NYT Reporter Defends Publishing WikiLeaks Cables

[sabra]

Source: NPR

Sen. Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, has suggested that The New York Times should be investigated for publishing classified diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.

"To me the New York Times has committed at least an act of bad citizenship, but whether they have committed a crime — I think that bears a very intense inquiry by the Justice Department," Lieberman told Fox News on Tuesday.

On today's Fresh Air, David Sanger, the chief Washington correspondent for The New York Times, responds to Lieberman's remarks and explains why The Times decided to publish the cables.

Sanger is one of the Times reporters who sifted through the leaked WikiLeaks documents and has since written several articles about what the documents reveal about President Obama's approach to diplomacy with Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, China and other nations.

He explains that the newspaper's editors and its lawyers had lengthy and deliberate conversations before deciding to publish some of the cables.

"This was never an easy decision to publish national security information," he says. "I think at the end of this process, what we did was responsible, it was legal and it was important for a democratic society."

Read more: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/08/131884250/nyt-reporter-defends-publishing-wikileaks-cables

[polichick]

1. Good for the NYT - maybe there's hope for democracy yet. nt

[hlthe2b]

5. There should be editorials by every newspaper in America...

blasting Lieberman for his attempts to intimidate and ultimately censor the media.

[polichick]

6. Very true! nt

[snappyturtle]

2. Hopefully, now, more correspondents will come out in support of Assange. nt

[defendandprotect]

9. +1 --

seems to be a tight cap on everyone else though ...

[Downwinder]

3. It hurts me, but here is a rec for NYT.

[The Second Stone]

4. Equal protection under the laws

Assange doesn't have it, the warmongers at the Times do have it.

[Roland99]

7. So, publishing something that's available for public view elsewhere is a crime?

interesting.

[JDPriestly]

8. After all, the NYT printed Judy Miller's articles that outed Plame.

Some argue that Cheney had already declassified the information about Plame.

I'm not familiar enough with the laws on the secrecy of CIA identities to judge whether Cheney, but one thing is certain, the NYT would not have known whether Cheney had declassified that information or not. And the identities of CIA agents are pretty much protected by statute as I understand it. (Am I wrong on this?) So there is a precedent for this.

One of my chief complaints about our government in general is that our justice system discriminates based on politics in enforcing laws. Remember the Siegelman case. Remember Plame.

Here Lieberman is not thinking in terms of principles but rather in terms of what he thinks will appeal to his right-wing supporters.

[awoke_in_2003]

10. Hey Joe...

I know it is wrong for me to think this way, but I hope you one day get raped by an angry elephant.

[24601]

13. He's not my favorite Senator. Yet, he's helping lead the charge to

repeal DADT. And you bring up rape. Are you a gay basher?

[awoke_in_2003]

14. of course he is leading the charge...

because he knows the charge is going nowhere. By design, this will not be repealed by this congress- it is too late in their term. The house goes to the rep in January, and talk of repeal will be cast to the side. But good ole Joe can sit back and say "See, I tried". Should it ever come down to his vote being the deciding one, however, he will betray us once again. He is a strong man when it doesn't count, and a Judas when it does. Oh, and gay bashers don't support marriage equality (see sig line)

[Matariki]

11. But Cheney outing Valerie Plame & Brewster Jennings? No problem.

[SkyDaddy7]

12. FOX "NEWS" is more of a threat to our Democracy & security than...

a wikileaks! And I have some problems with wikileaks but I also agree with it as well...A FREE PRESS should be able to publish ANY story they want!

WE DO NOT HAVE A FREE PRESS!