WikiLeaks reports on Afghanistan: Do they hurt US national security?

The website WikiLeaks has posted thousands of secret government documents about the war in Afghanistan. Three news outlets – The New York Times, British newspaper The Guardian, and German magazine Der Spiegel – were given special access to the documents and published articles about their findings yesterday.

The contents of the massive disclosure suggest the war effort has been going more poorly than official Washington has let on.

National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones condemned the disclosure, saying it could threaten America's national security.

The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has defended posting the classified information, saying it "will shape a new understanding of the war."

What do you think: Is it right to publicize classified war documents? If so, under what conditions?

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