WIKILEAKS: THE BUSINESS OF GETTING TO THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT REALLY GOES ON IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE

If you're a fan of John LeCarre or Jason Bourne, you'll want to dig into these three infographics.

Yesterday, WikiLeaks detonated the usual veil of secrecy that shrouds diplomatic negotiations, by releasing 250,000 cables that detail everything from Saudi Arabia urging the U.S. to attack Iran, to U.S. diplomats being ordered to spy on Hamas. Here, we have the three best online infographics for digging into the details.

There have been a series of superb articles detailing the most serious revelations coming out of the cables (none are top secret, though many are secret or "noforn"--that is, not intended for the eyes of foreign governments). But just like with previous WikiLeaks disclosures, what's so fascinating about the cables is that we can finally see the sausage making that goes into high-stakes diplomacy. If you've ever been a fan of John Le Carre or Jason Bourne, you'll want to read the original cables.

Perhaps the most sexy of the various offerings is from The Guardian, which gives you a map-based interface for browsing key cables. Clicking on a country brings up the relevant documents, which you can then read in greater depth:

The Guardian also gives this high level summary of what the cables actually consist of -- where they're from, what they're talking about, and what levels of secrets they reveal:

But really, the best online feature comes from -- you guessed it --The New York Times. This time, they actually eschewed an infographic in favor of a simple online feature, which allows you to click on the sexiest or highest stakes cables.

We particularly recommend this one, which details a wedding among Russian separatists and reads almost like a short story. The writer, among other things, tells of a drunken clan leader dancing with gold-plated handgun in his waistband, and the leg room in a Rolls Royce being pinched by the AK-47 on the floorboard.

And here we thought that being an Embassy flack just meant getting drunk with spies.

COMMENTARY:    Having served in the foreign diplomatic service in both Israel and The Philippines for four years during the Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan administrations, I was exposed to matters of utmost confidentiality and secrecy.  You will be surprised what goes on inside our Embassy's, particularly the U.S. Embassy in Israel.  In many departments American embassy staffers are segregated from our foreign nationals who work primarily a number of support roles from maintenance to file clerks.  CIA sections are never referred as such, and off limits to everyone, including the Ambassadors, since many subjects are on a need to know basis.  A sort of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.    

I read several excerpts from the compromised documents from articles appearing in both the New York Times and UK Guardian, and believe me, the information about the activities and personal feelings of our senior diplomats and not so senior Embassy staffer's is nothing compared to the juicy and scary stuff I heard and saw with my very eyes.    

American relations with the Israeli's have always been icy to say the least.  There is not a feeling of deep trust between the U.S. and Israel.  Everything you see on TV is in the spirit of unity and good public relations.  These feelings are mutual.   The attack of the USS Pueblo in 1967, is a good example of what I am talking about.  If you have been following the news you are very aware that Israeli agents constantly spy on US facilities, several of them have been captured, and deported back to Israel.  It's like a game.  We slap them on the hand, they reciprocate when they catch one of our spies.      

I am politically agnostic, having given up on both the Republic and Democratic parties a long time ago.  You cannot trust either party, and Barack Obama has really disappointed me.  He should never had tried to kiss up to the Republicans in the spirit of bipartisanship.  I can't believe he was so naive as to believe that working closely with the Republicans was going to work.  Obama is a stooge for the CIA and NSA, who work not only clandestinely, but report to know body, not even the Director, who is mostly a figurehead.  If Americans only knew.   

I hope that more documents are released for public consumption, I just cannot wait.  

Courtesy of an article dated November 29, 2010 appearing in Fast Company

Comments

[Phaseflex]

Really, Great information you have post here. Thanks for sharing...

[gold]

I just cant wait to start. This is awesome!

[Tommy Toy]

Thelma, you would be perfect, at least character and personality-wise, to work at an embassy. You are too naive and don't know one-tenth of what goes on behind closed doors, the sort of twisted relationships America has with foreign dictators, just to insure you can put gas into your car. In response, I don't have to live with it.

[Thelma Loughnan]

As a member of the mushroom era, kept inside the dark and fed manure, Wiki leaks is just another media outlook, giving an edited version of what may possibly be accurate, Governments have a duty to serve and protect it,s citizens, This indicates that truthful assessment of globe activities and leaders, nevertheless insulting , really are a necessity. Live with it.