Resolved: WikiLeaks is a threat to United States National Security

I stand in favor of the resolution: "Resolved: WikiLeaks is a threat to United States national security." WikiLeaks refers to the website wikiLeaks dot org that describes itself in the following way: "WikiLeaks is a not-for-profit media organization. Our goal is to bring important news and information to the public. We provide an innovative, secure and anonymous way for sources to leak information to our journalists." A threat, as defined by the Collins English Dictionary, is a person or thing that is regarded as dangerous or likely to inflict pain or misery. The term "National Security" is a collective term encompassing both national defense and foreign relations of the United States, according to the free dictionary dot com. As evidence of my affirmation, I present three ways in which WikiLeaks hinders the U.S. government in its attempt to protect national security. First, WikiLeaks causes Internal Information Sharing to decrease, putting the country's safety at greater risk. Second, WikiLeaks inhibits the inflow of information from sources on foreign soil. And third, WikiLeaks hinders diplomacy and our interactions with foreign governments. Contention 1: Wikileaks' recent rise to prominence via its November leak of more than 250,000 government "cables" has caused the government to tighten its informational security. After the leak, the Whitehouse released an official memo [1] that told government agencies and departments to review their workers' accessibility to classified documents to ensure that workers can access only what they need for their job. This reduces the ability of workers to "connect the dots" between people and events, because they don't have access to all the information available. The chance that we can identify and stop terrorism against our nation is thereby diminished, and our national security is put at risk. Contention 2: WikiLeaks inhibits the United States from receiving information from foreign sources in two ways. First, in the past it has compromised the identities of informants in Afghanistan, putting them at risk to Taliban assassination. Even if they are not killed, they are not of use to the United States so long it is known they are a spy. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the July 2010 leak could endanger the Afghan informants who were identified and cause "significant harm or damage to national security interests of the United States" [2]. The second way it inhibits us is by damaging the chances of future source recruitment. The chance that Afghans and other possible sources will agree to pass on information to the United States greatly diminishes because of WikiLeaks' history and the publicity that it has received. They will not be as willing to help us because they don't believe that we can keep their identity a secret. Contention 3: The emergence of WikiLeaks brings a multi-faceted problem to diplomats in the United States and other countries. First of all, the leaks, which were embarrassing to all parties involved, will cause other countries to question whether the United States can keep a secret. Other governments will be wary of giving us information that they don't want to be leaked. Within our government, state department employees will not give the candid and honest opinions that important diplomatic situations demand, in fear that the information will become public. British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald explains the difficulties of the situation from the point of view of a working diplomat. "It's going to be much more difficult for people to talk candidly to us if the stuff is going to appear in the newspapers word for word…Diplomacy can't survive without confidentiality and without trust," he said [3]. Conclusion: WikiLeaks harms national security not only through what it leaked, but through people's notions of what was leaked. It exposed afghan sources, and made public embarrassing statements that have caused diplomatic tensions, but it is also negatively affecting future national security. People don't trust us. Other governments won't want to tell us what they know, and possible sources will be disinclined to help us because of the reputation WikiLeaks has given us. The reason we keep things secret is because information made public negatively affects the safety and interests of the United States. WikiLeaks has harmed and will continue to harm our National Security. Sources: [1] http://www.whitehouse.gov... [2]http://www.reuters.com... [3]http://www.neontommy.com...