ndege
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Post by ndege on Nov 28, 2010 22:09:14 GMT 3
The first batch of cables, articles, comments, analysis of what is contained in the recent Wikileaks documents (US foreign mission reports etc.), has just hit the web.
I have not been able to download the files from wikileaks as of yet - apparently the site is under an ongoing D-O-S attack - but I will keep trying.
However, a first brief summery in respect to Kenya was just released by the German news site Spiegel.de a couple of minutes ago.
"Kenia? Ein landesweiter Sumpf blühender Korruption. 15 hochrangige kenianische Offizielle sind inzwischen mit einem Einreiseverbot in die USA belegt, fast aus jeder Zeile der Botschaftsberichte spricht Verachtung für die Regierung von Präsident Mwai Kibaki und Premier Raila Odinga."
Translation:
"(And what about) Kenya? (according to US embassy staff in Nairobi )A flourishing, national marsh of corruption. 15 high-ranking Kenyan officials are now denied entry into the USA, almost every line of the cables drips with contempt for the government of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga."
Now, I am sure, as is their job really, every nation's diplomatic staff will look for any possible information they can gather and send on-wards to their respective governments. That, in itself, is neither a revelation, nor, well, a scandal.
It is also understandable that, as I type this, the world over, people are torn, considering that the world's (current) superpower is opinionated in respect to their own governments, and may feel anger and outrage (how dare they! of all people?!).
But it shouldn't be about the messenger ... but the message. And it will be interesting to see what, in detail, American embassy staff had to report to DC about our Kenyan leadership, those people we elect, support, hope to be represented by. It will be interesting because their statements will, by the very nature of their purpose, be straight-forward, unmasked, well ... honest.
Most of us won't find much news here, I suppose. But I have a feeling that 'official perspectives' won't hurt either. Let's see what else is in those documents.
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Post by politicalmaniac on Nov 28, 2010 22:13:56 GMT 3
ndege
Keep us posted lets see what rennenberger REALLY thinks of this GCG animal!!
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Post by gachquota on Nov 28, 2010 22:27:34 GMT 3
Good news reveal all.
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ndege
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by ndege on Nov 28, 2010 23:00:10 GMT 3
As said, I will keep at it. However, it seems this may take a day or more. So far ... no documents to download besides the ones published by The Guardian, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, El Pais, and Le Monde.
I did sent an email to one of the editors of one of the news outlets involved, asking for any mentions about Kenya he might be able to share. One never knows ... :-)
Meanwhile ... what is available already is quite remarkable, I must say. 251,000 documents, all in all. The biggest bits so far? Apparently Saudi Arabia and other Arab states appear to be more into having the US attack Iran than Israel is. Some have suspected that much before, but not like that. Further, the US is, as it seems, genuinely worried that terrorists will be able to obtain nuclear material for 'dirty bombs' from Pakistani facilities. Clinton appears to have asked all in question to spy on UN officials. The German foreign minister is considered incompetent (no surprise there really; I'm in Germany a lot.). Most interesting for the future of Europe: Turkey is considered by the US to be fast on track to become an islamistic state. Well, well, well ... that should put Turkey's dreams to join the EU to rest for now.
Most of the documents are from 2007 to February of this year. There are about 1,700 documents that were dispatched from Berlin, and more than 1,800 that originate from the US embassy in Nairobi.
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Post by politicalmaniac on Nov 28, 2010 23:02:22 GMT 3
Canadians are in for a shock too!
....Washington has notified Ottawa that the WikiLeaks secret-spilling website is about to release some sensitive U.S. diplomatic files that could damage U.S. relations with allies around the world.
and could result in the expulsion of U.S. diplomats from foreign postings.
Walter Dorn, an associate professor at the Royal Military College of Canada, said the leaked documents could "provide a window into the diplomatic exchanges with Canada and a frank view of how Canadian officials are viewed by the U.S. ambassador and by officials in the U.S. embassy.
kie kie kie ;D ;D ;D
haya basi let the shoes start falling,
kina renneberger may be expelled if it is found he talked sh!t about the othayan and his ilk
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Post by job on Nov 29, 2010 1:36:26 GMT 3
The US State Department is in a diplomatic crisis.
Wikileaks has spilled out their secrets to the world.
These US diplomats (including Ambassadors) are basically turning out to be nothing more than spies, and anyone talking to them had better know they are being interviewed by a spy.
Now they are exposed.
Incidentally, the sensitive dispatches excluded Kenya.
Among the cables leaked from Africa include those from US Embassies in Uganda, Somalia, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi and a couple of West and North African countries (Egypt, Libya).
Washington asked its diplomats to find out about links between drug traffickers to global cocaine cartels and terrorists. They also wanted the diplomats to detail government corruption and track how the proceeds flowed out of the country - & locating their destinations.
Washington also curiously wanted to know - for some countries - how off-budget financial flows were supporting corrupt leaders.
I'm sure even though Ranneberger's secret cables weren't part of the lot intercepted, he had his own share of spying assignments to do for Washington - hence (probably) the list of Kenya's drug Kingpins, and exposure of money laundering channels through Charter House Bank.
It is clear drug proceeds and money laundering scams are influencing Kenya's politics in profound ways. Look at the ease at which Sonko, Kabogo, Mbugua,etc rode to parliament.
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ndege
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Posts: 46
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Post by ndege on Nov 29, 2010 4:46:12 GMT 3
Job
Dispatches from the Nairobi embassy are part of the leaked documents (from Kenya, over a long period of time, mainly after 2005: 1.819 documents are included!), Spiegel Online, as well as the magazine Spiegel, refer to Kenya in that respect (see my original post in this thread, quoting them, as published in German, and as translated by me).
However, so far, the news-outlets exclusively involved in the release (also, see above), have published merely excerpts from the 250,000 documents. Of course, by and large, they published information in relation to their own, respective Governments.
Also, every member of diplomatic staff, of any country, anywhere, has to file reports home about what their assessments of the political landscape, the players, the pros and cons, are - especially in respect to their respective governments. In this case, the US diplomats reported what is of importance to their government. Nothing special about it. Nothing at all.
One has to hope that our members of the diplomatic community do their homework the same way. One doesn't hope too much, though.
I have read a lot of what has been published so far. I cannot say that I have read anything that makes the US look particularly stupid or vile. When it comes to political aspects I believe I have knowledge about, I think they are spot on with their comments.
The fact that it was somehow possible to extract the data from them in the first place is however something that makes them the laughing stock of the int. community right now. But it is, I am sure, a very subdued laughter. As many, many big names have been put out naked for the eyes of the world to see. Which is rather wonderful! :-)
Go read the material, as is currently available, in English, at the Guardian's or the NYT's respective websites. I hope Wikileaks is up soon again, so that the original data can be downloaded. It is searchable, so we will be able to find all documents relating to Kenya in no time.
Modified: the number of documents originating from the US embassy in Kenya is 1,819, according to Spiegel Online, as well as Spiegel TV.
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Post by tnk on Nov 29, 2010 6:02:56 GMT 3
try thisnotes 1. they are releasing info in little bits and will be spread over 2 or 3 months 2. the wiki leak home site has been severely compromised by hackers its unlikely to recover, alternate sites will keep popping up here and there. 3. kenya data (approx 1821 items) is not yet listed only 220 of 250000 items released so far 4. data may not be that hot but it does give perspective think the media in a way is blowing this out of proportion or exaggerating its impact but still maybe we haven't seen nothing yet
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Post by shifta on Nov 29, 2010 6:36:55 GMT 3
Ndege, how was wikileaks able to get access to such sensitive material? This is fascinating!
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Post by shifta on Nov 29, 2010 6:54:05 GMT 3
I am disappointed! How can Kermadec Islands, Antipodes Island, even Chad be spied on more than Kenya, you mean we are just full of ourselves? Yaani the US cares more about others? Someone should notify our press that we do not matter as much - damn!  |
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ndege
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by ndege on Nov 29, 2010 6:59:01 GMT 3
Shifta
Kenya ranks higher than Berlin! Check tnk's cool link (above).
The files were forwarded to Wikileaks, by whom ... no-one's sure as of yet. Possibly a US soldier who believes that this information should be made public.
Tnk ...
I agree. It still is interesting, historically it is enormous!
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Post by tnk on Nov 29, 2010 7:15:40 GMT 3
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ndege
New Member
Posts: 46
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Post by ndege on Nov 29, 2010 7:38:37 GMT 3
tnk ...
thanks for the Harare link. A positively awesome piece of material!
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Post by reporter911 on Nov 29, 2010 8:03:47 GMT 3
Here is the main site for the releases go check Kenya cables  Check by country..... cablegate.wikileaks.org/index.htmlI still don't understand, what wikileaks whats to gain from this cable explosive releases? can somebody explain to me? Now all those deals behind closed doors between countries will come out and each country will know who is dealing with the USA or Britain behind their backs what worries me is in the case of some Middle East countries and African countries reporting on each other and making deals behind each other back with the USA, UN or Rusia.. or forwarding false information to the USA and others.. cables can be very informative..I wonder how many cables were written or forwarded to with unfounded or information that was then acted on and caused havoc in a particular country and later it was determined not correct?........lets wait and see the backlash... Na Mambo bado |
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Post by nereah on Nov 30, 2010 15:31:16 GMT 3
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Post by nereah on Nov 30, 2010 15:37:54 GMT 3
american embassy cables on kenya to be leaked by star reporter a total of 1,821 diplomatic cables from the us embasy in nairobi are among the more than 251,000 documents that the website wikileaks started releasing over the weekend. the first 250 cables to be released do not include any from the american embassy in kenya.however they are expected to start coming out in the next few days the kenyan diplomatic cable goes back to 2005 but the m,ajority covers the 2007 elections and the period of the colaition government.there is one cable forom may 14,1996. diplomatic cables are confidential reports sent by ambassadors to their superiors in washington. details in the star,issue no 1049,tuesday 30,2010 |
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Post by kamalet on Nov 30, 2010 17:36:12 GMT 3
Looks like the Americans said some unsavoury things about the PM if they have to prepare him for the unkindness well before wikileaks publishes the cables from Kenya! |
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Post by roughrider on Nov 30, 2010 18:35:29 GMT 3
Looks like the Americans said some unsavoury things about the PM if they have to prepare him for the unkindness well before wikileaks publishes the cables from Kenya! The US is doing a global scale damage control exercise calling on World Leaders at least a week before the leaks. And they do not bother talking to people that they consider irrelevant to their wider interests. Kamale, you can read the pebbles how you wish, and we will see what those leaks say, but in diplomatic statecraft this is significant. |
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Post by politicalmaniac on Nov 30, 2010 20:26:15 GMT 3
. Kamale, you can read the pebbles how you wish, and we will see what those leaks say, but in diplomatic statecraft this is significant.
its not clear what the cables contents were, esp regarding the 2007 elections. It may turn out that the US Govt knew that the mafiya stole the elections as based on the RPI exit poll, but did not trust ODM strong muslim base. |
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Post by job on Nov 30, 2010 20:34:53 GMT 3
Looks like the Americans said some unsavoury things about the PM if they have to prepare him for the unkindness well before wikileaks publishes the cables from Kenya! (a) Kamale is actually right about the US (under George W Bush) saying (& DOING) some very unsavoury things about Raila Odinga preceding the 2007 elections. In a short while (thanks to Wikileaks), we are going to read all the nasty stuff Ranneberger said about Raila to Washington. That's guaranteed. And Boy what a shot that picha is. In that photo, see how Ranneberger's face is red (pink) as he tries forcing a chameleon laugh. I'm sure he already confessed ahead of time. Hawa makachero wa Yankee are quite some sly fellas - literally double-edged swords. I will eagerly await the public splashing of Ranneberger's cables. Will I likely be surprised? Nope. I already know Ranneberger personally did a heck-uv-a-job in stopping the swearing in of Raila Odinga as Kenya's President in 2007. His framing of the Raila-NAMLEF MoU debate, manipulation of local polling (& suppression of IRI's exit polls) were all noted. No wonder his facial arteries are super-dilated with hot blood. Amepatikana with his pants down! What a Chameleon! (b) Roughrider is correct too in pointing out that the US will do all diplomatic acrobatics to cajole back those it considers relevant to their future interests (like Raila). They won't bother responding to those it cares less about - yaani those they've used and now dumped. In any case, they didn't say too much unsavoury things about Kibaki when they needed him in 2007 for their counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence plots (including forced renditions of Muslims). Let's all remember the periodic on-and-off US diplomatic acrobatics which at some time said very good things about Sadam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. That came and passed.Well, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now on an appeasement trail abroad (Asia and Middle East) and her Assistant in charge of Africa, Johhny Carson is working the phones apologizing to those it feels obliged to. (c) Not to be outdone, the sly fox called Kibaki has unleashed a big punch to the face of the US, carefully hidden in Alfred Mutua's otherwise mundane-sounding 'response'.
Kibaki has exposed his own Wikibaki-leak about US intelligence activities in Kenya. He slapped them back. He just publicly exposed the US, calling them out for funding and inciting grassroots-based,anti-government, youth activism, through the civil society- tunawaona ati munafikiria muta-incite our youth into a revolution! [/color] This Kibaki expos~e (sounded by Mutua) is something we already pointed out here in JUKWAA in 2008/9 |
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Post by gachquota on Nov 30, 2010 21:50:19 GMT 3
The wikileaks website has been brought down in U.S.A and U.K.
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Post by politicalmaniac on Dec 1, 2010 6:15:16 GMT 3
The wikileaks website has been brought down in U.S.A and U.K. Not only is the website down but its founder is under seige on rape charges in Sweden, and the USA wants to charge him with espionage. Interpol is looking for his too |
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Post by enigma on Dec 1, 2010 13:21:35 GMT 3
Kenya should offer the guy assylum. He is a force for good.
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Post by gachquota on Dec 1, 2010 19:52:41 GMT 3
Pm and Enigma .....are those charges true ama nikuwekelewa? Can Kenya offer anyone assylum ? I guess not .
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Post by einstein on Dec 3, 2010 18:07:03 GMT 3
Surely the guilty are afraid. Compare the reaction of the Turkish PM to Wikileaks vis-a-vis the reaction of a certain Kenyan pilitician to PEV! How similar!! Please read the readers' comments and compare with our own comments regarding our Kenyan politician. Amazing! www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=pm-harshly-responds-wiki-claims-says-will-sue-us-diplomats-2010-12-01I love this: “An honorable media [outlet] or media member should first ask the person these slanders are made against [about the claims],” he said. “If the subject is the prime minister, you should ask: ‘Esteemed prime minister, is this true?’ If the prime minister tells you, ‘No, I have nothing to do with it,’ then you should not write about it. But if you write it without asking, without investigating [the validity of the claim], with the purpose of defaming, that is immorality, worthlessness.”What a world! |
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