12-14-10 Hands off Wikileaks! Prosecute War Crimes, Not Those Who Leak Them Print
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Statement by World Can't Wait

From World Can't Wait | Original Article

Wikileaks Published Nothing But the Truth About Your Government

The truth is in your hands now.” 
-Julian Assange, Founder of Wikileaks

Over the past months, hundreds of thousands of confirmed U.S. military and State Department documents and video have been published on the internet by Wikileaks, a not-for-profit media organization, under the headings Collateral Murder, Afghan War Diary, Iraq War Logs, and Cablegate.

Both victims and opponents of the U.S. wars and occupations, and innumerable others who value and demand freedom of the press, freedom of speech, welcome and support the publication of the classified documents by Wikileaks and other media outlets such as The Guardian and The New York Times, which are also publishing the Cablegate documents.

The value of the “leaks” lies in their truth and in their truths. The leaks quote the unlawful words and reveal the illegal actions of military leaders, foot soldiers, administration officials and the diplomatic corps. They confirm U.S. involvement and complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, human rights abuses and violations of the laws of war. The leaks bring to the forefront all that is outlawed by national and international law, but which the U.S. flaunts with impunity in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan and elsewhere around the globe on a daily basis, including here in the United States.

The recently released “diplomatic” cables take the underlying commission of these unlawful acts to new heights as they reveal the American government seeking to intimidate and otherwise pressure into silence those who could or already have righteously exposed it. Demands by the Obama administration and Republican war-mongers for the prosecution of Wikileaks’ founder, Julian Assange, and in some cases for his execution as a “terrorist” or “enemy combatant” are outrageous and make press freedom impossible.  Attorney General Eric Holder, who had no time or inclination to prosecute George Bush for self-confessed war crimes, has a “very serious criminal investigation” under way targeting Mr. Assange.

Through direct pressure from the US government, financial giants Paypal, Mastercard, and Visa are each making it impossible for any person to make a financial donation to Wikileaks through their service.  Julian Assange was arrested December 7 and is is under house arrest in London based on a warrant from Sweden to question him about alleged sexual abuse.  In Assange’s case, the prosecution’s investigation appears to be influenced little by finding the truth in such matters, and much more by U.S. pressure to get its hands on him and shut Wikileaks down.

In answer to this governmental repression, people across the globe are supporting Wikileaks and demanding Assange’s freedom.  Almost 2000 “mirror” sites have been put up in solidarity, so that Wikileaks’ content can still be accessed via wikileaks.ch.

We all must support the truth and the truth tellers.  But more is required here. The truth that is revealed in these documents calls on all people of conscience to step out now, more than ever, in a mass and visible way to oppose and resist the crimes of our government and to protect those who have the courage to expose those crimes.  Although the original source or sources that provided Wikileaks with the allegedly classified documentation is not known, Private Bradley Manning awaits court martial as the Army’s main suspect. A movement in support of Brad Manning demands his freedom at bradleymanning.org.

World Can’t Wait is the organization whose mission it is to build such a movement.  Please join us in doing so.  As Assange and Wikileaks have said, “The truth is your hands now.”  What you do with the truth you know can make a difference for millions across the world.

Join in protests to free Assange & support whistle-blowers and resisters!  Stop these wars now!  Protest your government’s crimes!  Demand prosecutions for war crimes, not Assange!

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