The power of information

Some people, through time, take a leap into the pages of history. The founder of WikiLeaks has done just this.

Some people, through time, take a leap into the pages of history. The Australian founder of WikiLeaks has done just this, becoming, within months, one of the best known figures around the world — and one of the men most wanted by Interpol. He and his lawyer now say he also faces death threats, which stem from the thousands of documents leaked by the website. It is becoming harder and harder to ascertain truth and falsehood in the case of the WikiLeaks, but certainly it is conceivable that Assange has faced very real threats. There will, after all, be many who are infuriated by the revelations contained in the documents that have shaken the world almost as much as a terrorist attack or other event of such magnitude. In fact, calls have been made, primarily in the US, for WikiLeaks to be treated like a terrorist group. Assange and his lawyers also cite Swedish rape and molestation charges against him as an act of blatant persecution. The somewhat eccentric Assange has been in hiding since the latest set of documents appeared on the WikiLeaks site.

The questions of where the death threats may be emanating from open up all kinds of possibilities. There are so many around the world infuriated by the leaks that it is impossible to pick candidates. The documents from the US describing Russia as a ‘mafia’ state or a Saudi king criticising President Zardari have created their own furore. These are two of many examples. WikiLeaks has, in the past, been accused of endangering lives. But for some powerful figures around the world, public embarrassment may be reason enough to consider putting an end to the source or extracting revenge of the crudest kind (especially since this is the second time this is happening). Assange and his lawyer clearly believe this is the case. The death threats, if anything, further highlight the power of information, the astounding impact it can have and the manner in which it can shake up things even in countries which insist they respect the right of people to know the truth and the right for information to be circulated. For now, the WikiLeaks saga continues and we do not know how it will all end or if this is the last time it will create such controversy.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2010.