The leak of the AWD was made possible by a site called WikiLeaks. The website allows users to upload any document completely anonymously. Although the website has been around for more than four years, it started to gain notoriety after it leaked a video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed two Reuters journalists in Baghdad in 2007. Reuters had unsuccessfully sought the release of the same video.

WikiLeaks provided an avenue for the video and the truth. Using websites such as WikiLeaks, the truth becomes impossible to hide. The site also has released numerous other damning documents from reports of corruption in Kenya and companies dumping toxic materials off the coast of Africa to the member rosters of the right-wing extremist British National Party. However, the complaints many have with the website are numerous.

Along with releasing dangerous classified documents, many have argued the website cannot be held accountable. The site allows any document to be uploaded with minimum screening. When something is published using a traditional avenue, certain rules apply to content. WikiLeaks doesn’t have to abide by those rules, which creates a bit of a quandary. In fact, the website might not have a hierarchy that can be held accountable or criticized.

Essentially, what WikiLeaks has accomplished — especially with the AWD — is to create a forum to bring the strong to their knees. The website has been in the U.S. government’s sights for a long time.

Interestingly enough, WikiLeaks even leaked a top secret government document that detailed the government’s plan to take down the website. But the leak of the AWD seems to be the last straw. Last week, the Pentagon said WikiLeaks might have blood on its hands due to the leak of these documents.
These strong words from the Pentagon would make one believe that documents must have great importance.

Although I can’t say that I’ve read anywhere near to the entirety of the reports, most of what is contained within them is extremely raw data, filled with jargon, personal accounts and unfiltered contentions. Nearly a week after the leak of the documents, analysts have found nothing of surprise in the documents. Due to the great gravity and size of the text, most has ended up being almost worthless. What has been “found” hardly has been surprising. Moreso, the information has confirmed some creeping suspicions, such as Pakistan’s intelligence service secretly aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan. The AWD is more of an embarrassment to the U.S. and Coalition forces than anything else.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates contends that WikiLeaks should be morally accountable, but after looking at the documents — few of which deserved the “classified” clearance given to them — it can be seen that the website might have crossed a line by publishing the AWD, but that the work it does leaves little to be morally outraged over.

WikiLeaks provides a place for all the dirty little secrets of the world to be exposed. This is the purest form of journalism — life without censorship. However, this realm isn’t without danger. If even one life is lost due to the release of these documents, then the leaking of these documents was not worth it. Information always comes with a price, but that price should never be paid in blood. Still, the website functions as the purest form of democracy by returning power to the people. Through this, the potential to rein in the powerful and hold even giants accountable becomes possible. That is a power that the people — from whom all authority is derived — should always have.

Matt Manning is a State News guest columnist. Reach him at mannin84@msu.edu.