G-7 talks could gauge allies’ reaction to US documents leak | NASCAR and racing news

Blinken said Saturday he hadn’t heard any concerns from allies, but the revelations and the arrest of a relatively low-level suspect in the leaks will threaten the G-7 meeting, the first major international diplomatic conference since the documents were discovered online and public made.

“We have worked with our allies and partners since these leaks emerged and we have done so at a high level and we have made clear our commitment to protecting information and our commitment to our security partnerships,” Blinken said ahead of his departure to reporters in Hanoi for Japan.

“At least what I’ve heard so far is an appreciation for the steps we’re taking and it hasn’t affected our collaboration,” he said. “I just didn’t see it, I didn’t hear it. And of course the investigations take their course.”

This argument may be wishful thinking, especially as the world digests what is revealed with new revelations almost daily.

Aside from military analyzes of Ukraine’s capabilities and Russian casualties, the leaked documents also reveal assessments of Taiwan’s defense capabilities and internal disputes in Britain, Egypt, Israel, South Korea and Japan.

“As you know, a suspect is now in custody, but I also know that steps are being taken to further protect information,” Blinken said. “But to date, based on the conversations I’ve had, I have heard nothing that would affect our cooperation with allies and partners.”

The US has faced similar problems before, however, most notably when then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had to apologize in 2010 for numerous embarrassing revelations when WikiLeaks leaked US diplomatic cables.

Clinton, in particular, said she was forced to explain the US position towards Argentina, Israel, Italy and other allies following the fall of Wikileaks.

On Friday, the man accused in the latest leak, Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, 21, appeared in court as prosecutors unseal the charges and revealed how accounting records and interviews with social media comrades helped locate the suspect.

The secret documents that Teixeira allegedly posted on an online social gaming platform have not been individually authenticated in public by US officials. But for the most part they seem authentic.

These documents range from briefing slides detailing Ukrainian military positions to assessments of international support for Ukraine and other sensitive issues, including under what circumstances Russian President Vladimir Putin might use nuclear weapons.

Classified documents are subject to strict guidelines on how to handle, secure and destroy them. They must be kept in secure facilities, protocols Teixeira would have violated if copies were brought to his home.

Regardless of the legal ramifications for Teixeira and the results of the internal administration investigation, Blinken and top aides are unlikely to escape questioning over the leaks, which are at least the fourth from US sources since 2010.

The 2010 Wikileaks release included 251,287 State Department cables written by 271 American embassies and consulates in 180 countries and dated December 1966 to February 2010. The cables were leaked by Assange to his three media partners, as well as El País and others, and released in stages as of Nov. 28, 2010, with source names removed.

WikiLeaks said it is the largest collection of confidential documents ever made public.