The WikiWeek: March 4, 2011

THE CABLES AFRICA How Coca-Cola got embroiled in a fight between Muammar al-Qaddafi’s sons. An aide to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki tells U.S. diplomats that Kibaki is soft on corruption. The Kenyan president’s mistress also has alleged links to mercenaries. ASIA U.S. diplomats are nervous about China’s growing influence in the African telecom sector. Australia, ...

BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images
BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images
BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

THE CABLES

AFRICA

How Coca-Cola got embroiled in a fight between Muammar al-Qaddafi’s sons.

An aide to Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki tells U.S. diplomats that Kibaki is soft on corruption.

The Kenyan president’s mistress also has alleged links to mercenaries.

ASIA

U.S. diplomats are nervous about China’s growing influence in the African telecom sector. Australia, meanwhile, is worried about Chinese encroachment on its own mining industries.

MIDDLE EAST

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the “George Steinbrenner of Iran.”

 

THE NEWS

Twenty-two new charges have been filed against Pfc. Bradley Manning, including capital offenses — enough to send him to jail for life.

Manning’s lawyer says Manning has been subjected to degrading and inhuman conditions in jail, including being forced to sleep naked.

The Department of Defense won’t let Rep. Dennis Kucinich visit Manning in jail.

Did a WikiLeaks cable finally push the director of the London School of Economics to resign over the Saif al-Islam al-Qaddafi affair?

Mexican President Felipe Calderon says WikiLeaks disclosures have caused “severe damage” to U.S.-Mexico relationship.

Julian Assange appeals his extradition to Sweden on sex assault charges.

PayPal has a change of heart about letting people give Assange money.

Anonymous manages to force its nemesis HBGary Federal CEO Aaron Barr out of his job, moves on to bugging the Koch brothers.

Julian Assange wants to trademark his name.

Assange is, or maybe isn’t, an anti-semite.

 

THE BIG PICTURE

What’s at stake for American journalists if Assange is prosecuted.

Why Assange is ruining WikiLeaks.

Why the best way for the U.S. government to prevent the next WikiLeak is less secrecy.

Charles Homans is a special correspondent for the New Republic and the former features editor of Foreign Policy.

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