Top Revelations from Wikileaks Cables

Wikileaks is “the largest set of confidential documents ever to be released into the public domain”. With 251,287 leaked United States embassy cables dating from 1966 to February 2010, the online confidential document flood has sent ripples through the entire world. Needless to say, this grand unraveling of the alleged truth will have an appreciable, if not a great, effect on world diplomacy and political affairs.

Governments across the globe are persistent in their efforts to take down the website, but as founder and editor-in-chief of Wikileaks says, such endeavors would never be able to stop the online leaks. Following is a list of the top cablegate revelations, originally compiled by The Lookout.

Regarding Iran’s Nuclear Program

As revealed by certain cables, leaders of several Middle Eastern countries are secretly apprehensive of the Iranian nuclear program. In fact, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, in consistent talks regarding this very matter, has advised the US to “cut the head of the snake”.

US Diplomats’ Verbal Foray against World Leaders

In several cables, US Diplomats have been found voicing their highly unflattering opinions of certain world leaders. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is labeled as “driven by paranoia”, Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi as “feckless, vain, and ineffective as a modern European leader” and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy as “an emperor with no clothes”. According to one leak, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi enjoys the company of a “voluptuous blonde” Ukrainian nurse in all his travels.

US Confiscating HEU from Pakistan

Starting in 2007, the US has been making off with highly enriched uranium (HEU) from a Pakistani nuclear reactor so as to prevent its use in the fabrication of nuclear weaponry.

Guantanamo Detainee Trading

Leaks suggest that the present US administration, as part of their delayed program to shut down Guantanamo Bay detention camp, has tried to convince countries such as Slovenia and Kiribati to accept detainees from the maximum security prison in exchange for huge incentives.

Afghan Vice President Corruption Allegation

One cable accuses Afghan Vice President Ahmed Zia Massoud of taking $52 million in cash in a trip to the United Arab Emirates.

China, US and Unified Korea

United States’ ambassador to Seoul believes, as suggested in his report to the US administration, that it may be possible to lure China into agreeing to the peaceful reunification of Chinese-dependant North Korea and US-allied South Korea through lucrative business deals. Certain documents reveal that the US and South Korea have already had numerous discussions regarding the matter.

Hezbollah Backed by Syrian Arms

According to US intelligence, Syria continued to support Hezbollah with advanced weaponry only a week after Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad vowed that he would discontinue backing the Lebanese paramilitary organization.

H. R. Clinton’s Spies

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has allegedly been ordering diplomats to collect information on Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, Sudan and Somalia as well as on United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s stand on Iran.

Qatar’s Reluctant Counterterrorism Efforts

One cable describes Qatar’s security forces as “hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals”. Purportedly, the US Department of State deems the country as the worst in endeavors against terrorism.

Putin-Berlusconi Camaraderie

One cable observes Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been increasingly openhanded towards Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, presenting him with generous energy contracts & “lavish gifts” and Berlusconi has consistently expressed his support for his Russian counterpart in Europe.

A Huge Hole In The Germany

A gaping hole 30 meters (98 feet) in diameter and 20 meters (65.6 feet) deep opened up in the eastern German town of Schmalkalden early on Monday morning. An empty vehicle plunged into it but no one was hurt, even though the chasm is in the middle of a residential area.

A total of 25 people were evacuated from six houses and soil is continuing to crumble from the edge of the crater, police said. Wolfgang Peter, a resident, said he had been woken by a roaring sound at 3 a.m. on Monday morning. “First I heard the rushing of water and then it sounded as if a dozen gravel trucks were being emptied,” Peter told the regional newspaper Thüringer Allgemeine.

He went outside to find out who was carrrying out roadworks at that time of night and found himself standing on the edge of a giant crater right next to his house.

‘Natural Cause’ Likely

Ralf Luther, a regional official, said 10,000 to 12,000 cubic meters of soil had slipped. A line of garages right on the edge of the hole is at risk of plunging into it and cracks have appeared in nearby houses. Luther said residents were lucky not to have been hurt.

Experts are at the scene to find out what caused the hole. The environment and agriculture minister for the state of Thuringia, Jürgen Reinholz, said: “I assume that there is a natural cause for the landslide.” He ruled out that salt mining could have been the cause.

A spokesman for the ministry said the region is prone to landslides because of its geological makeup and pointed out a similar case in the town of Tiefenort where five houses became uninhabitable when a two-meter deep crater opened up in January.

Emergency workers standing near the edge of the crater. Six houses have been evacuated and earth is continuing to crumble from the rim of the crater, police said.

A total of 25 people had to be evacuated from nearby buildings. Emergency workers said the hole was increasing in size hour by hour.

A police helicopter with infrared camera flew over the hole to make sure that no people were trapped at the bottom. No one is believed to have been hurt.

A fireman marking tears in the road tarmac near the hole.

Garages on the abyss. Four cars are perilously close to the edge. A regional official said 10,000 to 12,000 cubic meters of soil had slipped in the landslide. Cracks have appeared in nearby houses.

The whole area has been cordoned off and electricity, water and gas lines have been cut off.

Geologists from the regional mining authority and from the environment ministry are examining the crater. A spokesman for the ministry said the region is prone to landslides because of its geological makeup and pointed out a similar case in the town of Tiefenort, some 40 kilometers from Schmalkalden, earlier this year where five houses became uninhabitable when a two-meter deep crater opened up in January.

Evacuated residents are comforted by friends and relatives

The crater opened up at 3 a.m. on Monday morning. Thuringia’s environment and agriculture minister, Jürgen Reinholz said: “I assume that there is a natural cause for the landslide.” He ruled out that it could have been triggered by salt mining.

Workers cut power lines to prevent electric shocks following the landslide.

Residents were initially provided with accommodation in tents erected by the fire brigade. Authorities said the town had been lucky that there had been no casualties.