Stratfor email leak
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The Global Intelligence Files leak is the disclosure of a number of internal emails between global intelligence company Stratfor and its clients, which began being published by WikiLeaks on February 27, 2012. According to WikiLeaks, there are a supposed 5 million emails, though only 200 have been released thus far. The emails include "'client' information ... notes between Stratfor employees ... [and] internal documents about proper procedures on how to collect and analyze information and maintain confidentiality."[1] These communications at Stratford date "from July 2004 till December 2011".[2] It has been stated by Stratfor that WikiLeaks obtained the emails from Anonymous after Stratfor's web site was hacked in 2011.[3]
WikiLeaks opened up a database of the emails to "two dozen media organizations worldwide", including McClatchy Co., L'Espresso, La Repubblica, ARD, the Russia Reporter,[4] and Rolling Stone,[3] along with a "sneak preview" to The Yes Men.[4]
Email content
As reported by The Times of India, some of the emails reveal that Stratfor was allegedly hired by Dow Chemical Company to "spy on activists protesting against the 1984 Bhopal gas leak."[2] Dow responded with a written statement that said, "major companies are often required to take appropriate action to protect their people and safeguard their facilities" and that it had not broken the law.[3]
The Stratfor Glossary of Useful Baffling and strange Intelligence Terms. [5] [6]
Responses
Around midnight on February 27, Stratfor released a statement saying that "the release of its stolen emails was an attempt to silence and intimidate it." It also dismissed rumors saying that the Chief Executive of Stratfor, George Friedman, would be resigning. Stratfor also stated that a few of the leaked emails "may be forged or altered to include inaccuracies; some may be authentic", but that they would not be validating any of them. Friedman himself said, "God knows what a hundred employees writing endless emails might say that is embarrassing, stupid or subject to misinterpretation ... As they search our emails for signs of a vast conspiracy, they will be disappointed."[4]
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, made a statement to Reuters saying, "Here we have a private intelligence firm, relying on informants from the U.S. government, foreign intelligence agencies with questionable reputations and journalists. What is of grave concern is that the targets of this scrutiny are, among others, activist organizations fighting for a just cause."[4]
References
- ^ Fahmida Y. Rashid (February 27, 2012). "WikiLeaks' Stratfor Email Release Raises Uncomfortable Questions". eWeek. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^ a b Staff writer (February 28, 2012). "Stratfor was Dow's Bhopal spy: WikiLeaks". The Times of India. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^ a b c Cassandra Vinograd and Raphael Satter (February 27, 2012). "WikiLeaks publishes leaked Stratfor emails". Associated Press. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Staff writer (February 27, 2012). "WikiLeaks targets global risk company Stratfor". Reuters. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
- ^ http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/26/us/wikileaks-stratfor/
- ^ http://wikileaks.org/IMG/pdf/The_Stratfor_Glossary_of_Useful_Baffling_and_Strange_Intelligence_Terms.pdf