This is a simple one, and I need everyone’s help with this. The dork at wikileaks posted more stuff about Iraq, and there are like 54 pages of information dealing with the search input ‘security contractors’. If folks can help me sift through this thing so we can identify what is true and what is false, that would be a big help. These reports are mostly from the military perspective, and just because it is on wikileaks does not make it true or correct. I hate giving wikileaks this kind of attention, but I feel I have no other choice.
The other reason I wanted to get this out there is to see if names have been used of contractors, or if any operational information that could be used to hurt guys was posted. The Pentagon could care less about our safety with these leaks, and have their own issues. So if you find stuff that is of concern, let me know via emails and we can do some damage control. Mostly I just need to know what to prepare for, so I can give everyone a heads up.
Most of the stuff I am seeing so far is pretty basic. Lots of IED or SAF reports where convoys were fired upon by the enemy, Iraqi police/army or the coalition. If anything, it shows how much combat contractors really faced in Iraq, and it definitely showed how dangerous and complex of an environment we operated in. –Matt
*****
Link to Iraq War Logs Explorer here.
Company names or individual names? I see at least one company name within the first four pages.
THAT
SCUMBAG,
R
Comment by Render — Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 8:39 PM
Names of people are what I am mostly interested in. -matt
Comment by Feral Jundi — Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 9:12 PM
Hey Matt, be careful with this. Technically this info is still considered classified, so just viewing it on Wikileaks could be considered accessing classified info. without authorization. My company has actually pulled a couple of clearances because of this.
Comment by V-Man — Saturday, October 23, 2010 @ 10:26 PM
In meatspace, when classified documents (or thumb drives) are found unsecured by uncleared personnel, the discoverers are supposed to report such finds and be debriefed and read off on the various laws/regulations/policies pertaining to classified documents, and sign a non-disclosure agreement swearing never to talk about the contents of what they were never supposed to see. Five years ago such things were taken quite seriously.
Wikileaks benefits from traffic you send them. They probably track IP addresses. They are not Good Guys.
Comment by Cannoneer No. 4 — Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ 1:11 AM
thoughts on the NYTimes article?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/middleeas…
Comment by dm — Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ 2:57 AM
V-Man– Thanks for the heads up. If I get any feedback from the government or companies on how this works, I will post it. As it stands now though, everything that has been released has been read over by the media and is now starting to show up in articles all over the place. The cat is already out of the bag, so to speak, and it is impossible for the government or companies to put it 'back in the bag'. There is no more chance of 'information control' at this point and only 'information engagement' is possible now.
Cannoneer No. 4– Yeah, that is why I don't like doing this. The traffic I send to them will be the kind that can actually read through it and hopefully pick it apart. Information engagement is all that is possible now, and our community is most affected by that information. We can look the other way and pretend it does not exist, or we can read it and call BS or even identify items of direct personal threat to people's identities. Right now lawyers, protesters, media types are all pouring over this stuff, and folks must be ready by knowing what they are reading.
I do plan on shutting down the link after a few days, just to limit anymore residual attention and traffic. We'll see how it goes, and so far I haven't gotten any emails from officials yet.
If folks are reading this who are of the official capacity both private or public, you need to contact me and let me know what laws or policies come into play here so I can best help you out.
Comment by headjundi — Sunday, October 24, 2010 @ 5:05 AM