards of security or privacy concerns."
This morning at the Frontline club, Rudolf Elmer handed over to Julian Assange a set of CDs containing leaked banking materials for 2,000 offshore bank accounts. As we reported on Sunday, "[d]details on the CD's ... include information on business people, approximately 40 politicians, people who have made their living in the arts and multinational conglomerates, from US, Britain, Germany, Austria, Asia" and other currently undisclosed locations. The context of today's press conference, as well as Elmer's previously expressed motivations, can be found here.
Elmer clarified his position as a banker who "has the right" to prevent further "damage to society" by taking steps to inform the public of ongoing unethical activities. He expressed his gratitude to Wikileaks, which he described as a tool that allowed him to tell the people what he thinks "society has a right to know."
The Swiss news organization Tages-Anzeiger reported today on the potential threat posed by Wikileaks' forthcoming release and subsequent measures which Bank of America has taken to mitigate that threat (previously covered here on WL Central).
Sie setzte im Dezember einen Krisenstab von 20 Computer- und Risikoexperten ein, zog die renommierte Beratungsfirma Booz Allen Hamilton sowie mehrere Topkanzleien bei, um sich abzusichern. (Bank of America had set up a crisis unit in December. The crisis unit of 20 computer and risk experts, pulled from the prestigious consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton has been tasked to access and defend Bank of America.)
Further, the article notes that delaying the release of the Banking information will dilute their effectiveness and potential for harm.
länger Wikileaks zuwartet, desto geringer wird die Wirkung des Lecks sein.
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