Pentagon Tries to Keep Wikileaks Docs Classified
The Pentagon is actively working to try and get Wikileaks not to release any more military documents:
A week after WikiLeaks dumped 92,000 classified military documents online, the Pentagon is ordering the whistle-blower Web site to give them back.
"The Defense Department demands that WikiLeaks return immediately to the U.S. government all versions of documents obtained directly or indirectly from the Department of Defense databases or records," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters Thursday.
The Pentagon also ordered WikiLeaks to delete all the documents, most of which relate to military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, from its Web site and records, The Associated Press reported.
Morrell didn't say what efforts, besides asking firmly, the Defense Department might be able to take to ensure WikiLeaks complies. Right now, Morrell said, the Defense Department hopes WikiLeaks will "do the right thing."
WikiLeaks has not responded to the Pentagon request.
The Web site posted the reports, mostly raw intelligence reports, July 25. The White House condemned the document dump and military officials said the posting of the names of Afghans who have helped allied forces could jeopardize their safety.
The site reportedly withheld another 15,000 similar documents, and may publish them as well, the AP said.
"Public disclosure of additional Defense Department classified information can only make the damage worse," Morrell said.
Wikileaks is a 3-year-old nonprofit founded by Julian Assange that allows anonymous sources to upload private documents so anyone can read them online.
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