The WikiLeaks Debacle!

What Raila knew about Sudan weapons


 Updated 14 hr(s) 17 min(s) ago
By BIKETI KIKECHI
It is now known why Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson hurriedly called Prime Minister Raila Odinga to apologise over the leaked diplomatic information WikiLeaks was about to spill.
Carson had learned that among the leaked cables was the discussion between Raila and US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger over the transfer of military hardware to Southern Sudan.
Also in the loop was Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who had been briefed by Ranneberger on the issue.
Above all, President Kibaki was said to have been angry about the problems around the transfer of the arms to Southern Sudan.
The highly sensitive information rattled the US Government, coming at a time Southern Sudan is about to hold the crucial vote for independence on January 9, next year.
The secret cables sent to Washington by Ranneberger show Raila knew that the 812 tonnes of arms and 33 T72 tanks captured by pirates of the Somali Coast were destined to Southern Sudan and not to the Kenya Army as Kenyans were made to believe.
In 2008, the Government came out fighting against information that 33 T72 tanks captured by pirates en-route to Kenya were for the Government of Southern Sudan.
Intense pressure
In October, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and officers from the Office of the President maintained that the tanks were to be used by the Kenya Army. That was despite information emerging that the freight manifest showed the Ministry of Defence made contracts for the hardware on behalf of south Sudan.
WikiLeaks cables claim Ranneberger wrote saying he discussed the tank transfer issue with Raila on December 15, 2008. He said Raila told him the Government was committed to assisting the South Sudan and that there was "intense pressure" from them to deliver the tanks.
Raila hinted that the Government might instead transfer the tanks to Uganda (and, he implied, from there to South Sudan).
On December 16, following AF guidance, Ranneberger reiterated to the PM that any further transfer of the tanks, via Uganda or otherwise, would violate US law and could trigger sweeping sanctions against Kenya. He also noted that the likelihood of receiving a waiver for past funding to the SPLA since 2007 would be remote if Kenya proceeded with moving the tanks to Sudan.
The envoy said, in the leaked cables, he also briefed Uhuru on the issue on December 16, and Uhuru confirmed he understood the US position. The leaks said on December 16, Col McNevin met with CGS Kianga and DMI Kameru at the ambassador's direction. Vice-CGS Gen Karangi was in attendance when McNevin reiterated the points made by Ranneberger to the PM.
Before the meeting, Kameru mentioned that in the Government's view, the tanks belonged to the GOSS and that Kenya was receiving "increasing pressure" to deliver them. He revealed that President Kibaki was personally very angry with the issue.
Implementation of CPA
During the meeting, Kianga commented that the Government was "very confused" by our position and did not understand why they needed a waiver, since the past transfers had been undertaken in consultation with the United States and they thought we were in agreement on the way forward towards implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
Kianga added that this was causing a "major problem" between the Government and the GOSS. He asked about the significance of what appeared to him to be a major policy reversal, and questioned whether the United States was rethinking the CPA, increasingly shifting its support to Khartoum or if it was now seeking a unitary state in Sudan.
Kianga asked that the US explain directly to the GOSS/SPLA why they were blocking the tank transfer. Kianga indicated the Government would have liked to participate in a high-level trilateral meeting between the Government, GOSS and US to reach a collective understanding of US and regional partner countries' objectives in implementation of the CPA.
 
On the other side of the coin ngoja tuangalie hii ishu itaishaje otherwise wamarekani they are just unbelievable they can come up with anything ili mradi tu wajue kina faida kwao
 
Kibaki, Raila stung by US Cables


 Updated 14 hr(s) 53 min(s) ago


By JIBRIL ADAN
Secret cables from the American Embassy in Nairobi to Washington depict President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga as beneficiaries of impunity and lack of transparency in governance. In one case, a senior security official is accused of receiving $5,000 (Sh400,000) in kickbacks to influence the award of a 2009 contract given by the National Security Intelligence Service to a Chinese firm to supply landline telephone monitoring equipment. The money was to pay bills incurred from treating his medical condition.


Without mincing words, the cables warn that unless fundamental reforms are fully implemented to end impunity and corruption, and to give justice to the 2007-2008 post-election violence victims, tension could reach unprecedented levels in the 2012 General Election.


"No steps have been taken to hold accountable perpetrators of post-election violence. Police reform remains an open question. Little has been done by the coalition to foster national reconciliation and cohesion," notes the communication.
According to the leaked documents, most of Kenya’s political and economic elite share vested interests that benefit from and support impunity and the lack of accountability with respect to governance, State resources, and the rule of law.
"This includes President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga, who signed the coalition agreement, as well as most of the members of the Cabinet and leaders of political parties," he wrote.


The cables sent by the US Ambassador in Nairobi, Michael Ranneberger, earlier in the year to Washington, and uploaded to the website of whistle-blower WikiLeaks yesterday, say that Kenya is in the grip of a culture of impunity that forces all to play ball.
home_101210_01.jpg
President Kibaki (left) and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Leaked communication by American envoy says Kenya Government is a coalition of grand impunity.
But US Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson yesterday insisted the cables do not reflect the current relationship between his country and Kenya, adding the information was private and should never have been published.
"It was stolen information and those disseminating it have no right to pass it on," said Carson during a one-hour tele-conference with 20 journalists from across Africa.
The cables depict the political class leading the country as engaged in a chess game with those pushing for reforms, as well as the US, which says that its main aim is to see real change in governance.


"To put it another way, the political elite is planning several chess moves ahead. While we (US) are no mean chess players ourselves, it is very difficult to anticipate their next move or the motives behind ‘reform’ steps," said Ranneberger in the cable. But in a terse rejoinder to newsrooms yesterday afternoon, President Kibaki refuted the allegations.



"We wish to state that President Kibaki’s record on reforms throughout his career speaks for itself. The Kenyan people have enjoyed unprecedented political, economic and social freedoms during his tenure in office," read the statement from the Presidential Press Service.


Kibaki also took credit for the successful passing of the new laws in August, saying: "The reform agenda culminated in the promulgation of the new Constitution that mirrors the hopes and aspirations of the Kenyan people. The Kenyan people must not be distracted from the path of transforming our country, especially at this moment when we are focused on implementing the Constitution."


And Kenyans have reason to worry if the verdict of Ranneberger is to be believed as the gospel truth.
The cables say the US has been sceptical of "reform steps" taken by the Government, instead viewing them as attempts to placate the masses while in reality the politicians were out to avoid real change.
"Old Guards’ strategy is to do just enough to placate the people, Annan, and us, while trying to avoid fundamental change in the system. However, there is a real possibility that, as they seek to walk this fine line, the floodgates of change will open, or that at least the change will end up being more far-reaching than they envisaged," reads the communication by Ranneberger to US State Department.


In a cable dated January 12, this year, the envoy says the culture of impunity "is, in effect, an informal system of governance that co-opts or forces others to participate or perish." The ambassador says the aim of US policy in Kenya is to advance implementation of reforms, but notes "the old guard associated with the culture of impunity continues to resist fundamental change".
The Coalition Government, the envoy wrote, is yet to undertake key reforms to correct the imbalances that led to the 2007/8 post-election violence. The secret communication was written before Kenya adopted the new Constitution, but even then the envoy’s position was that although a new law was necessary, real reforms could only come by sustaining pressure on the Old Guard.


"Those associated with the culture of impunity are working hard to limit the impact of steps taken so that they do not lead to truly fundamental reforms that would threaten vested interests," says the envoy.
High-level probe


In one of the cables, Culture of Impunity Works to Forestall Fundamental Reforms, the example is given of an individual who is said to be having direct links to State House as having been behind schemes to block high-level investigations.
He says the removal of key individuals from important public offices must be followed by real institutional reforms.
The envoy, however, says the Old Guard was becoming weaker and pressure should be sustained on them to free Kenya from their grips. He says, "Hairline fractures" are showing in the "edifice" of the Old Guard political elite and US needs to continue, "working them intensively".


"The Old Guard of vested interests knows that we and others within Kenya are fanning the winds of change — always stressing the need to work peacefully within the democratic process — and feels threatened by that, but they also realise that they must somehow come to grips with it," says Ranneberger.


The envoy reveals that the US has been involved in "witness protection" aimed at significantly improving "the odds that the International Criminal Court will indict several key suspects of post-election violence".
The leaked cables also reveal that the US has been closely monitoring and unhappy with Chinese activities in Kenya. The envoy believes that Kenya has been moving closer to the Chinese to shield itself against "pressure to reform".
Ranneberger also says the construction of Lamu port is of interest to the Chinese because of the oil in Southern Sudan and the prospect that it would be exported through Kenya.


"We expect China’s engagement in Kenya to continue to grow given Kenya’s strategic location. If oil or gas is found in Kenya, this engagement will likely grow even faster," says the envoy. He says the Lamu port deal is being driven by the "black box" of President Kibaki’s kitchen Cabinet.
 
Hapa ndio uzuri wa internet unapokuja - maanake huwa inakuwa na 'mirrors' ile yenye .org imeondolewa sasa zimebaki mirrors kama .ch ambayo hii hapa WikiLeaks kwa hiyo uhondo hupo pale pale.
 
Hata wakiondoa sites, Wikileaks ishaingia kwenye torrent, kila siku wanatoa the whole site in an easily downloadable torrent form (about 3 MB so far). Unaweza hata kuemail site nzima.

Sasa kitu kikishaingia kwenye peer to peer network utaanza kukisimamisha wapi ?
 
kiranga said:
hata wakiondoa sites, wikileaks ishaingia kwenye torrent, kila siku wanatoa the whole site in an easily downloadable torrent form (about 3 mb so far). Unaweza hata kuemail site nzima.

sasa kitu kikishaingia kwenye peer to peer network utaanza kukisimamisha wapi ?
Click to expand...

tupo pamoja ni ngumu sana
 
Wenyewe wanasema WikiLeaks itakufa lakini Leaks zitaendelea kuwepo mpaka lini sijui!
 
Openleaks: Wikileaks killer?

”A new WikiLeaks” revolts against Assange
By Ossi Carp

The pressure on WikiLeaks is increasing. DN.se reveals that several key figures behind the website that publishes anonymous submissions and leaks of sensitive governmental, corporate, organizational or religious documents have resigned in protest against the controversial leader Julian Assange only to launch a new service for the so-called whistleblowers. The goal: to leak sensitive information to the public.

The new project, “Openleaks,” has been under way for some time and will be launched Monday. DN.se has spoken to individuals behind the new site and the message is clear.

“Our long term goal is to build a strong, transparent platform to support whistleblowers--both in terms of technology and politics--while at the same time encouraging others to start similar projects,” says a colleague wishing to remain anonymous.

”As a short-term goal, this is about completing the technical infrastructure and ensuring that the organization continues to be democratically governed by all its members, rather than limited to one group or individual.”

The news comes in turbulent times for WikiLeaks. Thousands of documents infuriating global leaders and policy-makers have been unveiled to the public via Cablegate. Meanwhile, Julian Assange has been arrested in Great Britain on suspected rape charges based in Sweden. News about WikiLeaks has been over-shadowed by Assange's personal problems.

Earlier this year, WikiLeaks experienced accessibility issues. According to information revealed to DN.se, the problem was not linked to outsiders trying to sabotage, but came from the inside as a signal to Julian Assange to step down. The colleagues were dissatisfied with the operation's association with Assange's personal problems and how he used the organization in his explanation of the criminal charges.

It is the top-down management style which is under critique.

On the other hand, the DN.se source emphasizes the fact that the new website is supportive of WikiLeaks purpose and goal.

“The two organizations are similar in that aspect that both are focusing on providing means for whistleblowers to anonymously provide the public with information,” one insider says.

Unlike WikiLeaks, Openleaks will not receive and publish information directly for the public eye. Instead, other organizations will access the Openleaks system and in turn, present their audience with the material. Documents will be processed and published by various collaborating organizations.

“We intend to split the work in a way where we handle only the anonymity and receiving end of the information,” says another colleague.

According to the internal documents shared with DN.se, Openleaks intends to establish itself as a neutral intermediary ”without a political agenda except from the dissemination of information to the media, the public, non-profit organizations, trade- and union organizations and other participating groups.”

“All editorial control and responsibility rests with the publishing organization. We will, as far as possible, take the role of the messenger between the whistleblower and the organization the whistleblower is trying to cooperate with,” says one anonymous informant.
Another intended consequence is to avoid the pressure from world leaders that WikiLeaks has experienced.

“As a result of our intention not to publish any document directly and in our own name, we do not expect to experience the kind of political pressure which WikiLeaks is under at this time. In that aspect, it is quite interesting to see how little of politicians' anger seems directed at the newspapers using WikiLeaks sources.”

Source: ”A new WikiLeaks” revolts against Assange - DN.se
 
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