The recent Wiki leaks’ cable releases on state department activities overseas have great implications for the future of American Foreign policy. Our visions of people, living far away from us are usually not the same as those in our neighborhood. If foreign head of states and our diplomats cannot share information without looking over their shoulders, it will be more than difficult to resolve many differences in the world peacefully, with equal dignity for nations involved. Imagine if wiki leaks had revealed State Department dispatches over Kosovo, maybe we would not have been able to help reverse the ethnic cleansing dilemma that nearly wiped out a generation of people in that part of Europe.
How can our nation make connective links with other nations far away from us, if our representatives are unable to brief our President on the appropriate choice of words to use when our President or his representative meets other heads of states or their representatives? Imagine using the word “Cheers” when meeting a Hungarian President in a diplomatic conversation? How can our President formulate future better relations with Europeans, Africans, Asians or Arab nations, if their representatives and leaders cannot share information in confidence without it ending up on the WEB. For example, the current releases of Wiki leak cables of diplomat’s comments on some issues are at the hearts of current and ongoing negotiations of diplomatic issues, issues that may derail acceptability of difficult reconciliation on an issue as two state solutions for Israel and Palestine never ending debacle. Maybe that is why some people have referred to the current serials of releases from Wiki leaks as the September 11 Armageddon of foreign policy; my wife prefers to see it as a new frontier of a changing world, where advances in information technology may be driving foreign diplomacy or turning the world of foreign diplomacy upside down. How can we create a balance among the right of the people to know, the first amendment and what is often done under the auspices of old glory in many countries around the globe?
First, the right of people to know may not and should never thumb our national interest. Once we subscribe to the contrary, political leadership, either from the Presidency or from the congress, is probably jeopardized. The very insensible right of the people to know in the face of the overall interest of the nation’s security can hardly be a subject of debate in the current world environment. The world today is not what we had in the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s. If suicide bombers or mass murderers are going to be held accountable for their actions, the release of confidential state department’s missive that may circumvent the very fundamental foundation of freedom cannot be tolerated by any responsible democratic government. This is not to say that the public does not have the right to know what is done in their name; rather, it is the argument that, it isn’t in all cases that the people’s right to know must thumb our national interest. While the first amendment guarantees the right of the press, it hardly opens that right to the ruining chances of the state. The collective right of the people will sometimes erode the right of the individual to know, if the safety of the people is to be guaranteed.
Second, before we get into the issue of what essentially has been released so far by Wiki leaks and what arrangements had been entered into by the Guardian Newspapers of UK, New York Times, De Spiegel of Germany and any other media outlet that is either releasing or sharing information on private communications between representative of our government and other governments all over the world, it may be important for us to raise our overwhelming interest to ensure that whatever information that is released or discussed does not result in the deaths of anyone, a condition that cannot be totally guaranteed. Now, if all the media that are insisting that the right of the people to know thumbs national security, can anyone of these media sources prevent subsequent political hostilities against American diplomats attempting to do their everyday work all over the world? The concentrating of some state department’s assets all over the world is an issue that must receive the attention of those clamoring for the right to know legacy; hardly can any of these media sources, including wiki leaks, guarantee that a CIA agent in the street of Kabul, Afghanistan, will not lose his life from probable causes associated with the releases of these Wiki leaks cables. Thus, if no one can guarantee that the interest of the state will not be abridged on these releases, it behooves the State to go after Wiki leaks, whether in Norway or within our known borders of operations.
Third, going by the apprehension across borders regarding the implication of the Wiki leaks cable releases, it is possible that some nations and their governments will be willing to work with us to streamline this issue. I understand that some freedom of the press and speech apostles would cry foul at my making of this assessment; however, the question is: Is there any nation in the World that has suffered the humiliation of having what is sometimes considered as national secret exposed all over the WEB? Our nation is the only one that is currently suffering this humiliation and much as I appreciate the importance and relevance of sharing information and the people’s right to know, releases going on by Wiki leaks has crossed the line. Much as I admire what Wiki leaks may be attempting to accomplish, it is hard for me to subscribe to their choice at this time, knowing full well that none of those in the Press can guarantee that lives of people will not be in jeopardy. I have heard from some of their spokesperson indicating that they took all possible precautions by blacking out some names of people whose lives may be in jeopardy, but the real truth is: no one is safe, if all of us are in jeopardy. Parading substantial information on the WEB on American Diplomatic moves opens up the chances that anyone in a clandestine community somewhere in the world can really find out the direct source of information shared with American diplomats after reading the Wiki leaks cables, despite the fact that they (the press and wiki leaks) have promised that they wiped out the names of people whose lives may be in jeopardy before the releases.
Fourth, a month or two ago, President Obama was unable to tie the nut with the Asian countries on the subject of trade with Korea and Currency manipulation with China. Many people in foreign service, including some astute foreign diplomats from the East and West indicated that this was a loss for this nation. The vision of our nation regarding bilateral economic negotiations could have been jeopardized because these two Asian countries were aware of our strategic offering because some of the important information that may have cornered these nations into an agreement have been shared by the very unscrupulous people who have been able to get hold of diplomatic communications from our embassies in China and Korea. Just before Congress went on thanksgiving recess, the START II Treaty that was subscribed to by virtually all the Secretaries of State that has served this nation in the past two decades is not subjected to some estranged questioning by Republicans? Is there other information that these, OBAMA-on-term crusaders have that, the Presidency does not have that is making republicans attempt to score cheap points on this foreign relation issue? You may say I am being paranoid, but in politics, you can hardly trust the enemy?
How can you share strategic partnerships, when information to deal with North Korea’s dangerous nuclear weapons programs is easily available on the WEB? Our nation’s clarion call for some stability in the Korean peninsula is based on some strategic diplomacy, foundation of which would have been based on some communication between the state department and our embassies around the world, including South Korea. If information shared by South Korean government in privacy with our diplomats in Korea is readily available on the WEB, courtesy of Wiki leaks, how can we guarantee that there wouldn’t be more threats and attempt to blackmail from North Korea despite our recent effort to show that we are in support of the national security of South Korea? It is well past time to be leaving our embassies communication on a not so secured WEB! If any American is caught involved in this mess, they should be tried for treasonable felony.
We must take the present Wiki leaks as an affront on our state. We cannot guarantee the peace around several states in the world, if our communications with them are out there for everyone to see. How can you broker peace when your strategy is widespread in the news? How can you transform societies that are on the brink of genocide when you cannot ensure that the information shared with you is sacrosanct? We are pursuing many goals on several front around the world, and much as some nations and peoples around the world may criticize us as we do so, none of this nation had helped out to stop the NAZIS in the Second World War, except for a few and in our current fight against Jihad extremism. No one is standing in the shores of Uncle Sam, so no one of these people at Wiki leaks or the press understands fully where the shoes are pinching!
Fifth, after this storm of wiki leaks, we better appreciate the endless possibility of the information highway. The State Department had better re-evaluate the extraordinary impact that information sharing on the WEB may have on how representatives of American interests in foreign embassies around the world shift information from their respective bases in and out. There is a need for a new paradigm; not only can the short listing of how many people see what information regarding the security of this nation, make a difference; however, it is probably essential to teach foreign officers, coding and information sharing ethics that will not compromise the nation’s security.
Finally, there are going to be times that a visiting head of state to Washington DC does not see eye-to-eye on urgent issues, issues in which sitting down for a real heart-to-heart conversations is necessary for resolving a difficult issue. It is important that American Embassy in the home country of the visiting head of state is able to dispatch cogent information to Washington DC to help the nation or policy makers formulate a positing or a point that will be amendable and consistent with America’s interest. If such information from the home country of the visiting head of state is already released by wiki leaks or any other online information sharing portal, then foreign policies will be more challenging than ever before. Before I say Jack rabbit, there is another head of state visiting next week and I believe he or she will not appreciate that all his or her communication with the White house is coming upstream on the WEB!
The blog today starts discussing the challenges ahead for American Foreign policy in the age of Wiki leak cable releases
N.B.
This is the greatest nation in the world with a population of over three hundred million. You cannot trust all those people within a nation to do all that is in the best interest of the nation as a whole. For this and other reasons, precautions have to be taken in light of the current experience with Wiki leaks. Simple issues as leaking important communications between state department officials and Washington DC will turn out to have profound impact on how America takes positions and on new direction of choices that may reverberate into other national interest. We cannot be looking away as our trust as a nation is being abridged while concentrating on ridiculous alignment to kick out a President that is doing all in his power to do the people's work. It is time for the Republicans to wake up to their responsibility to the people, work with Obama to provide employment to the people, feed the helpless and leave alone those who have too much in their bank accounts to care whether you give them a tax cut or not!
