Best of ArabLeaks

Just how much did these cables change the world?

MARCH 9, 2011

Ever since those first cables from Tunis leaked on Dec. 7, 2010, informing the world that Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's extended family was a "quasi-mafia" and that his son-in-law's "over the top" mansion housed not only an infinity pool but also a tiger who fed on "four chickens a day," WikiLeaks has been intimately bound up with the revolutions. Indeed, the Tunisian uprising began only 10 days later, and its shock waves have spread across the Arab world.

For More WikiLeaks:

How to Write a Cable
By Peter Galbraith

The Arab Revolutions
Through the WikiLeaks Lens
By Graeme Wood

If it's too much of a leap to say that the cables gave rise to the protests, they certainly provided a lens through which the Arab public could, finally, get a candid glimpse as to how Washington saw their leaders: Omar Suleiman's brief tenure as vice president of Egypt was illuminated by a few cables discussing his toadying relationships with Israel, the CIA, and President Hosni Mubarak. And embattled Libyan leader Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi's image in the Western world took on a lurid spin after the leak of an early cable about his "personal proclivities." Not only did WikiLeaks reveal his voluptuous Ukrainian nurse to the world, it encapsulated his decades of rule: "While it is tempting to dismiss his many eccentricities as signs of instability," read the cable, "Qadhafi is a complicated individual who has managed to stay in power for forty years through a skillful balancing of interests and realpolitik methods."

Now that the revolutions are entering their fourth month, however, with two governments overthrown and others tottering on the brink, are the WikiLeaks cables merely reporting from a world that doesn't exist anymore? Or can WikiLeaks still be read with an eye toward the new Arab future? Foreign Policy went back through the files to dig up the best of the Arab world WikiLeaks: the cables with impact on today's revolutions, and tomorrow's.

LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

 

ADAIBET

7:59 AM ET

March 10, 2011

What about the corrupted Kurdish leaders?!!!

Is there anything about the corrupted Kurdish leaders?! or it can not be made public do to the support they get from the US administration and they are needed as much as how Mubarak was needed?

Do'nt turn a blind eye to them, they both, Barzani and Talabani, are murderers and corrupted leaders in the ME...

 

AGRICOLA

12:59 PM ET

March 10, 2011

Dry your tears

Considering that they are one of the largest stateless peoples in the ME, your whining rings rather hallow. The difference between your probably passion for Palestine and your dislike of the Kurds is that the Kurds are oppressed by your own people not the evil zionist boogie man.

 

AGRICOLA

1:04 PM ET

March 10, 2011

Assange did Nothing

The arab peoples did not need (or have access to in most cases) these documents to know their governments were corrupt and oppressed them.

The fruit dealer didnt read wikileaks when he was humiliated.

The Bahraini Shi'ites didn't need to read them to know they're oppressed.

Yemen didnt need an excuse for violence, already had hundreds.

You get my point.

Wikileaks did make for some good news stories, but apart from raveling that the state dept trusted its employees too much, nothing too revealing.

 

THIRDWORLDCHARLIE

1:46 PM ET

March 10, 2011

Dictators, Third World Elite and Western Education

Saif al Islam has P.hd. from London School of Ecponomics, Musa Kusa (Lybian For Minister) has master's degree from USA. Many many Pakistani elite have Oxford, Harvard education after their name. True, many did not earn a degree but just passed time. But the sad fact is that so called superior education had no effect on their conduct when they returned to rule. Bribery, corruption and usurpation of other peoples rights, national funds and resources remained just the same.

Moral Western Education (and connivance of Western universities to court scions of elite families) is worth nothing, if basic morality, honesty is not there. This can only come from within their own cultures. Therefore honesty and not the degree should be badge of honor.

 

SAMILOGLU

4:09 PM ET

March 12, 2011

Western Education

If the dictators, politicians or any other people who lead some groups and countries took western education, it never says that those people shall respect peoples rights, nature or other things...'cause in general Western education is dedicated itself to produce people who mentally focused on the money (result of capitalism)....Firstfull we should think about the western education system and its results other than science. Thanks

 

MARTHA DHEEL

2:21 PM ET

April 8, 2011

Best of ArabLeaks

Just how much did these cables change the world?. Is there anything about the corrupted Kurdish leaders?! or it can not be made public do to the support they get from the US administration and they are needed as much as how Mubarak was needed? Do'nt turn a blind eye to them, they both, Barzani and Talabani, are murderers and corrupted leaders in the ME. "Ever since those first cables from Tunis leaked on Dec. 7, 2010, informing the world that Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's extended family was a "quasi-mafia" and that his son-in-law's "over the top" mansion housed not only an infinity pool but also a tiger who fed on "four chickens a day," WikiLeaks has been intimately bound up with the revolutions prosthodontist. Indeed, the Tunisian uprising began only 10 days later, and its shock waves have spread across the Arab world. For More WikiLeaks: How to Write a Cable By Peter Galbraith The Arab Revolutions Through the WikiLeaks Lens By Graeme Wood" Is there anything about the corrupted Kurdish leaders?! or it can not be made public do to the support they get from the US administration and they are needed as much as how Mubarak was needed? Do'nt turn a blind eye to them, they both, Barzani and Talabani, are murderers and corrupted leaders in the ME..