WikiLeaks Reveals Grim Afghan War

Over 90,000 top-secret files documenting the war in Afghanistan have been released by whistle-blower site WikiLeaks, unearthing an enormous cache of secrets that paint a grim image of the military effort. Among other details disclosed, the files expose devastating civilian losses in the country, at the hands of both the Taliban and coalition forces; the increasing use of remote-control Predator drones to kill top Taliban members; as well as an ultra-secret “black” group of soldiers tasked with capturing and murdering Taliban members without a trial. Others show damning evidence that Pakistan has conspired with insurgents in Afghanistan, even meeting with them to share information. The files, one of the biggest leaks in the history of the U.S. military, cover January 2004 to December 2009, a fact that the Obama administration has been quick to point out, given that it implicates “under-resourcing” on the part of President George W. Bush. WikiLeaks’ founder, Julian Assange, leaked the files to several newspapers at no fee, and The Guardian is publishing many of them online.