Via ABC News:
The website and personal credit card information of former Gov. Sarah Palin were cyber-attacked today by Wikileaks supporters, the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate tells ABC News in an email.
Hackers in London apparently affiliated with “Operation Payback” – a group of supporters of Julian Assange and Wikileaks – have tried to shut down SarahPac and have disrupted Sarah and Todd Palin’s personal credit card accounts.
“No wonder others are keeping silent about Assange’s antics,” Palin emailed. “This is what happens when you exercise the First Amendment and speak against his sick, un-American espionage efforts.”
Throughout the day WikiLeaks supporters have been mounting denial of service attacks against Mastercard, PayPal, Visa, and others deemed to have impeded WikiLeaks. Reportedly, these supporters have disclosed large files containing Mastercard account numbers and expiration dates.
But don’t call it Cyberwar, you might offend some people.
And of course, the government of the United States is standing idly by, twiddling its thumbs and dawdling.
And Eric Holder? He’s still reading the Instruction Manual for Attorney General.
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Comments
Some people seem to be unclear on the subject of spying. Manning was the agent of Assange in stealing classified material and passing it to a foreign national. Assamge was acting in the capacity of a priciple agent, like a Russian spy who services a mole in the US government. Even if he does this from overseas he is still participating in the espionage operation, a criminal act that took place in America (and such an act could also take place outside American soil and still be a hostile act against America, in a combat theater, for example). Thus Assamge counts as a spy, dircecting, planning and helping to carry on criminal acts in the USA, and ought to be indicted for it and extradited.
As for harm, his earlier releases of DOD files certainly endangered American soldiers and agents of the US, in particular Afghans and Iraqis who provided intelligence to American services. By releasing their names and other information to the public Assange endangered their lives.
We might note that diplomats have a very difficult time achieving their tasks of informing their governments of what is going on, informing their host governments of the policies of the US government, and carrying on negotiations if their communications are plastered all over the world. It appears Assange wants to bring diplomatic business to a halt. Negotiations, in particular, need secrecy to progress. For international affairs crippling diplomacy means increased hostilities. In trying to cripple diplomacy, therefore, Assange is a warmonger for all practical purposes. I'm being a bit snarky here, but the release of diplomatic files definitely harms the practice of diplomatic negotiations.
As for the New York Times and other outlets that published the stolen, classified information that Assange provided to them, they have culpability for endangering America troops and American agents too. They have committed a crime too. They have endangered our troops and agents too. They have attempted to cripple diplomacy too. Are the reporters and editors of the Times, and other media operations, a privileged caste to whom the law does nto apply?
Michael Lonie: "As for harm, his earlier releases of DOD files certainly endangered American soldiers and agents of the US, in particular Afghans and Iraqis who provided intelligence to American services. By releasing their names and other information to the public Assange endangered their lives."
Really? That's what I thought, too, but I have yet to find any evidence of that. In fact, what I read directly contradicts your assertion.
"A Pentagon letter obtained by The Associated Press reported that no U.S. intelligence sources or practices were compromised by the Afghan war logs' disclosure."
This was from Fox News, not known for it's anarchist leanings.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/22/details-begin-surfacing-massive-new-wikileaks-release-document-iraq-war
When we have real problems here in our country, politicians who are actively subverting the will of the people, activist judges eviscerating the constitution, attacks from unions and open-borders fanatics and multi-culturalists, I just seem to be having a hard time ginning up a lot of outrage because a bunch of government officials are made to look petty and incompetent (or am I being redundant?).
I know I should be more angry, but I just can't do it. Somebody publishing the truth just isn't a big deal to me. Unless you can show me where American soldiers have been put in harm's way and I just missed it.
If you are wonder about the legal aspects, try reading the relevant laws.
The Espionage Act. See also section 794
Crypto and SIGINT protection
Computer fraud and related, especially (a)(1)
The part about that that aggravates me is that the tyrannical vigilantes performing these attacks (attacks on Sarah Palin's husband's personal credit account?) want me to believe they're "standing up for liberty".
Sure, they're doing something that they'd rightfully castigate any government for even contemplating, but since they can press a button and cause trouble for "badman", who cares?
(As far as I'm concerned, I'm never going to take a "due process" complaint from any of these people seriously, since obviously they don't really believe that any legal process should be necessary before the use of coercive force and intimidation tactics.
The difference between these people and mobsters is that mobsters have some discretion and sense.)
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