Middle East Media Institute

Middle East Media Institute

Middle East Media Institute

Ever since they were publicized on July 25, 2010, the Wikileaks documents have dominated the news. Spokespersons for both the Pentagon and the White House were quick to point out that most of the information in the documents was already known. Others, like Congressman Peter King of New York, called the leaking of the documents treason, stated on a morning talk show that, “…for anyone to think that he has the right to disclose secret information and put their lives [US soldiers] at risk is absolutely disgraceful.”

In the Middle East, however the leaks are viewed as far more than the fog of war. They corroborate the daily experiences of civilians in the war zone and point to the need for US troops to abandon Afghanistan.

Wikileaks Confirmed What Afghan and Pakistan Already Knew

While the US has taken a benign approach to the tens of thousands of secret documents, the leaks are receiving different reactions in the Middle East. Aijaz Zaka Syed, writing in Arab News (July 27, 2010) states that, “…the shock and awe of the Wikileaks disclosures takes your breath away.” Rafia Zakaria, in Pakistan’s Dawn (July 18, 2010) comments that, “Within hours of release, the political landscape surrounding the Afghan war was transformed.”