Epress.am News from Armenia
In a brief statement published on its website today, the US Embassy in Armenia, on the topic of the classified US Embassy cables leaked by whistleblowers’ website WikiLeaks on Sunday, makes a point of noting that cables are “often preliminary and incomplete expressions of [US] foreign policy” and they should not be viewed as stand-alone documents.
The embassy statement reads as follows:
“Regarding recent news reports concerning documents purportedly downloaded from US Defense Department computers, the Department of State does not comment on materials, including classified documents, which may have been leaked.
“Any unauthorized disclosure of classified information by Wikileaks has harmful implications for the lives of identified individuals that are jeopardized, but also for global engagement among and between nations. Given its potential impact, we condemn such unauthorized disclosures and are taking every step to prevent future security breaches.
“While we cannot speak to the authenticity of any documents provided to the press, we can speak to the diplomatic community’s practice of cable writing. Cables reflect the internal day to day analysis and candid assessments that feed the governments’ foreign relations deliberations. Theses cables are often preliminary and incomplete expressions of foreign policy, and they should not be seen as having standing on their own or as representing U.S. policy.”