Anayat Durrani is disappointed to find that fellow Americans disapprove of attempts to bring transparency to the world of diplomatic intrigue WikiLeaks, a non-profit media organisation founded in 2006 "funded by human rights campaigners, investigative journalists, technologists and the general public", is now facing the full-blown wrath of the US government, determined to shut it down and extradite its founder Julian Assange on charges of espionage. Supporters view WikiLeaks as bolstering free speech, and have called the site the future of investigative journalism and "the world's first stateless news organisation", but like Congressman Ron Paul, they are lone voices in the US media wilderness. President Barack Obama has advocated transparency and open government, but his Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called the WikiLeaks "reckless and dangerous" and counter to that goal. President Obama has yet to give an official response concerning the leaks; however he did touch on the subject in remarks to a reception of diplomats from the US and from around the world on Monday. "My administration has pursued a new era of engagement around the world -- an engagement that's grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect. It depends on trust. It depends on candour. That's the essence of our diplomacy," he said. Assange has become a nuisance to governments and corporations whose secrets are at stake. The US Justice Department has reportedly been considering a range of criminal charges, including violations of the 1917 Espionage Act, to be filed against Assange. Assange's lawyer, Mark Stephens, told David Frost on Al-Jazeera television that according to Swedish authorities there has been a meeting of a "secretly empaneled" grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia to consider charges against his client for the release of the sensitive documents. Assange's Swedish lawyer has said he would fight any attempt to extradite his client. Most Americans following news of the WikiLeaks release believe that the disclosures harm the public interest, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted 2-5 December. Among those surveyed, 60 per cent said the documents released by WikiLeaks harm the public interest, and 31 per cent believe that they serve the public interest. Some 38 per cent believe the press has gone too far in exposing confidential material, while 39 per cent believe the press is handling the news appropriately. A McClatchy-Marist Poll conducted 2-8 December found that 70 per cent of Americans think the leaks are doing more harm than good by allowing America's enemies access to secret information about US foreign policy. Only 22 per cent think the leaks are doing more good than harm. The greatest opposition comes from Republicans, 81 per cent of whom call the leaks harmful. The biggest support comes from liberals, 65 per cent of whom think the leaks are harmful. Even among liberals, however, 58 per cent called the leaks more harmful than helpful. WikiLeaks denies it incited hacktivists such as Anonymous to target PayPal, VISA and other sites that bow to government pressure to try to shut WikiLeaks down and withhold its funds. "There has been no contact between any WikiLeaks staffer and anyone at Anonymous," said a statement on the WikiLeaks website. "WikiLeaks has not received any prior notice of any of Anonymous' actions." "We neither condemn nor applaud these attacks. We believe they are a reflection of public opinion on the actions of the targets," said WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson, though Assange accused PayPal and the others of being "instruments of US foreign policy". He called on his supporters to continue fighting, saying "I am calling on the world to protect my work and my people from these illegal and immoral acts." In an online exchange with readers of the Guardian earlier this month, Assange said that 100,000 WikiLeaks supporters have been given a ticking time bomb, an encrypted file of data that could be released if needed. "If something happens to us, the key parts will be released automatically."
