Wikileak News Online: Archived Circa 2010-2012



This was a Wikileak News website for the period between 2010-2012. This page has been recreated for archival content, showing examples of the news during this period. Additional information has been added from outside sources. This site offered links to: Wiki How / Wiki Leaks / Wiki Mystery / Wiki News / Wiki Photos / Wiki Sciencetech / Wiki UFO / Wiki Videos / Wiki Who / Wiki World / Wiki Wow!. To see up-to-date Wikileaks news, go to their current website: wikileaks.org/.

 If you read the news and feel that it is manipulated by the oligarchs, you already know about Wikileaks and its publisher, Julian Assange. I happen to be part of a specialized software development team. Julian Assange is a hero to me and many of my co-workers at the progressive software company where we work. My team was in New York City working on some technical issues with one of my company's client when we heard the news that Assange might be extradited to Sweden, where he was wanted for questioning concerning an allegation of rape. It was shocking. The client was a food service and catering company that was quickly expanding and had outgrown its legacy FoxPro data management software. We had been called in when they came to the conclusion that their old FoxPro system was no longer supported and lacked the capabilities to meet their specific needs. After our first analysis of the company's requirements, the results were insane. Their people were wasting huge amounts of time every day as they tried to juggle too many programs to satisfy all their business and customer needs. So there we were in NYC building custom software development applications that would eliminate all the frustration, time, and money they were wasting on their old inefficient programs. My head was spinning with the news regarding Julian Assange and the rape allegations while still having to remain focused on the client's custom apps. It was a crazy period.

 

ABOUT WIKILEAKS

WikiLeaks is not only a multi-national media organization, but also an associated library. It was founded in 2006 by its publisher Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks specializes in the analysis and publication of large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving corruption. spying and war. It has published more than 10 million documents and associated analyses and will continue publishing even though it has contended with ;denial-of-service attacks, has had to have staff members use software like Tor and PGP to communicate and preserve sources' anonymity, and been hit with numerous lawsuits.

“WikiLeaks is a giant library of the world’s most persecuted documents. We give asylum to these documents, we analyze them, we promote them and we obtain more.” - Julian Assange, Der Spiegel Interview

WikiLeaks success has allowed it to cultivate contractual relationships and secure communications paths to more than 100 major media organizations from around the world, giving WikiLeaks sources negotiating power, impact, and technical protections that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible for them to achieve.

Thus far WikiLeaks has a perfect record in defending and preserving both document authentication and resistance to all censorship attempts.

The many awards granted WikiLeaks, its publisher and its journalists attest to the valuable service they are performing.  Awards includes:

  • The Economist New Media Award (2008)
  • The Amnesty New Media Award (2009)
  • TIME Magazine Person of the Year, People’s Choice (highest global vote) (2010)
  • The Sam Adams Award for Integrity (2010)
  • The National Union of Journalists Journalist of the Year (Hrafnsson) (2011)
  • The Sydney Peace Foundation Gold Medal (2011)
  • The Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism (2011)
  • The Blanquerna Award for Best Communicator (2011)
  • The Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism (2011)
  • The Voltaire Award for Free Speech (2011)
  • The International Piero Passetti Journalism Prize of the National Union of Italian Journalists (2011)
  • The Jose Couso Press Freedom Award (2011)
  • The Privacy International Hero of Privacy (2012)
  • The Global Exchange Human Rights People’s Choice Award (2013)
  • The Yoko Ono Lennon Courage Award for the Arts (2013)
  • The Brazillian Press Association Human Rights Award (2013)
  • The Kazakstan Union of Journalists Top Prize (2014)
  • As well as nominations for the UN Mandela Prize (2015) and nominations in six consecutive years for the Nobel Peace Prize (2010-2015)

WikiLeaks is entirely funded by its publisher, its publication sales and the general public.

 

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Examples of WikiLeak News Circa 2010-2012

 

 

The Night ‘Osama Bin Laden’ Came for Dinner?

Posted at May 2nd, 2012

BBC Reported

What happens when your surprise dinner guest turns out to be the world’s most wanted man? A year on from the death of Osama Bin Laden, two men tell how they came to host the then leader of al-Qaeda.

Late one night in the summer of 2010, on the fringes of the Waziristan region in north-western Pakistan, half a dozen men of a local tribal family waited nervously for the arrival of a guest whose identity they didn’t know.

They had been alerted to this visit weeks earlier, by someone they describe simply as an "important person". They were not given any names, and the exact time of the guest’s arrival was conveyed to them just a few hours in advance.

At about 23:00, when the world around them was in deep sleep, they heard the rumble of the approaching vehicles.

"A dozen big four-wheel drive jeeps drove into the compound," recalls one family elder who agreed to speak to me about it. "They seemed to converge from different directions."

One of the 4x4s drove up close to the veranda, and from its back seat emerged a tall and frail-looking man. He wore flowing robes and a white turban.

The waiting men couldn’t believe their eyes. Standing before them was none other than Osama Bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world.

"We were dumb-struck," says the elder. "He was the last person we’d expected to turn up at our doorstep."

He stood beside the vehicle for a while, shaking hands. The elder says he kissed Bin Laden’s hand and pressed it against his eyes in a gesture of reverence.

Then, putting his hand lightly on the shoulder of one of his assistants, Bin Laden walked into the room they’d set up for him. The villagers didn’t follow him in. Only a couple of his own men kept him company.

This happened exactly one year before Bin Laden was killed in a secret operation of the US Navy Seals in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, located some 300km (186 miles) to the north-east of this remote tribal compound.

The shock of his death prompted one of his former hosts to tell close friends about this unexpected visit, which is how I came to know about it.

After some persuasion, I was able to speak to two of the men who’d met Bin Laden on that occasion. Both requested that their names and locality be kept secret.

During the three hours Bin Laden spent with them, they said he offered prayers, rested, and ate the lamb chops, chicken curry and rice they’d prepared for him and his entourage.

All that time, his hosts weren’t allowed to leave the compound, or let anyone in. Armed men took positions at the main gate, along the walls and on the roof.

There was a slight commotion among the guards when one of the hosts requested that his 85-year-old father be allowed to see Bin Laden.

"Consider this to be his dying wish," he pleaded. The message was passed to Bin Laden, who agreed to see the old patriarch.

Four armed men escorted the son home to fetch his father. The old man was only told about Bin Laden’s presence once they were back inside the compound.

They said the old man spent 10 minutes with Bin Laden, pouring out his admiration and prayers for him, and offering time-tested advice on tribal warfare, all in his native Pashto language, which Bin Laden apparently didn’t understand.

This brought smiles to the faces of Bin Laden’s hosts and his guards, they say.

Bin Laden and his men departed in just the same way as they’d come – their 4x4s leaving the compound in a bustling confusion – and heading out in different directions, giving his hosts little chance to determine which way Bin Laden’s vehicle went.

While my interlocutors were quite open about the details of the visit, they didn’t want to discuss the identity of the "important man" who had asked them to host Bin Laden. They were also reluctant to share information on who else was in the entourage.

Following Bin Laden’s death a year later, both Pakistani and American officials had insisted that the al-Qaeda chief had lived in total seclusion for nearly five years, without once leaving his Abbottabad compound.

That would seem not to be the case. And many questions remain unanswered.

The area where he showed up in 2010 is in the middle of a vast tribal hinterland which was, and to an extent still is, the focus of a number of military operations against militants. Troops stationed there were on high alert and had set up dozens of security checkpoints to monitor commuters along both regular and rarely frequented routes.

How did he get past those posts undetected?

The Pakistanis have always denied having any knowledge of his whereabouts or providing any support to Bin Laden.

There’s also the question of who was planning his itinerary, what was the purpose of his visit and, above all, how frequently did he pay midnight visits to unsuspecting hosts?

 

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Spy chief James Clapper Wields Lie Detector in War on Leaks

June 2012

Employees at many of America’s top intelligence gathering and analysis agencies will have to convince a lie detector that they haven’t spilled any of the nation’s secrets to the media. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced the plan Monday to plug up leaks of sensitive information.

With a Department of Justice investigation under way into recent revelations about cyberwarfare against Iran and the publication of details of the U.S.’s drone program, Clapper ordered "that a question related to unauthorized disclosure of classified information be added to the counterintelligence polygraph used by all intelligence agencies that administer the examination."

In plain English, that means that employees at the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Energy, the FBI, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Security Agency will be quizzed about whether they have overshared with the press. And officials in key positions could find themselves subject to more frequent polygraph tests. Clapper also asked the Intelligence Community inspector general to lead leak investigations when the Department of Justice declines to prosecute the officials involved.

And Clapper opened a review of existing policies governing when employees of those agencies must report "non-incidental contact" with journalists, with an eye on overhauling those guidelines if they are found to be inconsistent—or even nonexistent, an aide told Yahoo News.

"These efforts will reinforce our professional values by sending a strong message that intelligence personnel always have, and always will, hold ourselves to the highest standard of professionalism," Clapper said in a statement.

Some Republican lawmakers, notably Sen. John McCain, have accused the Obama administration of disclosing national security information to the press to polish Obama’s image on national security ahead of the election. The president has called such allegations "offensive" and said he has a "zero tolerance" approach to leaks.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican, said Clapper’s announcement was "a good first step" toward deterring and detecting leaks.

"The leaking of classified national security information is intolerable at any level, but the parade of recent leaks requires action. We must break this culture of unauthorized disclosures," Rogers said in a statement.

 



 

More Background on WikileaksNews.net

WikileaksNews.net served as an independent news aggregation and archival website focused on WikiLeaks-related content, particularly during the period from 2010 to 2012. Though not operated by WikiLeaks itself, the site played a unique role in curating, contextualizing, and disseminating information about WikiLeaks, its major releases, and the broader movement for transparency and whistleblowing. This article offers a comprehensive overview of WikileaksNews.net, examining its history, content, audience, cultural significance, notable examples, and critical reception.

History and Origins

WikileaksNews.net was launched at a time when WikiLeaks was at the center of global attention. The years 2010–2012 marked the peak of WikiLeaks' media coverage, driven by the release of high-profile documents such as the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, and the U.S. diplomatic cables (“Cablegate”). During this period, the world witnessed intense debates about government transparency, press freedom, and the legal and ethical implications of whistleblowing.

The website was created to archive and showcase news, analysis, and examples of WikiLeaks’ impact. It provided a curated selection of stories and resources for those interested in the evolving landscape of digital transparency and the controversies surrounding Julian Assange and his associates.

Content and Features

WikileaksNews.net offered a variety of features designed to inform and engage its audience:

  • News Archives: The site curated news articles, reports, and commentary related to WikiLeaks releases, whistleblower stories, and legal and political developments involving Julian Assange. It preserved these materials as an archive for future reference.

  • Example Stories: Notable examples included coverage of Osama Bin Laden’s movements prior to his death and U.S. intelligence community responses to leaks, such as the introduction of polygraph tests to prevent unauthorized disclosures.

  • Resource Links: The site provided links to a range of Wiki-related resources, including WikiLeaks, WikiNews, WikiHow, WikiMystery, and others, helping users explore the broader “Wiki” ecosystem.

  • Editorial Perspective: The content reflected admiration for WikiLeaks and Assange, emphasizing their role in challenging powerful interests and defending the public’s right to know.

WikiLeaks: The Broader Context

Understanding WikileaksNews.net requires knowledge of WikiLeaks itself:

  • Founding and Mission: WikiLeaks was established in 2006 by Julian Assange as a multinational media organization and library. Its mission is to publish large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials, particularly those involving corruption, espionage, and war.

  • Major Leaks: WikiLeaks published more than 10 million documents, including the “Collateral Murder” video, the Afghan War Diary, the Iraq War Logs, and the U.S. diplomatic cables. These releases had a profound impact on journalism, international relations, and public discourse.

  • Technical Innovations: WikiLeaks pioneered secure submission systems for whistleblowers, using technologies like Tor and PGP encryption to protect sources’ anonymity.

  • Awards and Recognition: WikiLeaks and its journalists received numerous international awards, such as The Economist New Media Award (2008), Amnesty New Media Award (2009), TIME Magazine Person of the Year (People’s Choice, 2010), and the Sydney Peace Foundation Gold Medal (2011), among others.

Notable Example Stories

WikileaksNews.net featured detailed retellings of significant news events related to WikiLeaks and its impact. Two prominent examples include:

The Night ‘Osama Bin Laden’ Came for Dinner

This story, originally reported by the BBC, recounted an incident in the summer of 2010 when Osama Bin Laden, then the world’s most wanted man, visited a remote tribal family in Waziristan, Pakistan. The family, unaware of their guest’s identity until his arrival, hosted Bin Laden and his entourage for a night. The account provided rare insight into Bin Laden’s movements and challenged official narratives that he had lived in total seclusion before his death in Abbottabad in 2011. The story raised questions about how Bin Laden evaded detection and who facilitated his travels in a region under heavy military scrutiny.

Spy Chief James Clapper’s War on Leaks

In June 2012, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced new measures to combat leaks of classified information. Employees at major intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and NSA, were required to undergo polygraph tests specifically addressing unauthorized disclosures to the media. The move was prompted by recent leaks about cyberwarfare and drone programs, and it reflected the heightened tension between national security interests and press freedom. The story highlighted the political and cultural climate of the time, with officials emphasizing professionalism and lawmakers calling for stricter controls on leaks.

Audience and Reach

WikileaksNews.net catered to a diverse audience, including:

  • Journalists and Media Professionals: Seeking background information, context, and examples of WikiLeaks’ influence.

  • Activists and Transparency Advocates: Interested in government accountability, whistleblower protections, and freedom of information.

  • General Public: Individuals curious about the controversies and stories surrounding WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.

  • Researchers and Historians: Using the site as an archival resource for studying the early 2010s transparency movement.

The site’s accessible format and curated content made it a valuable resource for those looking to understand the complexities of the WikiLeaks phenomenon.

Press and Media Coverage

While WikileaksNews.net itself was not a frequent subject of mainstream media coverage, it chronicled the massive attention given to WikiLeaks by global news outlets. WikiLeaks’ major releases were published in partnership with leading newspapers such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, El País, and Der Spiegel. These collaborations amplified the reach and impact of the leaks, sparking international debates about transparency, security, and the responsibilities of the press.

Media coverage of WikiLeaks ranged from praise for exposing wrongdoing to criticism over the risks of releasing sensitive information. The organization’s activities prompted discussions about the balance between the public’s right to know and the need to protect national security.

Cultural and Social Significance

WikileaksNews.net reflected and contributed to the broader cultural and social significance of the WikiLeaks movement:

  • Transparency and Accountability: The site’s content underscored the importance of holding governments and powerful institutions accountable through transparency and public scrutiny.

  • Whistleblower Protections: By highlighting stories of whistleblowers and the challenges they faced, the site contributed to ongoing debates about legal protections and ethical responsibilities.

  • Digital Activism: WikileaksNews.net was part of a larger ecosystem of digital activism, leveraging the internet to disseminate information and mobilize public opinion.

  • Public Perception: The site’s editorial stance, which portrayed Julian Assange as a hero to many in the technology and activist communities, reflected the polarized views surrounding WikiLeaks and its mission.

Critical Reception and Reviews

WikileaksNews.net was generally well-regarded by those sympathetic to the transparency movement. Its strengths included:

  • Comprehensive Archival Approach: By preserving news stories and examples from a pivotal era, the site served as a valuable historical resource.

  • Curated Resources: The inclusion of links to related Wiki projects and transparency tools helped users explore a wide range of topics.

  • Editorial Clarity: The site’s perspective was clear and unapologetic, aligning with the values of information freedom and public accountability.

However, the site’s strong editorial bias in favor of WikiLeaks and Julian Assange may have limited its appeal to those seeking a more neutral or critical perspective. Additionally, as an independent aggregation site, it did not offer original reporting or investigative journalism.

Details, Insights, and Specifics

  • Technical and Security Challenges: The site acknowledged the technical challenges faced by WikiLeaks, including denial-of-service attacks, legal threats, and the need for secure communications.

  • Funding and Independence: WikiLeaks, as described on the site, was funded by its publisher, publication sales, and public donations, emphasizing its independence from corporate or government influence.

  • Awards and Recognition: The extensive list of awards highlighted on the site reinforced the legitimacy and impact of WikiLeaks’ work in the eyes of the international community.

  • Editorial Anecdotes: Personal stories, such as the account of a software development team in New York City reacting to news of Assange’s legal troubles, added a human dimension to the site’s content.

Examples of WikiLeaks’ Impact

The site showcased the real-world consequences of WikiLeaks’ activities, including:

  • Shifts in Public Policy: The release of classified documents prompted policy changes, investigations, and reforms in several countries.

  • Legal and Political Battles: The ongoing legal struggles of Julian Assange and other WikiLeaks associates became a focal point for debates about press freedom and extradition.

  • Global Activism: WikiLeaks inspired a new generation of digital activists, hackers, and whistleblowers committed to challenging secrecy and promoting transparency.

Legacy and Conclusion

Although WikileaksNews.net is now defunct and serves primarily as an archive, its content remains relevant for understanding the tumultuous period of 2010–2012, when WikiLeaks reshaped the global conversation about information, power, and accountability. The site’s archival approach, curated resources, and editorial perspective provide a window into the hopes, fears, and debates that defined the era of digital transparency.

WikileaksNews.net stands as a testament to the enduring significance of WikiLeaks and the ongoing struggle for the free flow of information in the digital age. Its legacy is intertwined with the broader movement for open government, whistleblower protections, and the defense of press freedom worldwide.



WikileaksNews.net