Overshooting the Target

171

December 8, 2010

Published in Mitteldeutsche Zeitung
(Germany) on 3 December 2010
by Burkhard von Pappenheim (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Ron Argentati. Edited by Gheanna Emelia.

With the leaking of confidential diplomatic documents, the Internet platform WikiLeaks has found itself in superpower America’s crosshairs. In its rage over the leaking of the dispatches, the United States is meanwhile overshooting the target. They never fail to praise the freedom of the Internet when it serves their own purposes, such as the movement toward democracy in China or Tibet, or when Russian human rights activists or the opposition in Burma have anything to say. But now Washington is playing with fire.

Under pressure from the United States and using the flimsiest of excuses, WikiLeaks is being denied access to Internet servers and their Internet addresses are being deleted. What began life looking like a struggle for the necessity of secrecy in international politics is now beginning to look more like censorship.

One can only argue that such tactics have never worked with the Internet and that may well be true. The debate over WikiLeaks and what constitutes responsible behavior by its owners is now in full swing, and some heroic images have already been tarnished. These attacks by the United States come just at the right moment. WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange should be thankful for them.

Über das Ziel hinaus
Von Burkhard von Pappenheim
03.12.10

Die Betreiber der Internet-Plattform Wikileaks haben mit der Veröffentlichung geheimer Botschafts-Dokumente die Verfolgung durch die Weltmacht USA auf sich gezogen. In ihrem gewaltigen Zorn über den Bruch der Vertraulichkeit der Diplomatenpost schießen die Amerikaner inzwischen über das Ziel hinaus. Sie loben die Freiheit des Netzes stets, wenn es den Demokraten in China oder Tibet dient, wenn russische Menschenrechtler sich melden oder Oppositionelle aus Birma. Und nun spielt Washington mit dem Feuer.
Unter dem Druck der USA und mit etwas fadenscheinigen Begründungen werden Server gesperrt und Internetadressen entzogen. Was zuerst wie ein vernünftiger Kampf für die Notwendigkeit von Geheimnissen in der internationalen Politik aussah, entwickelt sich jetzt in Richtung Zensur.

Man kann nun einwenden, das habe im Internet noch nie funktioniert. Das mag sogar sein. Die Debatte über die Verantwortung der Macher von Wikileaks für ihre Veröffentlichungen kam gerade in Gang, am Heldenstatus wurde gekratzt. Da kommen die Attacken der USA gerade recht. Wikileaks-Chef Julien Assange darf sich brav bedanken.

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