Cablegate
Issandr El AmraniI've only had time to look at a handful of the Wikileaks cables, but while many may just confirm certain widely held theories, they also provide tremendous insight into the day-to-day analysis of Embassy officials and a fascinating record of conversations with world leaders, security chiefs, senior politicians and diplomats across the Middle East. It's a treasure trove for any journalist or analyst to understand US positions and compare them to public positions, but even more of a find for doing the same for Middle Eastern states.
There is so much information flowing around about US policy — and often, a good deal of transparency — that a smart observer with good contacts can get a good idea of what's happening. Not so in the Arab world, and the contents of the conversations Arab leader are having with their patron state are not out in the Arab public domain or easily guessable, as anyone who reads the meaningless press statements of government press agencies will tell you. Cablegate is in important record from the Arab perspective, perhaps more than from the US one.
I'm quite shocked, to a greater extent than the Iraq leaks, about the diplomatic damage this will do. It's still early days, and much of this will be recuperated for the regional media wars. Part of me loves the anarchist side of Wikileaks. But there's obviously more than "information wants to be free" at stake here: Wikileaks is also a project against American power projection around the world, or US imperialism. I suspect this is driven in good part (at least for the person or people who leaked or hacked the cables) by hatred of US policy under the Bush administration. A type of information blowback, if you will. This kind of leak is just not supposed to happen, and will probably have consequences we can barely start to imagine. I think it will also contribute, in the Middle East at least, to the growing perception among the various regimes that the US is an unreliable partner that has trouble restoring its pre-Bush credibility.
It's only normal that American politicians, as well as the Obama administration, have condemned the leaks. But listening to US politicians on the radio says that Wikileaks "is not being patriotic" betrays a complete misunderstanding of what's at stake here, and an assumption that foreigners should be patriotic to the US. They don't: they're not American. The disconnect here is between an American perception of the US as world leader and non-American rejection of this, probably in good part to a loss in moral authority in the last decade.
Wikileaks may be irresponsible, but it's also a manifestation of a shifting world order. We just don't know what it's shifting into yet.
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Reader Comments (20)
A good analysis, EXCEPT I disagree with one point:
Very likely untrue. Chances are the person who made this leak had an ego problem and was just looking to feel powerful, and probably to get a little fame in his small circle of online colleagues.
Or maybe he just thought that his government wasn't doing the right things. No matter who is president.
The US gov't has committed some horrible deeds, meddling with other countries' affairs since WW2. This is the backlash, or blowback if you will.
I mean, it's hard to say what motivated this person (although seeing your gov't spy on the world's most important diplomats could be a likely trigger), but what is more important... How the hell can one person get so much access to so much sensitive data?
Wikileaks is also a project against American power projection around the world, or US imperialism. I suspect this is driven in good part (at least for the person or people who leaked or hacked the cables) by hatred of US policy under the Bush administration.
Which makes these types of dumps all the more perplexing as Bush has long retired back to Texas and Mr. Hope & Change is now occupying the White House. Gee, if I didn't know better, I'd think all that cocktail party leftist screeching about George W. Bush being the singular source of all the world's problems, and how everything would get better once he was gone, was never more than just so much self-aggrandizing, masturbatory bullshit.
I'd think that...if I didn't know better. ;)
Even among people who should know better (and I include you here, Issandr) there is an acceptance of foreign policy being conducted in an antiseptic environment, free of pesky moral concerns or transparency. We expect transparency (though we don't get it) in economics, healthcare, and other areas. Why not -- finally -- foreign policy?
Rather than being a punitive, anarchist "blowback" attack on the Bush administration, Wikileaks is simply putting the laundry out on the line for people to gauge for themselves what's really been going on. For too long we've been lied to and this helps unearth modicum of the truth. Yes -- there is a lot at stake -- Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, NATO, etc. As an American, I think the 21st century is high time for the public to be let in on the murky details.
I don't care about the "diplomatic damage" this may result in. I think much of it's just going to be embarrassment. But If foreign policy were based on what is right rather than on Machiavellian schemes, maybe we wouldn't be in the same global mess we're in right now.
And Wikileaks will not engender the perception that the US is a mercurial, unreliable partner and has been for decades. The world already knows it.
You're a smart, perceptive guy, but you're way off the mark here.
Bas,
Oh, c'mon. I'll bet you also think the Rosenbergs got a "raw deal." Here's a clue, old man: THEY HATE AMERICA JUST BECAUSE. If the U.S. didn't exist, they'd have to invent it. There is nothing so dangerous to the peace of the world than guilt-ridden malcontents posing as intellectuals.
Go read Robert Conquest's "Reflections on a Ravaged Century" for an education and then report back to the class.
If you live believing that no one has a reasonable basis for "hating" your policies, that they "hate" you just because you exist, then you both avoid all introspection about what you do and why you do it, and end up creating an ever increasing number of problems for yourself. Not to speak about how much danger a state or a person who operates so creates to others around it.
David, well said. The idea of continuing to enable this childish, dysfunctional behavior in our government is half of the whole problem. Those who treat our international friends so poorly should be held responsible. Better yet, they should take responsibility for it themselves. Diplomacy should include honor.
good post.
can you download everything at once?
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There is only one problem that has not been mentioned in any report so far, accessibility. Are these documents accessible in the Arab world, especially the Gulf states? So far the media, Aljazeera included, have been careful to mute about it. Surprising since this is a great chance for the new, Islamic-conservative, heads of Aljazeera or leftist editorials of Aljadeed or Al-Akhbar, to expose the neo-cons/neolibs in the Arab world.
Also, are they understood among the wider populace, i.e. will they be translated into Arabic?
I have been reading these reports since yesterday and I am not only shocked but dismayed at the extent of corruption and pro-American policy in the Arab. The empire is truly everywhere now and the whole region is in the US' pocket. However, I doubt this will make any difference in Arab policy, foreign or local.
Most of the activists are sidelined (abroad or in jail), and the intelligentsia benefits from the current system if they are close to the rulers or have the means.
In essence, Wikileaks just portrayed a very sordid picture of the current American imperial system, one which undermines the theory of an encroaching demise.
Last sentence should have read "one that dispels the theory of an encroaching demise." Sorry for the typo(s).
"This kind of leak is just not supposed to happen, and will probably have consequences we can barely start to imagine."
This seems like a pretty large assumption. Who's to say the sycophantic Arab press doesn't just cover the collective asses of their authoritarian/theocratic leaders?
Gulf Arab bigwigs may have legitimate reasons to oppose Iranian nuclear ambitions, but they shouldn't be able to press for an American invasion behind closed doors and decry the Crusader-Zionist conspiracy the next morning. I generally agree with you about the problematic nature of Wikileaks, but I'm at least glad that this one card is on the table.
... because of our "freedom", right, MarkJ?
Though I do not believe that wikileaks is being done in good intentions but still the revelations are startling. They must still be true since neither the US nor the Arabs have denied them. It is so strange. The Arab leaders seem to have more loyalty to United States and Israel than to their own kin and nations. There is huge gap between them and the Arab public. Iran surely is not going to be pleased atleast behind the closed doors. Neither is going to be Arab public which from now will hold this a proof that their leaders are nothing more than puppets whose string are held by people not so friendly to the Arab public. I guess the leaders of Arab nations have now alot to explain to their people for a long time to come. Trust is not easily won back once it is shattered.
im not from the U.S and have nothing against the u.s , but i really hate how they use patriotism to manipulate people .. i dont feel patriotism toward the u.s because im not from there , yes they have done good things in the u.s but they have also done soo much that has hurt other countries.. i like what you said
"It's only normal that American politicians, as well as the Obama administration, have condemned the leaks. But listening to US politicians on the radio says that Wikileaks "is not being patriotic" betrays a complete misunderstanding of what's at stake here, and an assumption that foreigners should be patriotic to the US. They don't: they're not American. The disconnect here is between an American perception of the US as world leader and non-American rejection
Actually it's not about America as "the world's policeman" but America as the world's biggest user of its resources. The common thread through most of these "boring" communiques is that U.S. economic "interests" are above all other considerations. Look at at Americans up close and they believe they are "exceptional"whereas in fact they are just exceptionally greedy, fat and arrogant, and, most remarkably, ignorant. As far as they are concerned they should be the one's who own the oil, no matter where it is, and they should be able to eat themselves into an early grave at the expense of the starving poor in any other nation.
What is most revolutionary about these cables is that the Arab leaders who are calling for Iran to be attacked are all dictators whose own populations consider Israel and America to be a far greater threat. If democracy were to actually invade Egypt, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. etc, Israel and America would be in serious trouble.
I think we were all amused at the information posted by Wikileaks. Is there a country in the world who does not have "dirty hands" of some sort? There is a parable that says the things done in secret will be brought to light. I guess Wikileaks sort of proves that. It is what we will do with that "light" that will really matter.
Whatever side of the argument you support what is evident is that now the content is out it will stay out. The info contain in these cables is being gratefully devoured by the media throughout the world and recylcled minute by minute.
If there is a villain in this case it is the US (lack of) data security which allowed a relatively junior person to just walk out with this stuff, not very responsible government is it.
Cablegate mirror site here
There's a site which is digesting them - www.wikileakscables.com