President Obama while in China – November 16, 2009:
But I am a big believer in technology and I’m a big believer in openness when it comes to the flow of information. I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable. They can begin to think for themselves. That generates new ideas. It encourages creativity. (emphasis mine)
Hillary Clinton – January 1, 2010:
[President Obama] spoke about how access to information helps citizens hold their own governments accountable, generates new ideas, encourages creativity and entrepreneurship. The United States belief in that ground truth is what brings me here today.
Hillary Clinton about WikiLeaks – November 29, 2010:
It is an attack on the international community…
Sarah Palin about Julian Assange – November 30, 2010:
Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders?
Senator Joe Lieberman – December 7, 2010:
It sure looks to me that Assange and WikiLeaks have violated the Espionage Act.
Philip Crowley (State Department Spokesman) – December 7, 2010:
What WikiLeaks has done is a crime under US law.
So much for Freedom of the Press and holding our own governments accountable. Also, as much as people are clamoring to charge Assange with a crime there’s the small problem of him not being a U.S. citizen. Seems rather extraordinary to charge someone with a crime under a law in a country in which they neither live nor have citizenship. But Palin apparently has the answer to that, just call him a terrorist and kill him where he stands.
Regardless of how you feel about the leaked information WikiLeaks needs to be protected the same way any other news organization would be, including the New York Times which collaborated with WikiLeaks in processing the documents and deciding what to publish.