Thread by @ThePollLady

10 most controversial exposé by WikiLeaks founded by Julian Assange.

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1. Guantánamo Files (2011):

WikiLeaks published classified assessments on abuse of 800 detainees at the US detention camp in Guantánamo Bay, revealing details about their torture and the reasons for their detention.

2. Iraq War Logs (2010):

WikiLeaks published classified documents about the U.S. war in Iraq War, revealing details about 66,000 civilian deaths, meticulous record of torture, rape, abuse and horrible war crimes.

Collateral Murder Video (2010):

WikiLeaks released a classified US military video depicting the indiscriminate killing of countless civilians, including two Reuters journalists, in suburban Baghdad in 2007.

3. Afghan War Diary (2010);

WikiLeaks dumped 91,000 reports of internal US military logs covering the war in Afghanistan & US war crimes. It exposed

• Civilian casualties were massively underreported,

• Detailed on covert operations: how US contractors used male child prostitutesin Afghanistan,

• Established fact that Taliban was only getting stronger despite US efforts.

4. Vault 7 (2017):

WikiLeaks published a series of leaks from the CIA, revealing the agency's hacking tools and techniques.

The leaks revealed that CIA can weaponize wide range of U.S. and European company products, including Apple's iPhone, Google's Android, and Microsoft's Windows.

The documents also showed that the CIA had developed tools to remotely hack into and control devices such as smart TVs, turning them into covert microphones. Additionally, the leaks suggested that the CIA had developed potentially lethal technologies allowing for remote control of vehicles like cars and trucks.

5. Diplomatic Cables** (2010):

WikiLeaks exposed a range of U.S. interference in foreign governments and world organisations.

• Spying on UN Officials as an attempt to influence the UN's decisions and actions.

• Support for Dictatorships in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan. This included providing financial and military aid to these governments.

• Manipulation of Foreign Elections in several countries.

• Pressure on Foreign Governments to adopt policies that were in line with U.S. interests.

• Influence over International Organizations including International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to further its own interests.

6. Syria Files (2012):

WikiLeaks released over 2 million emails from Syrian political figures, exposing the inner workings of the Syrian government and its response to the radical uprising and ISIS.

7. Global Intelligence Files** (2012):

WikiLeaks published over 5 million emails from the private intelligence firm Stratfor, revealing how US government and big corporations monitored activists, protestors and spies.

8. TPP, TTIP & TISA (2013):

Wikileaks published several DRAFTS of internatinal trade agreements showing how US tried to create a new global economic and legal bloc which would give unlimited power to MNCs with US at the center of agreements.

Here are some of the key revelations from these leaks:

• Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP: In 2013, Wikileaks released the draft text of the Intellectual Property Rights chapter of the TPP, which showed that the agreement would have far-reaching implications for intellectual property rights, including copyright, patents, and trademarks. The leaked text revealed that the TPP would extend copyright terms, increase penalties for infringement, and require countries to adopt stronger measures to protect against online piracy.

• Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership TTIP: In 2014, Wikileaks published a leaked draft of the TTIP's Investment Chapter, which revealed that the agreement would allow corporations to sue governments in private courts for passing laws that could harm their profits. This mechanism, known as Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), was criticized for giving corporations too much power and undermining the sovereignty of nations.

• Trade in Services Agreement TISA: In 2015, Wikileaks released the draft text of the Financial Services Annex of the TISA, which showed that the agreement would deregulate the financial services sector, potentially allowing banks and other financial institutions to engage in risky practices that could lead to another global financial crisis.

These leaks sparked widespread controversy and opposition to the trade agreements, as they revealed the extent to which these agreements would prioritize corporate interests over public interests, such as access to affordable medicines, environmental protection, and financial stability.

9. NSA World Leaders Target (2016):

WikiLeaks revealed that the US National Security Agency had targeted world leaders espcially Europeans for US geopolitical interests.

• The documents showed that the NSA had bugged a private climate change strategy meeting between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

• The NSA also singled out the Chief of Staff of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for long-term interception targetting his Swiss phone, and the Director of the Rules Division of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Johann Human, for long-term interception targetting his Swiss phone.

• Additionally, the NSA intercepted sensitive Italian diplomatic cables detailing how Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to help patch up his relationship with US President Barack Obama.

• The NSA also intercepted details of a critical private meeting between then French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Merkel, and Berlusconi, where Berlusconi was told the Italian banking system was ready to "pop like a cork".

10. Hillary Clinton Emails leak (2016):

WikiLeaks released emails from the DNC, which were seen as damaging to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

The revelations sparked significant controversy and discussion about the integrity of the US political process and the transparency of Clinton's campaign.