WikiLeaks and Pentagon in showdown over alleged murder cover-up: High noon is April 5

[Poll_Blind]

The Pentagon and WikiLeaks will probably never be scribbling BFF on each other's yearbooks- that part should not come as a surprise. One relishes keeping secrets secret, the other in sharing those secrets with the world. Including, sometimes, classified information.

Things got a bit hotter between the two ever since WikiLeaks published a 2008 article from the Army Counterintelligence Center (and verified by the Pentagon as genuine) which openly mused about ways to shut down or discredit WikiLeaks to destroy it entirely. (see: "Pentagon deems Wikileaks a national security threat")

But things are (presumably) about to get much hotter- WikiLeaks has more than hinted that they have been actively trying to decrypt and now have successfully decrypted (thanks to purchased supercomputer time) footage of a killing of some sort, believed to be from or related to an airstrike, which they claim proves a Pentagon murder cover-up. Speculation on what this video contains or from what vantage point it was taken is still unknown.

WikiLeaks have stated they will reveal this material at the US National Press Club on April 5th of this year.

Things have taken a turn for the bizarre in the last 48 hours as the WikiLeaks sent out a number of frantic messages via its Twitter account. I'll let this article from Technorati pick up the next twist:

According to tweets from Wikileak insiders, members of their editorial advisory board are being tailed by State Department and CIA officials, and have been shown ominous photos taken secretly during their production meetings.

Apparently, the recent interest in WikiLeaks stems from a video they obtained of a military airstrike. Here are some recent tweets from inside the Wikileaks organization:

* We have airline records of the State Dep/CIA tails. Don't think you can get away with it. You cannot. This is WikiLeaks. about 10 hours ago via bit.ly

* We have been shown secret photos of our production meetings and been asked specific questions during detention related to the airstrike. about 10 hours ago via bit.ly

* If you know more about the operations against us, contact https://secure.wikileaks.org/ about 10 hours ago via bit.ly

* We know our possession of the decrypted airstrike video is now being discussed at the highest levels of US command. about 10 hours ago via bit.ly

* One related person was detained for 22 hours. Computer's seized.That's http://www.skup.no about 10 hours ago via bit.ly

So...what does this video depict and why is it perceived to be so damaging and inculcating to the Pentagon? WikiLeaks had to shut down earlier this year due to shortfalls in funding. Is this a publicity stunt or the beginnings of a major breaking story? Why not just release the video now? And if it is as big a story as WikiLeaks implies, might it have finally bitten off more than it can chew?

The most recent article, just a few hours old at most, by TechEye gives the following account:

The WikiLeaks team added earlier "If anything happens to us, you know why: it is our Apr 5 film. And you know who is responsible." Having a look at the Wikileaks Twitter stream reveals the whistleblowers allegedly received an encrypted video showing a US military airstrike on January 8th this year. Wikileaks called for supercomputer time, to aid with encryptment. The encryption was announced cracked on February 20th this year.

Apparently, the video shows the shooting of journalists and civilians by the hands of the US military. The public will know more on April 5th, when Wikileaks says it will release the film. If the video in question indeed shows the slaughter of unarmed journos and civilians, heads are bound to roll.

Airstrike? "Shooting of journalists and civilians by the hands of the US military"? WTF? More questions than answers...

ONEDIT: It appears the "Shooting of journalists and civilians" speculation was based on this older Tweet from WikiLeaks.

PB

[tekisui]

1. I wish they would just release it now.

This feels like a gimmick with the approaching date.

[Poll_Blind]

2. I have a feeling if the video, harassment, detainment, etc. are true the video will be out long...

...before the 5th of next month. That's just my hunch.

PB