Wikileaks - Page 44

The UK sees recent Russian foreign policy actions as a “continuum” in Moscow’s goal to maintain influence in its near abroad and to deter western influence, especially NATO enlargement. The UK therefore reads the military action in Georgia as part of a pattern - exemplified by recent Russian policy on CFE, Missile Defense and other multilateral initiatives - in implementation of the same strategy. Davenport views the tactics employed by Moscow in that regard as “hit and miss,” leading to an opportunistic approach, as opposed to a coordinated planning process in the Kremlin. He cites Russia’s recognition of South Ossetian and Abkhazian independence as “tactical ad-hocery” which many in Moscow might now regret given the lack of support for recognition even from Russia’s close friends.

Looking ahead, Davenport predicts Russia will use all available levers to pursue its goals. It will prefer employing political, economic, social and intelligence methods and resources, but Georgia has shown that military means are part of the Kremlin’s tactical lexicon. The FCO paper will therefore identify areas of “joint advantage” to focus UK and multilateral cooperation with Russia, particularly in the energy and commercial sectors. According to Davenport, the UK proposes a “hard-headed, robust when necessary,” engagement with Russia, coordinated among NATO and EU allies, to include dialogue and cooperation where possible so as not to isolate Moscow. Davenport noted that FM Miliband has invited Russian FM Lavrov to visit London at a mutually convenient time.

As examples of this more “resilient” approach, Davenport cites the need for deeper transatlantic engagement with former Soviet states to support their European aspirations without challenging Russia; a coherent NATO policy towards Georgia and Ukraine to advance Bucharest Summit goals; and a more comprehensive European energy policy, to include alternate sources, improved efficiency, and supply diversity as means of countering Russian influence.

On December 04 2010 02:07 ZerglingSoup wrote:

These leaks are a low blow to the U.S. government. They do nothing more than to hurt other countries' trust in it. It's an indiscriminate attack on what he sees as a source of evil.

The obvious lesson, he said, is for firms to follow a code of ethics and have a hotline that whistle-blowing employees can use with confidence that management will deal with problems.

On December 04 2010 09:40 domovoi wrote:
Yet more fallout from the cables. Obama's attempt to improve US-Russia relations after Bush's hardline stance may have been for naught. President Medvedev muses on the possibility of an "arms race."

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2034670,00.html

So who exactly did it benefit for the public to know what US diplomats actually think about Russia?

On December 04 2010 10:05 fofa2000 wrote:
There isn't anything new inside, only confirmed what everyone else knew...

Could WikiLeaks survive without Julian Assange?

....

Whatever happens to Wikileaks, the anti-secrecy cat may be out of the bag. Schmitt, the former WikiLeaks spokesman, has said he wants to set up a rival secret-spilling site, and others may follow.

"I think the basic concept has a future," said Steven Aftergood, who works on government secrecy policy for the Federation of American Scientists. "Anonymous disclosure of restricted records is easier than it has ever been. The virtues of transparency and government accountability are more widely recognized than they have ever been. Those two factors together provide a foundation for this kind of activity.

"They can't think, 'This is an opponent we need to defeat,'" he said. "They have to think about how they are going to deal with it."

Sweden's reputation is on trial in Julian Assange case

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Statements by the two female “victims” Sophia Wilen and Anna Ardin that there was no fear or violence would stop a rape charge in any western country dead in its tracks.

Rape is a crime of violence.

Both women boasted of their of their respective celebrity conquests on internet posts and mobile phones texts after the intimacy they would now see him destroyed for.

Ardin hosted a party in Assange’s honour at her flat after the ‘crime’ and tweeted to her followers that she was with the “the world's coolest smartest people, it's amazing!”

Ardin has sought unsuccessfully to delete these and thereby destroy evidence of Assange’s innocence She has published on the internet a guide on how to get revenge on cheating boyfriends.

Their sms texts to each other show a plan to contact the Swedish newspaper Expressen before hand in order to maximise the damage to Assange.
.....


Make no mistake: It is not Julian Assange that is on trial here but Sweden and its reputation as a modern and model country with rules of law.

.....

On December 04 2010 22:16 Keniji wrote:
Now paypal, too.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11917891

Way to go "democratic" governments with "freedom of information".