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Former MI5 officer: Afghan Wikileaks 'risk lives'

By Kris Jepson, Jonathan Miller

Updated on 28 July 2010

Exclusive: As Wikileaks founder Julian Assange defends leaking secret US military documents, after claims possible Afghan informants have been identified within the Afghan war logs, a former MI5 officer tells Channel 4 News those named and their families could be "in great danger".

Afghanistan war files: Ex MI5 man says Afghan informers may now be at risk. (Credit: Getty)

Channel 4 News picked out three of the 91,000 US military field reports published by Wikileaks, which appear in some cases to contain the names of informants in Afghanistan, as well as information about where they live, their tribe, and family members.

There are now real concerns that the "secret" US military information leaked by Wikileaks could put Afghan lives in danger.

Julian Assange, the co-founder of Wikileaks, was specifically asked shortly before the publication of the data whether the leaked material might cost lives when interviewed for Channel 4 News by Afghanistan specialist Stephen Grey.

"We've gone through the material and reviewed it and looked for cases... like an old man saying 'next door there is a Taliban', or what he believes is Taliban. Those have been withheld," he said, adding that the source of the leaked documents had also worked to protect individuals. 

Former Security Service (MI5) intelligence officer, Nick Day, told Channel 4 News that he was "flabbergasted" by the Wikileaks decision to publish the identities of possible informants.

The director of business intelligence firm Diligence Inc, Mr Day said: "It is negligent and immoral.

"It's bizarre. These Afghans are in extreme danger. I am sure al-Qaida and the Taliban have got people trawling through this stuff too. In light of what Mullah Omar said recently that the Taliban should change tactics and target those who collaborate with Nato forces, this is very serious."

Ten days ago, Nato's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul reported that they had intercepted orders from Taliban leader Mullah Omar in June.

One of the orders in the intercepted communication to field commanders was that they should "Capture and kill any Afghan who is supporting and / or working for coaltion forces or the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan."

Mr Day told Channel 4 News: "This is a dangerous game they're involved in. There is no Afghan Witness Protection Programme. The Taliban will just put pressure on them and if they can't find them, they'll find their families. They are in great danger."

Mr Assange added: "I think it's unlikely that that will happen [that they could be killed]. We've worked hard to make sure there's not a significant chance of anybody coming to harm.

"We can't guarantee it. But our understanding of the material is that it's vastly more likely to save lives than cost lives."

Watch: interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange

Channel 4 News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan Miller believes there are major questions to be answered.

"Wikileaks, for all its apparent efforts to protect the identity of Afghan nationals working as informants, has inadvertently served up a hit list for Taliban death squads, complete with the names of 'collaborators' and details of where they live.

"Taliban computer geeks will barely have to join the dots."

Wikileaks war files: more from Channel 4 News
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Watch: interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange
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War files leak: timing threatens US-Pakistan relations

Wikileaks editor Julian Assange has insisted that the release of the Afghan war logs on his website is justified.

Speaking in an interview with The Times newspaper, Mr Assange claims that many informers were "acting in a criminal way" by sharing false information with Nato authorities.

He claims that the White House knew that informants' names could be exposed before the publication of the leaked documents, but did nothing to help Wikileaks vet the data.

He also claims that the risk to informants' lives was outweighed by the overall importance of publishing information.

He is quoted as saying: "No one has been harmed, but should anyone come to harm of course that would be a matter of deep regret - our goal is justice to innocents, not to harm them."

Three US military field reports uncovered
Channel 4 News has been unable to independently verify the authenticity of the Wikileaks files. Channel 4 News has also redacted the personal information of the informants to protect their identities.

The first field report Channel 4 News looked at was filed in 2004. It outlines events when US special forces were on patrol near an Afghan village. It states the troops stopped to speak to local Afghans who were working in the mountainous area. One alleged informant, who is named, told the special forces that he had seen rockets launched nearby that year - he explained to the troops that the rockets were launched from the same area the Mujahideen used to work in.

Could the man's life be under threat as a consequence of this leaked documents?

It then suggests that the troops found ammunition in the ground where the locals were. These people claimed they did not know who had recently buried the ammunition, but they were truthful about their own weapons. Again this incident may be a well-known fact within the locality and therefore could people's lives be at risk?

The troops secured the locals and then other neighbours began to bring out ammunition they had buried or stored in their homes. All the families claimed it was left over by the Mujahideen and they had buried it two years previous to hide from the Taliban. The local men were named in this entry. With the named men and the fact they said they were hiding the ammunition from the Taliban, could it lead to them being put in danger?

A report in 2004 said:
While patrolling near the village of ###########, US special forces spoke with ###### ##### of the ###### tribe. ###### stated that one of the locals was working in the vicinity of a mountain region called ###### ### #### located (Grids). While in the ###### ### #### mountain range he saw rockets getting launched on ## ### 04. ###### also stated that rockets had been fired from the village of ##### ### in the vicinity of (grid). Which is the same area that the Mujahideen had used against the Russians.

While speaking to ###### ####, ### security found a freshly dug area on the outskirts of the compound. ### began to dig and found 20 cases of ### ammunition. The compound belonged to ########## whose father is in #### ####. This individual had no explanation why the ammunition was recently buried, but was honest about the weapons that he had. ########## assumed his father had buried it without telling him. US special forces then secured ##########.

Once secured, other locals began to bring US special forces ammunition they had buried or stored within their compounds. ####### had 30 cases of ### ammunition and ####### had 14 cases of ### ammunition. All families had the same answer for having the ammunition. They stated it was left over from the Mujahideen time and they had buried it about two years earlier to hide it from the Taliban. They made no attempt to hide their weapons and offered them to US special forces without incident.

The second report was filed in 2006. It outlines a planned attack in an area near Mosques that may be a target. It gives the suspects names and phone numbers. It then gives the name of the source, indirectly by mentioning a relative of the source. Again it raises questions like could all this detailed information lead the Taliban to informants via jigsaw identification? How many people would have those phone numbers to hand?

The location of a house was mentioned where a key preparation meeting was held between the alleged Taliban. Again only a handful of people may have known about this meeting. Lives put at risk? It then explains that one of the suicide bombers-to-be is not local to the region and cannot speak the local language.

Another report from 2006 said:
1. The #### will be hidden in his store "#### #####" in ###, next to the route ######, not to far from the 3 rented house where the attackers will be. (One of them ### ####.) There are some mosque can be found as well as a target.

2. If you see carefully both possible approaching routes for to his store. (route ###### and route ###### cross each other in that point almost.)

3. We know #### ####### phone number is #########. Beside this, we know one more phone number. ###### ##### ####### (one of the attackers) had a phone conversation with a man called commander ##### who is a ### ###### in ##### and he "is ready to provide any type of ###". Commander ###### phone number is #########.

4. According to one of the reports #### ####### travels with the convoy.

5. #### ######### ############ is the source who provided the information.

6. One of the meeting when they prepared the action was held in #### ######## house.

7. ### #### who is described as an "Arab" in all of the reports, does not know ##### and does not speak any local languages. He need somebody who support him and help him to approach the place of attack. This person can be #### #######. The method of the attack is that first one using the ####### as an ####### and the second one as a ####### ###### carried out by ### #### using his explosive vest.

In the third report filed in 2008, a Taliban fighter is interviewed and he claims he wants to stop fighting. He is named, along with his relatives and details of his home, putting his life and that of his family under potential threat.

He also gives the troops details of Taliban strongholds and names of commanders within the ranks. He explains to the troops why he started fighting the coalition forces. Could all this information put the Taliban fighter, who says he wanted to quit, in danger?

When mentioning the two main Taliban commanders, he claims everyone is scared of them and they make everyone else carry on the fight against the coalition forces. He names both the Taliban commanders. This may further endanger the source.

Another report in 2008 says:
The meeting started with a meal provided by the governor. After the meal the rest of the attendees left the room and the meeting continued between the governor, ##########, Captain ####, and ####### the interpreter.

I began by thanking ########## for wanting to PTS (Peace through strength reconcilliation programme). I stated that he had a lot of courage to come in and I think his road to progress will benefit him in the future. I asked him if anyone knew he was going to PTS and he said only his friends. He was in #######, a town in Pakistan, and came straight to the district centre, so fellow ######### fighters don't know where he is.

####### ###### then stated the plan for his PTS, he would go to ######## tomorrow and link up with as PTS official from ######. He would then travel to ######, finish the process and then return to ########.

I then asked him why he wanted to PTS. He stated that he is tired of fighting and tired of living in the mountains and in the cold. He said there are many other fighters that think the same way. He said they have been fighting for 5 years and many want to PTS. I asked how many and he said 20-30 fighters want to PTS. He said many of them are scared of PTSing because they think coalition forces will detain them first. I assured him that detaining them is not the policy. He said many of them were going to see what happened with him, before they tried to PTS. He said they are also scared of two leaders, #### ##### and ##########. He said these are the two people that keep all the fighters battling against the Coalition forces and the government. 

He stated that many fighters feel the same way with over 300 ########## that have died. He and I both agreed that it is time for the fighting to stop.

The meeting ended with ########## agreeing to meet with intel personnel from the battalion when he returns from his PTS in a week. Governor ###### assured that he would set up the meeting.

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