U.S.: WikiLeaks Docs 'Will Risk Lives'
CNN reports:
If any materials in the next posting of documents by the WikiLeaks site were provided by government officials without proper authorization, "they were provided in violation of U.S. law and without regard for the grave consequences of this action," the U.S. State Department's legal adviser said.
In a letter to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dated Saturday, State Department Legal Adviser Harold Hongju Koh said he was responding to a letter about plans to publish "what you claim to be classified U.S. government documents."
Koh wrote that the department had spoken with representatives from The New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel newspapers about 250,000 documents the whistleblower organization provided to them for publication.
He described the distribution as the "illegal dissemination of classified documents" and said it would "place at risk the lives of countless individuals" -- criticisms that have been repeated by U.S. officials after past postings on the site.
The information blitz from WikiLeaks is expected to offer a glimpse into the worldwide communications of the State Department and its 297 embassies, consulates and missions through what commonly are referred to as "cables."
Koh wrote that releasing such documents could jeopardize relationships with allies, military actions and anti-terrorism operations.
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