Why The Wikileaks Are Not All Bad
By Symi Rom-Rymer
Much of the discussion over the Wikileaks dump has focused on the negative impact of the released cables. But there may be a silver lining. Within the diplomatic community it may come as no surprise that Arab leaders expressed great concern over Iran’s nuclear ambitions in private, but this is the first time that their true feelings have been publically revealed. Using aggressive, undiplomatic language, leaders such as Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan exhorted American diplomats (respectively) to “cut off the head of the snake” and informed them, in eerily familiar echoes, that "Ahmadinejad is Hitler."
While the release of the cables demonstrates Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange’s lack of respect for or understanding of diplomatic reality, they nevertheless provide a unique opportunity for Western,...