Leak of vital sites list condemned

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's latest revelations include a list of sites that the US considers 'vital' to its national security
12 April 2012

The Government has condemned the decision by WikiLeaks to publish a secret list of facilities that the US considers vital to national security.

The website revealed a detailed list of installations worldwide including a number of sites in the UK such as satellite sites, BAE Systems plants and cable locations.

The latest leak lists hundreds of pipelines, undersea cables and factories, including a cobalt mine in Congo, an anti-snake venom factory in Australia and an insulin plant in Denmark.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We unequivocally condemn the unauthorised release of classified information. The leaks and their publication are damaging to national security in the United States, Britain and elsewhere.

"It is vital that governments are able to operate on the basis of confidentiality of information."

A spokeswoman for BAE Systems, which owns three UK sites included on the list, said: "BAE Systems recognises its role as a custodian of key industrial and military assets. We would be concerned at any activity which compromises this."

The locations are cited in a diplomatic cable from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the details of what it called "stolen" documents containing classified information. But a spokesman, Colonel David Lapan, called the disclosure "damaging" and said it gives valuable information to the country's adversaries.

"This is one of many reasons why we believe WikiLeaks' actions are irresponsible and dangerous," Col Lapan said.

In the message, marked "secret", Ms Clinton asked US diplomatic posts to help update a list of sites around the world "which, if destroyed, disrupted or exploited, would likely have an immediate and deleterious effect on the US".

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