Views on News With Dr Shahid Masood 29th November 2010 Wikileaks , Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.
US trying to remove enriched uranium from Pakistan’s reactor: WikiLeaks
US diplomatic cables released on Sunday show that since 2007 the United States has been engaged in a secret effort to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani research reactor.
According to the documents released by a whistle-blowing website called Wiki-Leaks, the US administration authorised this effort because American officials feared the material could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device.
“A dangerous standoff with Pakistan over nuclear fuel: Since 2007, the United States has mounted a highly secret effort, so far unsuccessful, to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device. In May 2009, Ambassador Anne W. Patterson reported that Pakistan was refusing to schedule a visit by American technical experts because, as a Pakistani official said that if the local media got word of the fuel removal, they certainly would portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.”
US trying to remove enriched uranium from Pakistan’s reactor: WikiLeaks
US diplomatic cables released on Sunday show that since 2007 the United States has been engaged in a secret effort to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani research reactor.
According to the documents released by a whistle-blowing website called Wiki-Leaks, the US administration authorised this effort because American officials feared the material could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device.
“A dangerous standoff with Pakistan over nuclear fuel: Since 2007, the United States has mounted a highly secret effort, so far unsuccessful, to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device. In May 2009, Ambassador Anne W. Patterson reported that Pakistan was refusing to schedule a visit by American technical experts because, as a Pakistani official said that if the local media got word of the fuel removal, they certainly would portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.”
Saudi King Abdullah called President Asif Ali Zardari the greatest obstacle to Pakistan’s progress, according to an online report of New York Times that quoted Wikileaks as saying.
Wiki leaks has released 0.25 million confidential documents unveiling that Saudi Leadership urged US to attack Iran’s nuclear facility.
Some of the major topics included:
Wiki leaks has released 0.25 million confidential documents unveiling that Saudi Leadership urged US to attack Iran’s nuclear facility.
Some of the major topics included:
– Pressure from U.S. allies in the Middle East for decisive action to neutralize Iran’s nuclear program. According to one cable, King Hamad of Bahrain told the Commander of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. David Petraeus, that the United States must curb Iran’s nuclear program by whatever means necessary. “The danger of letting it go on is greater than the danger of stopping it,” the king is quoted as saying. Similarly, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia implored Washington to “cut off the head of the snake” while there was still time, according to a cable cited by the Guardian newspaper.
– Washington’s efforts to have highly enriched uranium removed from a Pakistani research reactor. In a cable sent in May 2009, the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad said Pakistan was refusing to schedule a visit by American technical experts. The ambassador said that a Pakistani official had told her: “If the local media got word of the fuel removal, ‘they certainly would portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.’ ”
– Negotiations with governments over the transfer of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. According to The New York Times, “Slovenia was told to take a prisoner if it wanted to meet with President (Barack) Obama, while the island nation of Kiribati was offered incentives worth millions of dollars to take in a group of detainees.”
– Concern that the Chinese government was involved in global computer hacking. One cable cited by the New York Times said a Chinese contact had told the U.S. Embassy in Beijing that the Politburo had directed “the intrusion into Google’s computer system” earlier this year.
The U.S. State Department’s legal adviser, Harold Hongju Koh, said Saturday that if any materials in the posting of documents by the 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.” Koh told Assange he was responding to a letter about the newest leak.
Koh wrote that the department had spoken with representatives from The New York Times and The Guardian newspapers, and the German magazine Der Spiegel about 250,000 documents the whistle-blower organization provided to them for publication.
Koh 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 offered a glimpse into the worldwide communications of the State Department and its 297 embassies, consulates and missions through what are commonly referred to as “cables.”
Koh wrote that releasing such documents could jeopardize relationships with allies, military actions and anti-terrorism operations.
Koh wrote that releasing such documents could jeopardize relationships with allies, military actions and anti-terrorism operations.
In October, WikiLeaks released nearly 400,000 U.S. military reports about operations in Iraq. In July, it released more than 70,000 reports from the war in Afghanistan.
WikiLeaks indicated last week that it was preparing to release a new batch of previously classified U.S. military documents.
On Monday, WikiLeaks stated via Twitter that its new release would be seven times the size of the Iraq War release.
“Intense pressure over it for months,” the group stated via Twitters. “Keep us strong.”
“Intense pressure over it for months,” the group stated via Twitters. “Keep us strong.”
FO slams release of secret US cables
Pakistan has criticized the release of classified US diplomatic cables that reportedly raise concerns about the country’s nuclear programme. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said on Monday that the release of the documents by online whistle-blower Wikileaks was “irresponsible”.
He said the US had warned Pakistan in advance about the release and officials were still examining the relevant documents.
Details about the cables were published Sunday by The New York Times and several other media outlets. The New York Times reported that since 2007, the United States has mounted an unsuccessful secret effort to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials allegedly fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device.
Pakistan has criticized the release of classified US diplomatic cables that reportedly raise concerns about the country’s nuclear programme. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said on Monday that the release of the documents by online whistle-blower Wikileaks was “irresponsible”.
He said the US had warned Pakistan in advance about the release and officials were still examining the relevant documents.
Details about the cables were published Sunday by The New York Times and several other media outlets. The New York Times reported that since 2007, the United States has mounted an unsuccessful secret effort to remove from a Pakistani research reactor highly enriched uranium that American officials allegedly fear could be diverted for use in an illicit nuclear device.
Zardari holds King Abdullah in great esteem: Farhatullah Babar
President Spokesman Farhatullah Baber stated that USA had informed the Pakistan about Wikileak’s document release beforehand.
He said that President Zardari termed King Abdullah as his elder brother and take him in great esteem. He said that Wikileaks wanted to create misunderstanding between two brotherly countries.
President Spokesman Farhatullah Baber stated that USA had informed the Pakistan about Wikileak’s document release beforehand.
He said that President Zardari termed King Abdullah as his elder brother and take him in great esteem. He said that Wikileaks wanted to create misunderstanding between two brotherly countries.
US warns WikiLeaks release to endanger ‘countless’ lives
The Obama administration is warning online whistleblower WikiLeaks that its expected imminent release of classified State Department documents will put “countless” lives at risk, threaten global counterterrorism operations and jeopardize US relations with its allies.
In a highly unusual step reflecting the administration’s grave concerns about the ramifications of the move, the State Department late Saturday released a letter from its top lawyer to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange telling him publication of the documents would be illegal and demanding that he stop it.
In the letter, State Department legal adviser Harold Koh said the publication of some 250,000 secret diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks will “place at risk the lives of countless innocent individuals,” “place at risk on-going military operations,” and “place at risk on-going cooperation between countries.” The State Department said Koh’s message was a response to a letter received on Friday by the US ambassador to Britain, Louis Susman, from Assange and his lawyer, Jennifer Robinson. The department said that letter asked for information “regarding individuals who may be ‘at significant risk of harm’ because of” the release of the documents. “Despite your stated desire to protect those lives, you have done the opposite and endangered the lives of countless individuals,” Koh wrote in reply. “You have undermined your stated objective by disseminating this material widely, without redaction, and without regard to the security and sanctity of the lives your actions endanger.” He said the US government would not deal with WikiLeaks at all in determining what may or may not released. “We will not engage in a negotiation regarding the further release or dissemination of illegally obtained US government classified materials,” wrote Koh, who is considered to be one of the world’s top experts in international law and was reportedly considered for a seat on the Supreme Court. WikiLeaks is expected to post the documents online on Sunday and Koh said the US government had been told that The New York Times, the British newspaper the Guardian and the German news magazine Der Speigel had prior access to them.
The Obama administration is warning online whistleblower WikiLeaks that its expected imminent release of classified State Department documents will put “countless” lives at risk, threaten global counterterrorism operations and jeopardize US relations with its allies.
In a highly unusual step reflecting the administration’s grave concerns about the ramifications of the move, the State Department late Saturday released a letter from its top lawyer to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange telling him publication of the documents would be illegal and demanding that he stop it.
In the letter, State Department legal adviser Harold Koh said the publication of some 250,000 secret diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks will “place at risk the lives of countless innocent individuals,” “place at risk on-going military operations,” and “place at risk on-going cooperation between countries.” The State Department said Koh’s message was a response to a letter received on Friday by the US ambassador to Britain, Louis Susman, from Assange and his lawyer, Jennifer Robinson. The department said that letter asked for information “regarding individuals who may be ‘at significant risk of harm’ because of” the release of the documents. “Despite your stated desire to protect those lives, you have done the opposite and endangered the lives of countless individuals,” Koh wrote in reply. “You have undermined your stated objective by disseminating this material widely, without redaction, and without regard to the security and sanctity of the lives your actions endanger.” He said the US government would not deal with WikiLeaks at all in determining what may or may not released. “We will not engage in a negotiation regarding the further release or dissemination of illegally obtained US government classified materials,” wrote Koh, who is considered to be one of the world’s top experts in international law and was reportedly considered for a seat on the Supreme Court. WikiLeaks is expected to post the documents online on Sunday and Koh said the US government had been told that The New York Times, the British newspaper the Guardian and the German news magazine Der Speigel had prior access to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment