WikiLeaks has started leaking

The German paper Der Freitag has uncovered a batch of online unredacted diplomatic cables, which have originated from WikiLeaks. Steffen Kraft, the papers editor, said that he found a "password protected csv file" that contained a 1.73GB cache of diplomatic cables from WikiLeaks. Kraft said the file's password was easy to break.

Usually Wikileaks redacts the files before publishing them on the web, but these files are raw and unredacted. They contain the names of informants and suspected intelligence agents that were blacked out of the official releases. According to Der Freitag, this new cache of documents includes the names of suspected agents in Israel, Jordan, Iran and Afghanistan. It is possible that vested interests might have already discovered the file and decoded the name of the undercover operatives.

The German newspaper claims that the present leak at the WikiLeaks could be a result of a personal conflict between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his former trusted lieutenant, Daniel Domscheit-Berg. In September 2010, the two men parted ways. Domscheit-Berg had reportedly left with a large number of files, including the encrypted, unredacted files containing more than 250,000 original cables. Towards the end of 2010, Domscheit-Berg returned those files to WikiLeaks.

These files got uploaded on the Internet, without anyone realising that an unredacted was also in the stash. After that a third party published the password, through which access could be had to all the files, including the unredacted file.

Officially, WikiLeaks is trying its best to play down the impact of this unplanned leak. Its Twitter account said, Current story being spun about wild cables, including from Spiegel, is significantly incorrect. Later they posted another tweet saying, WikiLeaks 'insurance' files have not been decrypted. All press are currently misreporting. There is an issue, but not that issue. Finally there was a third message, There has been no 'leak at WikiLeaks'. The issue relates to a mainstream media partner and a malicious individual.

So who could be behind the leak? Domscheit-Berg is a prime suspect, considering the broken relationship between him and Assange, the WikiLeaks founder.

JORDAN