British government tries to censor information on nuclear bomb.
Anonymous101 | 20.04.2008 20:04 | Repression
The British government has attempted to censor information showing how Britain got the nuclear bomb. Wikileaks posted a copy of the 1947 “Penny report.” The British government responded to this by emailing Wikileaks and claiming that “some censorship at least is in the public good.”
The government claimed that by publishing the information an unnecessary terrorist threat would be created. This is despite the fact that nuclear physicists do not believe any risk is posed.
This appears to be an example of the UK government trying to censor information that shows them is a bad light. Wikileaks said that the response from the government was not even “credible.”
Below is a quote from a Wikileaks email posted on their website:
“Without wanting to be uncharitable, if FCO's experts believe this
particular document to be of "terrorism concern", we do not find them
to be credible and may I suggest, neither will anyone else.
Similarly after consultations it strikes us as extraordinary that the
FCO claims the Wikileaks documents are a proliferation issue worthy of
censorship, but, apparently, not worthy of assigning a staff member to
address the issue during its Easter break.
May I suggest that the FCO is engaging in busy work, pending some
hyperthetical White Hall telephone call in response to the press
attention our analysis of the document has received? The document has
been available in one form or another since 2002, and on the internet
since 2007. What has the FCO being doing in the mean time? Or are we
meant to believe that states seeking to become atomic powers only read
the popular press?
While we will always keep an open mind on such an important issue, until
we see some clear indication that the FCO takes its request that Wikileaks
engage in an unprecedented act of self-censorship seriously, by telling
us why we should censor, this request will not be acted on by Wikileaks.”
This appears to be an example of the UK government trying to censor information that shows them is a bad light. Wikileaks said that the response from the government was not even “credible.”
Below is a quote from a Wikileaks email posted on their website:
“Without wanting to be uncharitable, if FCO's experts believe this
particular document to be of "terrorism concern", we do not find them
to be credible and may I suggest, neither will anyone else.
Similarly after consultations it strikes us as extraordinary that the
FCO claims the Wikileaks documents are a proliferation issue worthy of
censorship, but, apparently, not worthy of assigning a staff member to
address the issue during its Easter break.
May I suggest that the FCO is engaging in busy work, pending some
hyperthetical White Hall telephone call in response to the press
attention our analysis of the document has received? The document has
been available in one form or another since 2002, and on the internet
since 2007. What has the FCO being doing in the mean time? Or are we
meant to believe that states seeking to become atomic powers only read
the popular press?
While we will always keep an open mind on such an important issue, until
we see some clear indication that the FCO takes its request that Wikileaks
engage in an unprecedented act of self-censorship seriously, by telling
us why we should censor, this request will not be acted on by Wikileaks.”
Anonymous101