WikiLeaks Spokesman Quits -'The Only Option Left for Me Is an Orderly Departure'

[kpete]

Source: Der Spiegel

09/27/2010

WikiLeaks Spokesman Quits
'The Only Option Left for Me Is an Orderly Departure'

SPIEGEL: You are leaving the project at a critical juncture. Do you not worry that a number of Internet activists may accuse you of betraying the cause?

Schmitt: I am aware of that, but you should assume that I have thought long and hard about the step. Nevertheless, in recent years, I have invested a considerable amount of time, money and energy into WikiLeaks. But I also have to be able to support the things for which I am publicly responsible. That is why the only option left for me at the moment is an orderly departure.

SPIEGEL: What is it that you no longer stand behind?

Schmitt: That we promise all of our sources that we will publish their material, for example. Recently, however, we have only focused on the major topics and applied practically all of our resources to them. Take the US Army Afghanistan documents at the end of July, for example. The video of the air strike in Baghdad in 2007, "Collateral Damage," was an extreme feat of strength for us. During the same period of time we also could have published dozens of other documents. And through our rising recognition in the last six months, we have again received a lot of material that urgently needs to be processed and published.

SPIEGEL: With the publication of classified Afghanistan reports, also through SPIEGEL, you have taken on the United States, a superpower. Washington is threatening to prosecute you for espionage and WikiLeaks supporters have been interrogated by the FBI. Bradley Manning, who is believed to be one of your informants, is sitting in jail. Are you afraid of the massive public pressure?

Schmitt: No, pressure from the outside is part of this. But this one-dimensional confrontation with the USA is not what we set out to do. For us it is always about uncovering corruption and abuse of power, wherever it happens -- on the smaller and larger scale -- around the world.

Read more: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,719619,00.html

[wtmusic]

1. I know, spend more time with your family

There seems to be a subtext here.

[sce56]

2. Uh like if he doesn't quit someone will quit him!

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. The subtext is: "his falling out with the website's founder"

The OP gives the ( I am sure unintended) impression that Wikileaks is folding.
One has to read the linked story to realize that only Schmitt is folding, and that he is a bit
disgruntled.

"We grew insanely fast in recent months and we urgently need to become more professional and transparent in all areas. This development is being blocked internally."

"but Julian Assange reacted to any criticism with the allegation that I was disobedient to him and disloyal to the project.
Four weeks ago, he suspended me-- acting as the prosecutor, judge and hangman in one person."

I hope everyone will read the entire article, which discusses the future of Wikileaks.

[kpete]

5. yes,

and thank you,
read between the lines of the "entire article"

and here is hoping Wikileaks continues on with its good work,
peace, kp

[greiner3]

4. Someone got to him.

[skoalyman]

6. I wonder who it was guess we'll never know.

:shrug:

[Javaman]

7. Can get them with smears and slander? Try threats!

The slow and deliberate dismantling of Wikileaks by the US alphabet agencies.

They don't like to lose.