Assange – Real threat to world peace is Iran
Photo: AP
Does truth endanger world peace?
Op-ed: WikiLeaks showed that main threat to world peace today is Iran, not the truth
Until few decades ago, the world order was regulated by traditional mechanisms: politics, diplomacy and military. Today, there is a fourth, no less powerful instrument: the media, and at its front, the Internet. The extent of its power is shown by the most recent WikiLeaks wave, which catapulted a number of states, and especially the United States, into a whole spectrum of political emotions - ranging from diplomatic embarrassment to fear of political damage, to mischievousness and outrage.
Indeed, WikiLeaks once more exposed itself as a selective warden of the truth. Yes, the documents are obviously real, and they are really embarrassing. However, what would the publication of Russian, Chinese, Arab, Iranian or European embassy correspondence most likely reveal? We would likely see embarrassing/rude comments, especially among the four former actors, as well as proof of intense espionage activities in the political, military and economic realms.
Is the fear justified? Yes. WikiLeaks is shaking the foundations of discretion, without which diplomatic relations can hardly function. Without discretion, there is no trust, and without trust, there can be no cooperation. And that is the premise for pursuing joint national interests and for fending off joint threats.
WikiLeaks
Moshe Dann
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On another note, the nuclear armament of the Iranian Mullah regime, as well as the justified fear by its Arab neighbours and their demand to stop Ahmadinejad were pulled out from diplomatic anonymity – serving as a powerful signal for Europe’s political elites to act politically instead of focussing on economic trade with Iran.
WikiLeaks, contrary to founder Julian Assange’s declared intention, became a litmus test for international relations, yet with a happy end: just like in private life, relationships between states that are based on shared values like democracy and freedom (to which freedom of expression belongs) can cope with serious strains; especially, when these strains had been produced with dubious intentions.
Julian Assange now deserves our gratitude, for having “outed” the collectively hidden fear of Ahmadinejad’s radical-Islamist imperialism, thus forcing the international community to act with more determination and effectiveness against the Mullah regime.
In other words, today it is not the truth that endangers world peace, but rather, the fanatics who strive for the bomb.
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