Rep. King Calls WikiLeaks A Terrorist Organization

Rep. King in Afghanistan (Rep Pete King's flickr)

Yesterday WikiLeaks dropped another boatload of documents (in this case a quarter-million diplomatic documents) and unsurprisingly many politicians are miffed about it. Seriously miffed. New York's own representative Peter King (R-LI), incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, was so bothered by the website's leaks that, in letters to Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he's called for WikiLeaks to be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and for its leader, Julian Assange, to be indicted under the Espionage Act (not that Assange doesn't have any other legal issues to deal with).

While other area lawmakers are speaking out firmly against the leaks (Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) thinks we “must use all means available to prosecute and punish this man for putting countless American lives at risk.”) King seems to be taking it up a notch by bringing in the T-word, writing "WikiLeaks appears to meet the legal criteria for FTO designation as a (1) a foreign organization; (2) engaging in terrorist activity or terrorism which (3) threatens the security of U.S. nationals or the national security of the United States. Specifically...WikiLeaks engaged in terrorist activity by committing acts that it knew, or reasonably should have known, would afford material support for the commission of terrorist activity."

So will the Obama administration declare a Swedish-based website a Terrorist Organization? We'll certainly find out soon enough— though Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) of all people made the point on Imus in the Morning that "Normally we reserve that designation for groups that fit the traditional definition of terrorism, which is that they are using violence to achieve a political end."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on November 29, 2010 1:40 PM

Comments [rss]

potsmoker

wikileaks exposes the truth, when our peace prize winning prez drops a bomb on a village you read 50 terrorists who had our forces pinned down in a firefight were killed along with some spotters, sympathizers and a few nearby civilians killed in the blast in the nytimes. wikileaks reports of the same incident usually shows some guy carrying an old rifle leading a goat was blown up along with 20 houses by a 5000lb bomb led by a drone after 20 minutes of explaining that there is no threat, baby parts and mud huts destroyed at the cost of 5 million dollars per bomb, laughing americans can beheard giving high fives while video images of a woma missing her legs are shown on the feed.
etc etc...nobel peace prize indeed.

cmdrogogov

Politicians scurrying for the dark corners like cockroaches and hissing when all their dirty little secrets get uncovered.

Whatever, I applaud wikileaks for having the courage to publish what others wouldn't have the backbone to touch.

Disappointed Gillibrand jumped on the bandwagon though.

starrygordon

Yeah, Gillibrand is deteriorating. She voted for COICA, too.

ed_Extinct

Not treason. It's called foreign espionage.

S.D.

King thinks everyone whom he doesn't agree with is a "Terrorist".

proudliberal1947

Oh yeah, a member of the DO NOTHING party, the Party of HATE,Fear, Racism, Nazism and Fascism wants to call Wiki a terrorist group. That's like the Tea kettle calling the pot Black. These Anti American TRAITORS have done everything in their Power to undermine the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights, now this Goose Stepper TRAITOR and Terrorists want to call a INFORMING RIGHT TO KNOW Organization a TERRORIST Group. No, they are afraid of what is coming in reference to the Nazi, Racist, Supreme Court Appointed BOZO bush and his Spineless,Gutless, COWARDLY, VP anti American TRAITOR cheney.

Myself I believe it is manipulation of WIKI so the SCUMBAG assange and the Racist Nazi republicans and their right wing BABOON think tank can justify going into Iran, notice how NOTHJING is being said about the WAR CRIMINALs or the American TRAITOR cheney, it is only the last 2 years they are releasing documents on doesn't anyone find that odd. The Racist,Nazi republican and the Brain Dead teabaggers or just doing the usual predictable on their knees Right Wing zipper salivating job.

Sketto

Dude, chill with the all-caps.

jpeditor

Assange and the shitbird who stole them should be shot on sight. (but only after they release the Russian and Chinese docs.... oh they won't do that, because (a) they SUPPORT the Russian and Chinese positions (b) they are PUSSIES who know the Russians and the Chinese would shred them alive if they could.

starrygordon

Assange has said that he has stuff on the Russians he's going to release. The Russians said, more or less, that if he did they would eliminate him and his machines. (With some plutonium tea, maybe....) Mr. O, of course, has reserved to himself the right to assassinate people he doesn't like, so maybe he'll get Assange first. An amazing guy, and unlike the pigs you worship, apparently a real hero.

OSN!

There's nothing these cables say that's embarrassing for the U.S., mostly no-B.S. exposes of power players, societies, politics, along with gossip. What's bad is diplomacy and negotiations require confidentiality. If people question the confidentiality, there's lack of trust, which is a clear negative. Also, most of the world doesn't have the luxury to live like smug middle class and wealthy Americans and other westerners. Politics very often is literally a matter of life and death. Confidentiality is paramount.

And what to say about King. This is a guy who became a quasi-mouth-piece for the I.R.A. in America. He's lecturing others about the need to crack down on terrorists? And I'm part Irish-American whose maternal grand parents were born in Ireland.

ANGRYGOD11

Terrorism is a tactic. Using the truth as a tactical weapon in a free society is a concept only a Republican idiot like King could cook up.

m015094

I don't like Assange, but he's under NO legal obligation to protect "classified" material of a country that he isn't even a citizen. Calling someone a terrorist for revealing the TRUTH is hilarious. If you don't want to be exposed, then don't participate in acts that you wouldn't want publicized. Duh!

verbal

Of course he's liable for releasing classified information, citizen or not it is an act of treason - this isn't a case of finders keepers. partisan politics aside, way aside, this reveals methods and assessments that are necessary when conducting diplomacy, and undermines the confidence that our allies have in our ability to keep their secrets.

The army punk that stole them, and assange should share a cell in supermax next to hanson and ames.

boomshanka

Uh no, not treason. 18 U.S.C. § 2381 states "whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort ..."

Assange owes no allegiance to the US - not a citizen, doesn't live here. But the leaker from the US military who gave him the data can be tried for treason.

verbal

OK, it makes sense that it's not treason, but I'm willing to bet we have a term for it that defines the crime of disseminating classified information by an unauthorized individual.

unretrofiedforu

And I'd be willing to bet your views and others like yours will cause a future world war.

You guys don't fucking get it do you? Iran isn't going to bend over and take it like Iraq did. Start a war with them and the western world that you claim to treasure we be GONE.

m015094

Doesn't matter....he's not a US citizen. "Classified" is a term that is only applicable to those entrusted to secure the information - which he wasn't. In fact, U.S.C. wouldn't even apply here - only UCMJ, because the person who leaked the info was in the military.

hotstepper

the ethics of stealing documents when you are in a position of trust is debatable. but this is not Watergate, there is no scandal here. to be clear, Wikileaks is not journalism but a venue for unethical people to act out revenge fantasies and delusions of grandeur.

this will not end the war. this will not save lives. no good will come by releasing our classified diplomatic documents for every nation to see. this is an embarrassment for President Obama and the United States and that is precisely what Assange is truly after.

ANGRYGOD11

Its not Watergate.
You must be thinking of the Pentagon Papers.

hotstepper

Watergate was just an example of scandal brought to light by ethical whistle-blowing.

ANGRYGOD11

No. The Watergate buglers were arrested by the police for breaking into the Democratic Party Headquarters. That isn't whistle-blowing.
Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst, released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of US government decision-making about the Vietnam War, to The New York Times and other newspapers. That IS whistle-blowing. He didn't do it for the money and risked everything to tell the truth.

hotstepper

jesus h. christ.

his name is DEEPTHROAT. he was an INFORMANT aka "WHISTLE-BLOWER". his information was published in the WASHINGTON POST.

you are the one talking about the Pentagon Papers, not i. give it a rest already.

ANGRYGOD11

Deepthroat didn't steal documents, but Daniel Ellsberg did for press publication.
Since we are talking about WikiLeaks leaking official documents, Deepthroat isn't a good comparison.

hotstepper

what are you still blathering about? so you're arguing with me about what YOU define as a "good comparison"? rather than discussing the larger issue concerning the ethics and efficacy of Wikileaks posting stolen classified diplomatic cables?

i define that as "obtuse hair-splitting" you petty twit.

boomshanka

lol

chuzzlewit

assange is clearly a rapist terrorist warlock creating mischief with these..these shenanigans.

Brainwash

don't forget "sissy-looking"

iam draize

wikileaks releasing these documents is the most patriotic act since the revolutionary war.

Its our leaders who are treasonous. Where were they when these wars in the middle east were being started? These leaks show how strong the push for yet another war, this time with Iran is being pushed. No one has been held accountable for the Iraq war but now the person who helps expose it how terrible these wars are is considered an enemy of the state?

Gillabrand and King are despicable.

jpeditor

Amadinajad says thank you, and you can have your pick, another check, or you can blow him again (leave the lights off, as it glows in the dark now).

unretrofiedforu

Are you trying to describe last night's encounter with a republican senator?

Just Me

Everyone's a commie...err terrorist according to King.

Mordicai

Wait, politicians are saying crazy things about unfavorable journalism?

nicemarmot

Funny, seems to me that the "people putting lives at risk" are the ones whose computer system allows any old joe to transfer classified data to disk without any oversight.