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Cablegate: One year on, is 'open government' obtainable?

A year after Cablegate, are we seeing the foundations being laid for shifts in foreign policy or disclosure legislation?
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer

Cablegate could be seen as one of the most radical events to worldwide foreign policy in modern times.

The released cables caused an emotive backlash that descended across countries at incredible speed, with claims of the documents having profound effects across the world: whether the end of the war in Iraq, or the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings.

"One year ago today we put our beliefs before our lives, released Cablegate and changed the world", WikiLeaks tweeted this week.

But what effect has the leaked cables had on governmental legislation, in countries ravaged by civil war, revolution, and deposed governments?

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(Source: Flickr)

We have seen many examples through WikiLeaks of how certain disclosed information may have profound affects in future foreign policy.

Libya's cables revealed the U.S. promising to arm Gaddafi with military equipment, and may have been responsible in part for the uprising by exposing more of the regime’s nature -- to the point of Gaddafi accusing the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency of leaking documents to WikiLeaks in order to undermine his authority.

Pakistan's leaked documents show a prime example of governments denying action in other countries -- whether they would receive public support or not for them.

Egypt's cables serviced to reiterate information that was already widespread -- a stark glimpse at the Mubarak regime.

Tunisia spring up their own version of WikiLeaks, TuniLeaks, and the released cables were seen to directly influence what is now known as the Jasmine Revolution.

Iran may be the WikiLeaks lasting legacy – with cables ranging from the expedited return of U.S troops to the cover up of soldiers killing civilians in Iran.

Situations for which we had previously thought to be the case, were suddenly written in cold fact. Many believe this to be the reason why the international community had such an explosive reaction to it.

The cables may have only rippled the surface of the true state of affairs foreign actions and policy. But it has shed light on these events, and WikiLeaks cables have undoubtedly enriched our understanding of recent history.

However, with governments beginning to truly acknowledge this increasingly digital network of storing information, and the increased risk of exposure that follows, will it change policies concerning information available to the public eye?

We now know the technology exists to create anonymously driven whistleblower platforms that can publish classified information and media all over the world. Whether WikiLeaks lives and survives, or crumbles and dies, it is here now, and this knowledge is in the public domain. Governments will either have to attempt to restrict and monitor digital networks or consider signing-up for the idea of 'open' government.

Governments were not prepared to face these leaks. After information is released to the public's scrutiny, only so much damage control can be done. And, as we saw, it can cross borders with implacable speed and with serious repercussions.

It may become a new model platform for journalism, but the unregulated publication of classified documents on a global level will not live without reprisals.

A scenario we are already seeing in the West is that of policy changes concerning censorship and the seizure of online portals -- and no doubt with more to come. The danger in online networks for governmental bodies is the sheer amount of exposure that publication can achieve; far more than a local news broadcast, and potentially far quicker.

The balance between what governments should tell us as citizens and what they should keep concealed to 'protect people' is something that should be questioned further. It is debatable whether the ideology of 'open' government can go so far as to risk vulnerable whistle-blowers, but as a democracy, we should begin to inquire more into the workings of those we place in power.

Yet, it is not only about how governmental bodies can be undermined by leaked information, but more so how they in turn can use these disclosures to form the basis of their relationships with other countries.

WikiLeaks may have brought to light many of the practices of governments worldwide, but there is no reason why this information, if properly analysed, could not be used effectively to monitor and improve foreign policy.

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