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The Attorney General publicly confirmed the existence of an investigation into disclosures of classified information by WikiLeaks on November 29, 2010. |
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Name(s:) |
Neil MacBride |
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Title: |
United States Attorney |
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Agency(ies): |
Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, CEOS, Department of Justice, EDVA |
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Concerning: |
Grand Jury |
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Url: |
Url Link
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WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department will prosecute anyone found to have violated U.S. law in the leaks of classified government documents by online whistleblower WikiLeaks, Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday.
'This is not saber-rattling,' said the attorney general, who declared that the Obama administration condemns the leaks.
Holder said the latest disclosure, involving classified State Department documents, puts at risk the security of the nation, its diplomats, intelligence assets and U.S. relationships with foreign governments.
'To the extent that we can find anybody who was involved in the breaking of American law, who put at risk the assets and the people I have described, they will be held responsible; they will be held accountable,' Holder said at a news conference on another topic. He called the WikiLeaks probe 'an active, ongoing criminal investigation. |
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Name(s:) |
Pete Yost |
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Title: |
Reporter |
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Agency(ies): |
Associated Press, AP |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Archive: |
Archive Link
http://archive.is/S6iOz |
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Holder emphasized that his office, along with the Department of Defense, is conducting an 'active ongoing criminal investigation.'
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'To the extent that we can find anybody who was involved in the breaking of American law, and who has put at risk the assets and the people that I have described, they will be held responsible,' Holder said at a press conference this morning. 'They will be held accountable.'
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'To the extent there are gaps in our laws, we will move to close those gaps,' he said. 'Which is not to saywhich is not to saythat anybody at this point because of their citizenship or their residence is not a target or a subject of an investigation that is ongoing.' |
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Name(s:) |
Eric Holder |
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Title: |
Attorney General |
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Agency(ies): |
Department of Justice |
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Concerning: |
Grand Jury |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Archive: |
Archive Link
http://archive.is/caV5p |
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Title: |
Government's Response in Opposition To The Real Parties' In Interest Motion For Immediate Unsealing of Motions and Upcoming Hearing |
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Author: |
Neil MacBride |
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Title: |
United States Attorney |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Department of Justice, EDVA |
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Concerning: |
"Grand Jury |
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Title: |
Holder: Wikileaks, Oregon Investigations Ongoing |
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Author: |
Eric Holder |
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Title: |
Attorney General |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Department of Justice |
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Concerning: |
"Grand Jury |
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Questioner
The daily question, WikiLeaks apparently today released what is described as a treasure trove of infrastructure targets around the world, which of course could be damaging not only to those countries but to US interests. Why hasn't the Government just gone ahead and shut down the site? Or shut down the dissemination of his information? Why can't you do that?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
Well, let me condemn in the strongest terms the leaks of information that have come as a result of the actions that you have just reference. National security of the United States has been put at risk, the lives of people who work for the American people has been put at risk. The American people themselves have been put at risk by these actions which are, I believe, arrogant, misguided, and ultimately, not helpful in any way. We are doing everything that we can. We have a very serious, active ongoing investigation that is criminal in nature. I authorized just last week a number of things to be done so that we can hopefully get to the bottom of this and hold people accountable, as they should be.
Questioner
What are the things that can be done? And has the Government explored the ability to be able to seize the sites. Last week you were before us saying look at all the Web sites we seized and shit down. But, you can't do that in this case. What are the parameters that are limiting that? And, what are some of the actions that you did authorize to go forward?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
It is an ongoing investigation. I don't want to get into exactly what I authorized, but I can say that I personally authorized a number of things last week and I think that is an indication of the seriousness with which we take this matter and the highest level involvement in the United States Department of Justice. With regard to all the tactics that we can do or can use to ameliorate the consequences of these actions I don't want to get into those as well, but we will do everything that we can both to hold people accountable, and to minimize the harm that will befall American people.
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Questioner
Mr. Attorney General, going back to WikiLeaks for a minute. Can you help us understand, going back to Jason's question for a minute, why you can't shut these sites down? Is there something within the law? Is there something missing within the law that prevents you from doing that?
Eric Holder, US Attorney general, Department of Justice
Well as I said, I don't want to get into what our capabilities are. At this point I will simply say what I have just said. We have a very serious criminal investigation that is underway, and we are looking at all the things that we can do to try to stem the flow of this information.
Questioner
Several members of Congress from both political parties have offered to produce legislation to close gaps and vague issues in the Espionage Act and elsewhere. Are you working with the Hill to do that at this point, or is that not necessary?
Eric Holder, US Attorney general, Department of Justice
Well it is certainly something that we need to look at to see exactly the Espionage Act as everyone knows is something that is pretty old. There have been subsequent Court decisions that cast some doubt on on at least some provisions in the Act, but I think people should also understand that is not the only tool that we have to use in the investigation of this matter. Now I don't what to get into specifics here but people would be have a misimpression if the only statute you think we are looking at is the Espionage Act. That is certainly something that might play a role, but there are other statutes, other tools that we have our disposal.
Questioner
In terms of the things that you authorized last week, are you talking about search warrants, FISA applications? Can you be a little more specific?
Eric Holder, US Attorney general, Department of Justice
All I would say is that there were significant things that I personally authorized. |
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Name(s:) |
Eric Holder |
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Title: |
Attorney General |
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Agency(ies): |
Department of Justice |
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Concerning: |
Grand Jury, Banking Blockade |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Questioner
You mentioned that cyber security was discussed. On the subject of WikiLeaks what discussions did you have, and specifically the Attorney General, what type of pressure have you applied on companies such as Mastercard and Paypal in terms of trying to suspend accounts?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
I am not going to talk about the ongoing investigation that I have described I guess over the course of the last week or so, other than to say again that we have an active ongoing serious investigation of that matter. We had, I think, informal conversations about the WikiLeaks matter. The concern that it has raised in the minds of all of us. And, the hope here in the United States is that the investigation that we are conducting will allow us to hold accountable the people responsible for that unwarranted disclosure of information that has put at risk the safety of the American people and people who work on behalf of the United States.
Questioner
[MISSED] any of these companies? Paypal was saying yesterday that it had received letters from the administration?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
I am not going to comment on any of the investigative steps that we have taken.
Questioner
Related to that, as part of this Operation Payback that some are calling a cyberwar with computer intrusions into Paypal, attacks against Amazon.com and other sites, have you directed the FBI to look at these incidents and is there any investigation into...?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
We are aware of the incidents that you have described and we are simply say that we are looking into it.
Questioner
Do you believe that you have identified all the people who are responsible for giving WikiLeaks the latest stash of documents?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
The investigation is ongoing.
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Questioner
Mr. Attorney General did you and your colleagues in your meetings today reach any agreement about uniform approach on WikiLeaks?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
I was going to say that we didn't talk about WikiLeaks in any formal way.
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Questioner
Do you have...have certain countries been the focal point of the WikiLeaks research or investigation...like Iceland...with connections that Iceland has to WikiLeaks?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
As I indicated before I really don't want to go into any specifics of the ongoing investigation.
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Questioner
Reports are suggesting that the next release of documents from WikiLeaks could be confidential threat assessments of detainees at Guantanamo. Are you concerned that sources and methods information may come out as a result of that and also are you concerned there could be some additional questions from the Hill and elsewhere regarding whether some detainees who have been release have gone back into the battlefield and become recidivists?
Eric Holder, US Attorney General, Department of Justice
I am concerned about, I think we are all concerned about certainly the United States Government concerned about the nature of the release, as I have indicated...I think that the release of this information has put at risk American National Security, and whatever is to come I think we will not in any way...will be consistent with the concerns that I have expressed. |
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Name(s:) |
Eric Holder |
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Title: |
Attorney General |
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Agency(ies): |
Department of Justice |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Questioner
Address maybe the...someone had suggested maybe the response by those who support WikiLeaks to attack Amazon and other companies...is basically a cyberwar...between the two sides...that is proliferating across boundaries and what you all are doing at DHS, since cyber issues are in your purview, to address that or mitigate that?
Janet Napolitano, Secretary Department of Homeland Security
I think the Attorney General has always said that he doesn't want to comment on any ongoing investigations or activities with respect to WikiLeaks. All I will say is with respect to the protection of the private sector we are working or do work very closely with him on variety of matters, involving cyber, cyberattacks, cyber intrusions and the like. I think your question raises the importance of cyber. That is why, our discussions with the EU today were to follow up the the agreement made by our leaders in Lisbon two weeks ago: to formulate a US EU Cyber Working Group and to really focus on issues about intrusions into critical infrastructure, into financial markets and into other areas that are cyber dependent. So, that Working Group has already begun, and I think we will see some important measure that will come out of that that will be between the United States and the EU. |
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Name(s:) |
Janet Napolitano |
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Title: |
Secretary of Homeland Security |
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Agency(ies): |
Department of Homeland Security |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Questioner
...aware that US authorities are trying to get their hands on Julian Assange and your Government is trying to get its Government on Julian Assange?
Cecilia Malmstrom EU Commissioner
Ah, the Swedish Judicial Apparatus is totally independent and doesn't take any order from my...Swedish politicians or Americans authorities. And the crimes he is accused of, if he is being sent to Sweden will be processed accordingly. So, I have absolutely no comments to that. I am not part of the Swedish Government, I am commissioner of the European Union based in Belgium. |
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Name(s:) |
Cecilia Malmstrom |
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Title: |
Commissioner |
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Agency(ies): |
European Union |
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Concerning: |
Sweden versus Assange, EU-US |
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Url: |
Url Link
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She also highlighted the United States and the European Union ongoing, coordinated efforts to protect vital cyber networks from attacks through the U.S.-EU Cyber Working Groupformalized by President Obama in the Nov. 20 U.S.-EU Summit Declarationwhich facilitates the continued sharing of cybersecurity best practices and security standards and enhances collaboration on public-private partnerships; cyber incident management; public awareness; and combating cyber crime. |
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Name(s:) |
Janet Napolitano |
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Title: |
Secretary of Homeland Security |
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Agency(ies): |
Department of Homeland Security |
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Concerning: |
EU-US |
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Url: |
Url Link
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Archive: |
Archive Link
http://archive.is/efUyW |
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Title: |
U.S.-EU Cooperation Against Terrorism (May 21, 2012) |
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Author: |
Kristin Archick |
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Title: |
Specialist in European Affairs |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Congressional Research Service, CRS |
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Concerning: |
"EU-US |
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Title: |
EU-US ministerial meeting on Justice and Home Affairs |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Atlantic Organization for Security |
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Concerning: |
"EU-US |
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Archive Link |
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Title: |
The U.S. Congress and the European
Parliament: Evolving Transatlantic Legislative
Cooperation (January 2, 2013) |
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Author: |
Kristin Archick, Vincent Morelli |
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Title: |
Specialist in European Affairs, Section Research Manager |
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Authoring or Creator Agency: |
Congressional Research Service |
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Concerning: |
"EU-US |
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[...] given the dependency of what is going on on the military side it would be inappropriate to comment on that at this time[...] |
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Name(s:) |
Eric Holder |
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Title: |
Attorney General |
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Agency(ies): |
Department of Justice |
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Concerning: |
Grand Jury |
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Url: |
Url Link
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