New York Times or Wikileaks?

The New York Times does it again and again–endangers the lives of those operating abroad. This past Sunday, the New York Times released an article titled U.S. Underwrites Internet Detour Around Censors. This article is not the first written by the New York Times where anti-American propaganda crossed numerous lines of freedom of press. The New York Times can very well be construed as the next Wikileaks.

This specific article attacks young academics and entrepreneurs who have taken serious risks to better the livelihoods of those living abroad. It also attacks U.S. initiatives overseas. Most disturbing, the New York Times specifically stated that some of the information obtained came directly out of “classified diplomatic cables.” When will the New York Times madness stop?

Historically, this is nothing new for the New York Times. On the 24^th of May 2010, the New York Times had written another article titled U.S. Is Said to Expand Secret Actions in Mideast. Within the 2010 article, it stated that an expansion of clandestine activities were to occur in the Middle East.

“The top American commander in the Middle East has ordered a broad expansion of clandestine military activity in an effort to disrupt militant groups or counter threats in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and other countries in the region, according to defense officials and military documents.”

It would have been nice if the New York Times revealed the military source where it obtained the May of 2010 information because if this were true, it is highly likely that the document is classified, it has been leaked, and an investigation needs to result charging individuals who released this information similarly to the Bradley Manning and Wikileaks affair.

Sunday’s article is even more alarming than the 2010 article. This most recent propaganda attack against the United States identifies non-government persons, institutions, and specific locations where they operate. The details of this article are exactly what Al Qaeda and any other adversary to the United States, including rogue regimes like Iran, needs for targeting endeavors. They can skip the intelligence process because the New York Times just did it for them.

While the New York Times claims that they did their homework to write this detailed article, they failed to do their homework in full. U.S. media have an obligation to protect their sources but they also have a moral obligation to protect the nation. It is obvious that the New York Times could not care about their sources nor does it care about this nation’s security. If they cared about these aspects of journalism, they would have done their homework to ensure no life would be endangered–yet they failed and many are in austere danger because of their wrongdoings.

No matter how much fact, misinformation, or absolute disinformation was written yesterday, people’s lives are now in danger. The New York Times just endangered the lives of many. Our enemies have specifically stated that they will avenge the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Now, our enemies have a long list of persons, places, and infrastructural targets to choose from.