Why Were the Unredacted State Department Cables Released?

Share:

September 2, 2011

Confused by the back and forth this past week over who’s responsible for WikiLeaks’ release of all the original, unedited 250,000 State Department cables?

Der Spiegel breaks it down clearly in “A Dispatch Disaster in Six Acts,” describing “a series of mistakes made by several different people. Together, they add up to a catastrophe. And the series of events reads like the script for a B movie.”

It’s worth a read.


More Stories

9/11, More Than 20 Years Later: 20 Essential Documentaries to Watch
These films, selected from more than two decades of extensive FRONTLINE reporting, probe that fateful day and its lasting impacts on America and the world.
September 5, 2025
Watch FRONTLINE’s 5 Most-Streamed Documentaries of 2025 (So Far)
Looking for some documentaries to watch as summer continues? We’ve got you covered.
August 6, 2025
Tonight's New Documentary, This Month, and the Future
A note from FRONTLINE Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath.
July 29, 2025
The Iran-Israel Conflict and the U.S. Role: 11 Documentaries to Watch
Decades of tensions between Israel and Iran erupted into war in June. These FRONTLINE films offer context and background on the conflict, both countries’ leaders and ambitions, the role of the U.S., and the ongoing impact across the Middle East.
July 29, 2025