A confidential report leaked
This article discussed a confidential incident report detailing the events that took place on the September 16 Blackwater attack that was released. The report included a maps, witness statements, documents and a police video and was obtained by Newsweek. Although the report was made accessible to US military and civilian soldiers, it states that it is meant to be confidential.
Although I believe that we as civilians have the right to know what is going on in the war in Iraq, I can't help but wonder if it was ethical of Newsweek to release it to the public when it so clearly says confidential.
While this issue may test the ethics of some, I feel that Newsweek is in the right. American citizens are often denied the real truth and I think it is appropriate that we are entitled to know exactly what goes on.
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5 comments:
I am a little torn between the comments left by the poster, and the actual article that details the situation.
However, citizens do have the right to know what's going on in the world, especially when it involves members from our own country. Confidential or not, I feel that the fact that such a dispicable action was taken for no apparent reason in more unethical than "uncovering" confidential information.
I feel this was an event that needed to be brought to the surface to serve as a harsh reality of what is actually going on over there, and what we can be done to try and stop activities like this.
It is of wonder if bringing light to this will bring justice to anyone, or if it will just try to get buried amidst all the other controversial and unethical events that are going on across the world.
I think it is a difficult situation to judge whether or not it is ethical to expose the secrets. In my mind it is important to keep certain information in certain areas, I think the information about Iraq should stay within those who involved in it. All it exposes is fear to those that are not aware of what is happening. It makes people scared about what other secrets may be occuring, nd aslthough it is an event that may seem important it bring to surface, I do not realize what positive effects could come of it.
I am a little confused about the situation. The Backwater event is another humiliating example of U.S. mistakes in Iraq. It is important that citizens are informed about out involvement in Iraq. However, a document is deemed confidential when an exposure of that information will somehow comprimise American assests, safety, or intelligence. Was the document that Newsweek obtained confidential? If it was, publishing this information would be unethical. On the other hand, a newly declassified document is key news.
I think this is a difficult subject. For one we should know what is happening in Iraq. Regardless of wheither its ethical or not. We have families out there and the information given to us is minimal. On the other hand when it is meant to be confidential it probably for a serious matter that might affect us either as a society. Although this should be address for the reason that our government keeps too much from us, and this should change to help our country as a whole.
I belive this type of issue was settled by the Supreme COurt with the Pentagon Papers case (New York Times v. U.S., 1971). The New York Times and the Washington Post were allowed to print confidential and classified information on the Vietnam war leaked by a government source. The public's right to know what its leaders are doing in conducting a war on its behalf is imperative in a democracy. Especially when the behavior of some actors- contracted, sanctioned, and paid by the U.S. government (taxpayers)- is inappropriate, even by the standards of war. There was nothing in this report that was a threat to National Security. I think that if Newsweek failed to publish the report they would be derilict- and that would be unethical.
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