Diplomatic catastrophe

Wikileaks is releasing to the public a quarter of a million classified documents.  This latest batch isn’t so much about atrocities in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  It mainly consists of confidential reports by diplomats that contain unflattering and sometimes snarky comments about world leaders, including important allies.  The reports lack “diplomacy.”  As a result, we have a diplomatic catastrophe on our hands.

For a sampling of what they contain, here is a list of breathless headlines from the Drudge Report.  Go there for links to the articles:

USA RACES TO LIMIT WIKILEAKS DAMAGE…

250,000 State Dept. cables cover Iran, NKorea, Putin… MORE

Reveal: Iran ‘smuggled arms’ to Hezbollah on ambulances…

Reveal: Hillary Clinton ordered diplomats to spy on UN leaders…

Reveal: Iran obtained missiles from NKorea…

What America REALLY thinks of world leaders…

MOST EMBARRASSING, DAMAGING DISCLOSURE IN DECADES…

Clinton Calls Leaks A Global ‘Attack’…

AWKWARD: Clinton heads abroad, will meet world leaders dissed in cables…

Reveal: Saudis repeatedly urge US attack on Iran…

SENATORS: PROSECUTE THE LEAKERS!

NYT EXPLAINS: DECISION TO PUBLISH…

Now Australian police investigate Assange…

France: Leaks threaten democracy…

Rep King: Website leaks are terrorism…

Holder orders criminal investigation…

PALIN: Obama admin’s handling ‘incompetent’…

via DRUDGE REPORT 2011®.

One could make a case for leaking documents that cover up misdeeds.  But it’s hard to imagine what good it would do to leak documents that just embarrass people needlessly.  Diplomats do need to be able to give their superiors candid assessments without worrying that they will show up on the internet and in the world’s newspapers.