Historians Against the War: WikiLeaks, Julian Assange

STATEMENT FROM HISTORIANS AGAINST THE WAR 12-9-10
Over the last few weeks Wikileaks has released numerous classified U.S. government cables that have revealed what U.S. diplomats are saying to each other on a range of topics, from the war in Iraq to heads of state. The documents unveil disturbing facts about these wars, including secret CIA paramilitaries, unaccountable military task forces, and the widespread killing of civilians. The release represents a contribution to the right of the public to know, both in the United States and around the world, what the U.S. government really thinks and does, as opposed to the fictions that often pass for official statements.

In response, members of the U.S. government and public, from both parties, have unleashed a firestorm of verbal abuse, physical threats, legal maneuvers, and economic pressure to try and silence Julian Assange, the head of Wikileaks, and to prevent the publication of any more U.S. government documents.*

We call on all HAW members to oppose these attacks and to stand up for freedom of the press and the free distribution of information. Several petitions are circulating on the web -- for example, at https://sites.google.com/site/wilibeaks (Voters for Peace) and http://www.credoaction.com/campaign/wikileaks/index2.html?rc=homepage (Credo). We ask you to sign them and to ask your friends and colleagues to do so as well.

* For recent background articles on these attacks, see, e.g.:

Glenn Greenwald, “Joe Lieberman Emulates Chinese Dictators”
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/01/lieberman

Tom Hayden, “The Lynch Mob Moment”
http://tomhayden.com/home/the-lynch-mob-moment.html

Robert Scheer, “From Jefferson to Assange”
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/from_jefferson_to_assange_20101207

Editors of The Nation, “First They Came for Wikileaks Then . . .
http://www.thenation.com/article/157017/first-they-came-wikileaks-then

Historians Against the War (HAW) Steering Committee (SC)
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