[THS] !!!! WikiLeaks is Asking for Urgent Help

[The Harder Stuff in news and commentary]

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25723.htm


WikiLeaks is Asking for Urgent Help

By David Heath

July 15, 2010 "iTWire" -- Following the arrest of the person suspected of leaking the
“Collateral Murder” video, WikiLeaks feels that it is under attack and is seeking urgent
support.

iTWire received the following message in the past few minutes, it’s meaning is very
clear.  We ask readers to assist where they can.

WikiLeaks may be under attack.

You were generous enough to write to us, but we have not had the labor resources
to respond.

Your support is important to us. Please read all of this email to understand what is
going on. We apologize for not getting back to you before. It is not through any lack
of interest on our part, but an enforced lack of resources.

One of our alleged sources, a young US intelligence analyst, Bradley Manning, has
been detained and shipped to a US military prison in Kuwait, where he is being held
without trail. Mr. Manning is alleged to have acted according to his conscience and
leaked to us the Collateral Murder video and the video of a massacre that took place
in Afghanistan last year at Garani.

The Garani massacre, which we are still working on, killed over 100 people, mostly
children.

Mr. Manning allegedly also sent us 260,000 classified US Department cables,
reporting on the actions of US Embassy's engaging in abusive actions all over the
world. We have denied the allegation, but the US government is acting as if the
allegation is true and we do have a lot of other material that exposes human rights
abuses by the United States government.

Mr. Manning was allegedly exposed after talking to an unrelated "journalist" who
then worked with the US government to detain him.

Some background on the Manning case:

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/06/11/transcript-daniel-ellsberg-says-he-fears-
us-might-assasinate-wikileaks-founder/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Manning
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/06/leak/
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/06/wikileaks-chat/
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/06/state-department-anxious/
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2010/06/143011.htm

[ note that there are some questions about the Wired reportage, see:
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/06/13/video-wikileaks-foun.html#comment-809677
]

WikiLeaks a small organization going through enormous growth and operating in an
adverserial, high-security environment which can make communication time
consuming and the acquisition of new staff and volunteers, also difficult since they
require high levels of trust.

To try and deal with our growth and the current difficult situation, we want to get
you to work together with our other supporters to set up a "Friends of WikiLeaks"
group in your area. We have multiple supporters in most countries and would like to
see them be a strong and independent force.

Please write to  friends at sunshinepress.org  if you are interested in helping with
Friends of WikiLeaks in your area. You will receive further instructions.

We also have significant unexpected legal costs (for example flying a legal team to
Kuwait, video production. Collateral Murder production costs were $50,000 all up).

Any financial contributions will be of IMMEDIATE assistance.

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Special:Support

Please donate and tell the world that you have done so. Encourage all your friends to
follow the example you set, after all, courage is contagious.

Julian Assange
Editor in Chief
WIKILEAKS