Leaks and Journalism
Daniel Ellsberg, Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden share a common denominator: They have leaked highly confidential information belonging to the United States to journalists. The first one gave The New York Times the so-called Pentagon Papers, a series of documents that proved that in 1971 the U.S. Air Force was secretly bombing Cambodia in an effort to destroy what was called the Ho Chi Minh Trail, through which the Viet Cong guerrillas received weapons, munitions and food. The publication of those documents provoked an enormous legal battle between the Nixon administration and the New York newspaper. The New York Times finally won the dispute and established the legal precedent for freedom of expression.
Ellsberg, who worked at the Pentagon when he decided to copy the secret documents, was accused of theft and conspiracy. The charges were dismissed in 1973 due to evidence of misconduct by the government, which was already wrapped up in the Watergate scandal that ended with Nixon's resignation. That was a large investigation by The Washington Post. But those were different times.
Edward Snowden was the perpetrator of a huge leak that revealed a vast espionage plan on a global scale that covered all telephone conversations and email. The ex-CIA employee worked for the National Security Agency (NSA), which is in charge of the huge spy program. The Guardian, a British newspaper, published this massive disclosure in an article by one of its journalists, who lives in Rio de Janeiro.
Snowden fled to Hong Kong first. Later, with documents given to him by Ecuador, he arrived in Moscow, where he has been stranded in the airport because Russia has not yet decided to give him temporary asylum. The United States is making a great effort to thwart his plans and prosecute him on his home turf. The fugitive wants asylum in Venezuela after Ecuador and Brazil denied his request. Snowden did not request asylum from Argentina.
Bradley Manning was the soldier who leaked an astonishing amount of classified State Department reports to WikiLeaks. Various newspapers disseminated this information (including The New York Times, Le Monde, El País and The Guardian). The founder of WikiLeaks has taken refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
Manning was found guilty yesterday. His sentence could be up to 130 years. He was acquitted of the charge of giving information to al-Qaida.
The leakers are being pursued. The message in Manning's verdict is clear. Up until now, the journalists have been gambling with the risks, but they are aware that the margins are getting narrower despite the Internet's expansion of the limits of information.
Ellsberg, who worked at the Pentagon when he decided to copy the secret documents, was accused of theft and conspiracy. The charges were dismissed in 1973 due to evidence of misconduct by the government, which was already wrapped up in the Watergate scandal that ended with Nixon's resignation. That was a large investigation by The Washington Post. But those were different times.
Edward Snowden was the perpetrator of a huge leak that revealed a vast espionage plan on a global scale that covered all telephone conversations and email. The ex-CIA employee worked for the National Security Agency (NSA), which is in charge of the huge spy program. The Guardian, a British newspaper, published this massive disclosure in an article by one of its journalists, who lives in Rio de Janeiro.
Snowden fled to Hong Kong first. Later, with documents given to him by Ecuador, he arrived in Moscow, where he has been stranded in the airport because Russia has not yet decided to give him temporary asylum. The United States is making a great effort to thwart his plans and prosecute him on his home turf. The fugitive wants asylum in Venezuela after Ecuador and Brazil denied his request. Snowden did not request asylum from Argentina.
Bradley Manning was the soldier who leaked an astonishing amount of classified State Department reports to WikiLeaks. Various newspapers disseminated this information (including The New York Times, Le Monde, El País and The Guardian). The founder of WikiLeaks has taken refuge in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
Manning was found guilty yesterday. His sentence could be up to 130 years. He was acquitted of the charge of giving information to al-Qaida.
The leakers are being pursued. The message in Manning's verdict is clear. Up until now, the journalists have been gambling with the risks, but they are aware that the margins are getting narrower despite the Internet's expansion of the limits of information.