Do People Have the Right to See Government Documents? Or is Wikileaks Really High-Tech Terrorism?

THE MAN BEHIND Wikileaks, a website that reveals previously undisclosed information, has been labeled as a whistleblower, high tech terrorist and a hero of information.

Wikileaks is slowly been releasing a 15-year cache of cables from US embassies around the world.

In response, the White House released this statement: “We condemn in the strongest terms the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents and sensitive national security information."

There are more than 250,000 emails and other correspondence, mostly with US officials complaining about dignitaries from other countries. Much of the released information is fairly tame, though feelings could be hurt. For instance, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is described in the cables as an "alpha-dog." Afghan President Hamid Karzai is reported to be "driven by paranoia." And German Chancellor Angela Merkel allegedly "avoids risk and is rarely creative."

Does the public have the right to see these documents?

Should Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (pictured above on the cover of Time magazine) be arrested for espionage (rather than the unrelated sexual assault charges he is currently being held on in London)?

Is Assange a hero or a terrorist?

Is Wikileaks journalism?

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