Resolved: WikiLeaks is a threat to United States National Security

I am very grateful to be discussing such an important issue with such a thoughtful challenger. Upon hearing about WikiLeaks, I, like other Americans, was fascinated by the way they are distributing classified information. Though I am aware that others do not share my enthusiasm on the work being done by WikiLeaks, I am nonetheless persuaded that it has made a positive contribution to the United States and also to journalism. Moreover, I am also convinced that WikiLeaks has tangible benefits to our national security. My goal, then, is twofold. I will demonstrate that WikiLeaks doesn't harm the U.S.'s national security. And I will also show why WikiLeaks has benefits for the U.S.'s national security. C1: WikiLeaks causes Internal Information Sharing to decrease, putting the country's safety at greater risk. My opponent has not presented any evidence that WikiLeaks is causing the Justice Department (or any other official governmental agency) to be negatively hampered in their ability to gather or share information vital to national security. To the best of my knowledge, no one in any official governmental agency related to national security has ever made this claim. It is one thing to be able to make an assertion; it is something quite different to be able to back up that assertion with good evidence and solid logic. If anything, my opponent's own evidence supports my position, not his. The fact that the Whitehouse is encouraging governmental agencies to review their workers' access to classified documents ensures that this information doesn't get stolen (or misused) by people who shouldn't be able to access it. Honestly, does my opponent not want government agencies to review their workers' security clearance before they access secret or classified information? Certain types of classified information can have an enormously harmful impact on national security if it were to fall into the wrong hands. Accordingly, the Whitehouse's security policies on this matter make a positive impact on the United States' national security. C2: WikiLeaks inhibits the inflow of information from sources on foreign soil. In order to demonstrate that WikiLeaks is harmful to U.S. interests, my opponent cites the opinions of Robert Gates. This is simply a false appeal to authority. Getting information about WikiLeaks from Defense Secretary Robert Gates is like getting information about nicotine gum from Philip Morris. The Defense Secretary, like the U.S. government, has a vested interest in keeping government information away from the public. The fact of the matter is that there is not a single shred of evidence that classified information from WikiLeaks lead to any government agent being harmed or killed.[1] Moreover, WikiLeaks, along with its news distributors, goes through a very careful process in order to redact information that would reveal covert government agents and sources.[2] Of course, the process isn't perfect, but it is still very thorough. In any case, my opponent has presented no evidence that our ability to gather information through foreign sources has been seriously damaged by the actions of WikiLeaks. C3: WikiLeaks hinders diplomacy and our interactions with foreign governments. It would seem as though my challenger believes that honesty and candor are likely to thrive in an environment of secrecy. He is certainly not alone in holding this view. Despite my opponent's reservations, WikiLeaks has exposed some rather unethical and highly questionable practices that have gone on in matters of U.S. diplomacy.[3] Far from harming our diplomatic relations, the WikiLeaks revelations will likely encourage diplomats to be more honest and candid. Diplomats will know that if they behave unethically, it will likely be found out. Moreover, WikiLeaks doesn't publish everything under the sun that gets said by foreign diplomats. There are, after all, legitimate secrets. Their main goal has been to expose unscrupulous behavior. And to this end, they have been quite successful. CA1: WikiLeaks helps reduce the likelihood of detrimental foreign policy decisions. Throughout history, and even into the present day, the national security of various countries has been put at risk by bad foreign policy decisions. In particular, the War in Iraq was predicated upon the claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.[4] We now know that this claim was not true.[5] What's more, we know that a lot of the information that was used to drum up the case for war was highly questionable. Had their been whistleblowers in the Whitehouse and an organization like WikiLeaks in 2002, the war in Iraq may never have occurred. Likewise, WikiLeaks' exposure of war crimes in Afghanistan makes it probable that the American people will be more weary about engaging in protracted wars with foreign nations.[6] All of these effects have a positive impact on the U.S.'s national security, because they reduce the likelihood that governmental decisions will be made on bad evidence or faulty reasoning. Consider, for a moment, how a similar set of events in recent history made a positive effect on the openness of the U.S. government. In 1969, Daniel Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers, which detailed the web of lies strung by numerous administrations to perpetuate the Vietnam War.[7] Marines like W. D. Ehrhart have recognized how the release of the Pentagon Papers have offered a priceless opportunity to see how governmental officials act when they think no one is watching.[7] Events like the release of the Pentagon Papers are both vital and necessary, since they detail how governments can act in ways that defraud the public. CA2: WikiLeaks helps keep governments open. As I have previously mentioned, the scrutiny that WikiLeaks has placed on governments around the world makes it more likely that they will be transparent. Among other things, this transparency helps guarantee our national security isn't severely undermined by reckless decision making on the part of corrupt governmental agencies. This is important to the United States' national security because corrupt government officials can be in a position to engage in harmful policies that can put our national security at risk. By forcing governments to cope with leaks of information, WikiLeaks leads governments to be transparent. CA3: WikiLeaks helps to root out government corruption. As an organization, WikiLeaks helps root out governmental corruption that can have a damaging affect on various countries and also U.S. interests. For example, WikiLeaks release of the Kroll report, which detailed governmental corruption, helped to turn the tide of an election in Kenya.[8-9] Because governmental corruption can often have a destabilizing effect on countries, WikiLeaks efforts to publish information which helps reduce governmental corruption has a positive effect on the U.S.'s national security. Not only this, it also has clearly helped the security and stability of other countries around the world. | Conclusion | The only thing WikiLeaks is really a threat to is corrupt government officials and policies that rely on secrecy. Pro has presented no credible evidence that information from WikiLeaks has ever harmed a single individual. If anything, the weight of the evidence he has gathered demonstrates that WikiLeaks has tangible benefits for the United States' national security. So, if my opponent wants to convince us that WikiLeaks is still a threat to the U.S.'s national security, he will have to salvage what's left of his three arguments. And he will also have to tear down all three of my own arguments. Until that day comes, I am happy to affirm my support for Julian Assange and the fine work being done by WikiLeaks. Sources: http://www.debate.org...