Will WikiLeaks unravel the American 'secret government'?

[Peter Presland]

The other thing I seem to remember is that the total number of files to be released numbers around 3 million (or "seven times" the first release of 400,000). But it looks as though the various newspapers cooperating with Wikileaks are only talking about the 250,000 diplomatic files. When are we going to hear about the remaining 2,750,000 files and what type of files are they?

That's my big BIG problem with Wikileaks too David. There is clearly a vast amount of sifting, filtering, vetting - whatever or however you wish the characterise it.

WikiLeaks has a FAQ on the cables The "Why not release everything now?" answer:

Are all the embassy cables being released at once?
No. Instead of publishing the documents all at once, the organisation will be releasing the embassy files in stages.
Why not release everything now?
The embassy cables will be released in stages over the next few months. The subject matter of these cables is of such importance, and the geographical spread so broad, that to do otherwise would not do this material justice.
We owe it to the people who entrusted us with the documents to ensure that there is time for them to be written about, commented on and discussed widely in public, something that is impossible if hundreds of thousands of documents are released at once. We will therefore be releasing the documents gradually over the coming weeks and months.

Doesn't cut the mustard IMHO. There's big money involved here and the whole thing is being managed with that very much an influence - and quite possibly the dominating one.

Assange may be a good techie and have lots of things to commend him, but when it comes to wheeler dealing and the trade-offs/accommodations required by the sort of people he will now be involved with - he's an innocent abroad at best.

Releasing it all at once to the world and his dog may not have had the sort of impact we are seeing; but in my opinion, over the long haul it would have had a far superior one. All that's worthy of attention would have been ferreted out just as effectively - and probably a lot more so - than will happen through his new-found friends - and likely SIS controlled paymasters