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WikiLeaks Release Security Firm’s Emails

The stateless media organization has released five million emails taken from the private security firm Stratfor, which carries out its own assignments and those of the Pentagon.
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What’s the Latest Development?

The stateless media organization WikiLeaks have released a cache of five million emails taken from the private security firm Stratcom in December 2011. The emails, which were copied from Stratfor computers by the hacker-activist group Anonymous, detail internal discussions of a wide range of assignments the firm has taken on, often at the behest of military and security agencies like the Pentagon and CIA. WikiLeaks’ embattled founder, Julian Assange, says Stratfor engages in questionable business practices like money laundering.

What’s the Big Idea?

The peak of WikiLeaks’ visibility came after releasing many thousands of on-the-ground military reports from the war in Afghanistan. The move earned the company some powerful enemies like the US government and major credit card companies, which prevented their cardholders from making online donations to the site. At the time, WikiLeaks worked with major media outfits like the New York Times, Der Spiegel and the Gaurdian to publicize the documents. With the Stratfor emails, WikiLeaks are cooperating with smaller publications.

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

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