Wikileaks

[BJamesD]

This question is for those knowledgeable about the federal process for law enforcement, military, or intelligence positions.

Wikileaks recently leaked diplomatic cables from 1966 onward. As a curious young man, I am interested in reading these documents. However, being that they are illegally-leaked and classified documents, does reading them affect my future candidacy for a position in the federal government? I'm still a minor and the last thing I want to do is DQ myself unknowingly because I didn't anticipate a polygraph or background question. I do not support the actions of Julian Assange or his cohorts, but now that these cables are leaked (and have been reported on) I am interested in reading some of them online (if there are no consequences, that is). Thank you for your advice.

[Legoate]

This is just my opinion from my years having a security clearance in the military:

An organization has leaked thousands of documents that were classified and not meant for general dissemination. In a normal setting I would say that if you did not have the clearance to read them, and a need to know, then you shouldn't read them. You obviously don't have the clearance to read them, and you don't have the need to know to read them, so you probably shouldn't read them.

If you do read them will there be any future consequences? Who knows? It's my feeling that the government is going to go after wikileaks with a vengeance. IMHO they should.

If I was a person who wanted a security clearance and a position of trust, I wouldn't go around reading documents that had been illegally leaked.

To be honest, back in the old days Assange would have just ceased to exist on this planet. I'm surprised he is still around. Lets see what happens when he decides to leak classified documents from Russia- they still deal with things in the old way.

[BJamesD]

Thank you, Legoate. I will not read them.

[Aussie George]

I concur.

I was in the military in a position where I had access to various classified info (many years ago now so anything I know that was classified is probably not now so anyone wanting to kidnap me and torture me for info, you're wasting your time)...anyway I digress...

I must admit I like the question though. Shows you are thinking through your hiring process and taking it seriously


I also wonder if Mr A$$wipe or A$$hole or whatever his name is will ever make it to court for any of his alleged indescretions, or if he will get sick and die of some rare disease after being struck in the leg with an umbrella or something similar....if you know what I mean...or if it will be more old school like an ice pick in the head in some South American motel.

Either way and whatever happens to him, I hope this smug arrogant piece of crap get what is coming to him. Anyone who thinks that his actions do anything other than put other people in harm's way is an idiot and he thinks he can get away with it by calling himself a journalist!! Journalist my butt! He's an ex-hacker (aka criminal), suspected rapist (aka criminal) and leaker of classified documents (aka criminal).

[BJamesD]

Thank you, Aussie George. You both raise valid points. The Russians especially wouldn't tolerate someone compromising the national security of their federation. I'm sure they'd put a ricin pellet in his leg, like Georgi Markov, and he'd be gone the next day.

[Legoate]

I also wonder if Mr A$ or A$ or whatever his name is will ever make it to court for any of his alleged indescretions, or if he will get sick and die of some rare disease after being struck in the leg with an umbrella or something similar....if you know what I mean...or if it will be more old school like an ice pick in the head in some South American motel.

Apparently he will get his day in court....but for sexual assault. I saw an article today that he was placed on a "red list" by interpol. He is wanted in Sweden for two counts of sexual assault. I'm not sure what a "red list" is exactly..... but I'm guessing it's not a list of people receiving a free subscription to Maxim.

[kels]

Anyone else think that embarassing the heads of state in the middle east might
not be a good career move for the idiot from sweden?
I doubt they work under the same restrictions as the USA.