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| Afghanistan |
| Pournelle on Wikileaks Consequences |
| 2010-07-30 |
| I have two conclusions, one tentative, and one in which I have great confidence. The tentative conclusion is that the documents told the public nothing that informed citizens, including me, didn't already know and were not in discussion. My firm conclusion is that the Wikileaks are an act of treason. They release the names of Afghan allies: villagers who have been converted to the notion of liberal democracy, and clan leaders who decided that the Allies are in Afghanistan to stay, and can eventually win, and that it is better for their clansmen to cooperate with the Allies than with the Taliban. Those names are now released, and those identified are doomed, as are their families. The Taliban and al Qaeda have long memories, and there is much to be gained by making examples of those those who collaborate with the West. A corollary conclusion is that the current US goals in Afghanistan cannot now be achieved. This is a direct consequence of the Wikileaks. The US cannot of course try the Australian editor of Wikileaks for treason, but I do wonder if Australia doesn't have a case. The Aussies have lost troops in Afghanistan and if they stay around they will lose more. |
| Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418 |
| #11 That assumes they will - or will be allowed to |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2010-07-30 22:34 |
| #10 UCMJ has a lot of ways to deal with Manning. At 106a (Espionage) even includes a death penalty consideration, and Art 119(b)(2) allow them to bring a charge for manslaugeter for each and every death his actions cause regardless of intent. Then there's Art 134 and a pile of others that can also be brought to bear. (H/T Pappy on the articles). Manning will be in the brig and then Leavenworth disciplinary barracks a loooooong time as long as the command decides to bring the charges. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2010-07-30 21:48 |
| #9 Assanage deserves to be handed over to the families of the Afghan citizens whom he has helped the Talib kill. Justice will be served. That's the only op needed - snatch, transport, drop (gift wrapped). |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2010-07-30 21:15 |
| #8 #1 Honor a warrant from the government in Kabul for his arrest. Extradite him. The issue will resolve itself. Posted by: Procopius2k Manning is our dog, and we need to be the one to put him down. I'm not sure about Assanage - is he a US citizen, or an Australian? Either way, he needs to spend the rest of his life behind bars, fed only moldy Twinkies, and given warm, flat, slightly alkaline water to drink. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2010-07-30 17:08 |
| #7 I would not want to be in his shoes; this time, he has picked opponents that are implacable, out for blood, and not bound by any governmental authority. I'll say. The book Kara Kush by Idris Shah, about the early Afghan response to the Soviet invasion of 1979, contains a gripping episode of just this sort of blood revenge. An Afghan family is executed in a Soviet reprisal. A distant Afghan relative living in the West uses his connections to fly into Kabul ostensibly on a hunting expedition, stalks the Soviet military intel office responsible, and kills him with a single long-distance shot at night, in his own doorway. The shell casing is left on the grave of one of the executed Afghans as a marker. Supposedly a true story. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-07-30 12:48 |
| #6 ...about the consequences that is. |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2010-07-30 12:28 |
| #5 I hope you are right. |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2010-07-30 12:28 |
| #4 If I were an Afghani in the West, and I had relatives on that list, I would remind Mr Assanage that if their blood is shed, it comes to his hands. And I would also enlighten him that Afghani blood feuds can only settled by blood - his or his family or any other Wikileaks people involved. Assanage's life is probably forfeit at this point, as is likely with others involved with Wikileaks. It is only a matter of when, and how much collateral damage is done in the process of killing Julian Assanage and his co-conspirators at Wikileaks. And on top of that, he has the ISI to worry with. Probably one of the most stupid moves he could have possibly made. That smirking self-righteous little lefty narccisist is about to meet reality head-on, likely in the form of a few fractions of an ounce of lead at high velocity - and that's if he is lucky. I shudder to think what would happen were they to capture him (torture would be agonizing and death would be slow) I would not want to be in his shoes; this time, he has picked opponents that are implacable, out for blood, and not bound by any governmental authority. |
| Posted by: No I am The Other Beldar 2010-07-30 11:11 |
| #3 I dunno. He did piss off the ISI, so we got that going for us... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2010-07-30 10:42 |
| #2 An excellent idea. Any NATO country would have to track him down. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-07-30 10:34 |
| #1 Honor a warrant from the government in Kabul for his arrest. Extradite him. The issue will resolve itself. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-07-30 07:54 |