People's Democracy

Editorial

 

WikiLeaks Expose US Imperialism's True Face

 

FOLLOWING the release of nearly four lakh secret US documents, the whistle blower website WikiLeaks has now released more than 2.5 lakh classified cables from US embassies across the world, including some sent as recently as in February this year.  These, once again, confirm the unscrupulous manner in which US imperialism operates to establish its hegemony over the world.  These columns had earlier (People’s Democracy, October 25-31, 2010) exposed the inhuman face of US imperialism in its military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on the basis of the first installment of WikiLeaks. The present set of releases which, we are told, will continue, details the manner in which USA interferes in the internal affairs of various countries. 

 

The most damning exposure has come of the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton’s alleged order to US officials to spy on high-ranking UN diplomats including the secretary general.  It must be recollected that international treaties ban spying at the UN. The 1946 UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities states: “The premises of the United Nations shall be inviolable.  The property and assets of the United Nations, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether by executive, administrative, judicial or legislative action”. 

 

Clearly violating such international conventions, these secret cables allege that Clinton ordered US diplomats to obtain DNA data including iris scans and finger prints apart from credit card and frequent flyer numbers of UN diplomats.  The details of passwords, personal encryption keys and network upgrades of UN diplomats will, surely, raise suspicions that the USA  was preparing to mount an international hacking operation. 

 

The London Guardian reports: “The cables published on Sunday reveal how the US uses its embassies as part of a global espionage network”. Further it says: “Classified `human intelligence directives’ issued in the name of Hillary Clinton or her predecessor, Condoleeza Rice, instruct officials to gather information on military installations, weapons markings, vehicle details of political leaders”.  When the Guardian put this allegation to the state department spokesmen, he totally denied by saying that US diplomats “do not engage in intelligence activities”. Clearly, the USA considers spying and espionage as part of diplomatic activities! 

 

Hillary Clinton went a step further in strongly condemning what she called “the illegal disclosure of classified information”.  Note the condemnation is about the disclosure and not the content!  However, in the same breath, she went on to claim that the US administration “is advancing a robust foreign policy that is focused on advancing America’s national interests and leading the world in solving the most complex challenges of our time, for fixing the global economy, to thwarting international terrorism, to stopping the spread of catastrophic weapons, to advancing human rights and universal values”.  If the objectives of US policy are so noble, then why is there such consternation and condemnation of the disclosure of the means that the US imperialism adopts to achieve these objectives?  The answer lies in the definition of the objectives. For US imperialism, universal values means values that promote US interests, human rights means rights for human beings  who advance US  strategic interests even when it means the abrogation of such rights for millions of people who have to suffer US hegemonic policies as those in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine etc are doing today. 

 

Many of these revelations show the dubious role that the USA plays in the Middle East peace process.  US missions in Israel, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were allegedly asked to gather biometric information on key Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders and representatives particularly the young guard inside Gaza and the West Bank.  Needless to add, all this information goes into ensuring that both USA and Israel together work to continue denying the Palestinians their right to a homeland. 

 

The world has been promised many more such leaks.  May be in anticipation of further exposure of the inhuman and unscrupulous character of US imperialism and the means that it employs to establish its global hegemony, Clinton said that, “This disclosure is not just an attack on America’s foreign policy interests.  It is an attack on the international community – the alliances and partnerships, the conversations and negotiations that safeguard global security and economic prosperity.”  (sic)  Whose `security’ and whose `prosperity’?

 

The whole world looked up at the USA when its people elected an African-American as its president.  Commenting on the roused expectations amongst wide sections globally, we had warned in these columns that a leopard never changes its spots.  WikiLeaks has chillingly revealed the unscrupulous means that US imperialism uses in its drive to establish global hegemony.  `Advancing human rights and universal values’ can only happen if this hegemonic ambition is defeated and international relations are based on the principles of universal equality and mutual respect. 

(December 01, 2010)