Disclaimer: I haven't read any of the disclosed documents in detail.
I have an opinion about the material I've seen excerpted, though: why is the world in an uproar about some of these thoughts? I mean, any casual observer could agree that Nikolas Sarkozy is a vainglorious guy, that Vladimir Putin is a bully of the first order, that Angela Merkel temporizes, and that Silvio Berlusconi is ineffective.
Likewise, is it any surprise that the Saudis and the Gulf States (Sunni Muslims all) expressed deep concern about Shia Iran's attempts to develop nuclear weapons? It's not even much of a surprise that they'd just as soon have the Americans bomb Iran; when have the Saudis in particular not wanted the US to solve its problems for it? Is it any surprise that the US and South Korea have developed plans for the possible collapse of North Korea? I would hope there would be contingency plans for such an event.
Sure this is embarrassing for all concerned, but if embarrassment is the most serious consequence of these leaks, the world will survive.
Posted by Linkmeister at November 29, 2010 09:26 AM | TrackBackI was listening to Michael Krasny's Forum this morning on which some senior diplomats were discussing this. I remember thinking, there's nothing here (except the suggestion that Hamid Karzai is bipolar) that I don't read in the Economist every week! I don't necessarily agree with everything WikiLeaks does - someday they're going to drop the wrong penny and someone will die - but so far none of this is hot news.
Posted by: hedera at November 29, 2010 09:54 AM