WikiLeaks is accusing the Guardian of “recklessness”, after a security breach at the whistleblowing website led to the publication of thousands of uncensored US diplomatic cables.

The argument stems from the publication of the Guardian‘s book, WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy, in which a password for a secure server – on which sensitive files were shared between the website and newspaper – was revealed. WikiLeaks is accusing the paper’s journalists of “gross negligence” and “malice”.

But the newspaper has hit back at the website calling the claim “nonsense”, and is arguing that the book – published in February 2011 – had no information that could compromise the website in any way.

“[The book] contained a password, but no details of the location of the files, and we were told it was a temporary password which would expire and be deleted in a matter of hours,” said a statement from the Guardian. “It was a meaningless piece of information to anyone except the person(s) who created the database.”

The statement added: “No concerns were expressed when the book was published and if anyone at WikiLeaks had thought this compromised security they have had seven months to remove the files. That they didn’t do so clearly shows the problem was not caused by the Guardian‘s book.”

In a case of ‘I told you so’, the US government – angered by the publication of these details in their redacted forms, let alone this new leak – warned of the dangers handing over confidential information to third-parties can have, and has suggested that this new leak could place US informants, human rights activists and others at risk of harm or imprisonment.

(Source: MediaGuardian)

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