Afghan war files revealed by Wikileaks

Web whistlerblower Wikileaks on Monday released some 92,000 secret military documents about the war in Afghanistan, including details of covert operations against top insurgents, unreported civilian killings, and Nato concerns about Pakistan officials aiding the Taliban.

Reuters

The White House has denounced the massive disclosure of documents, which is described as the biggest leak in US military history. The US administration says the information could endanger US lives in Afghanistan.

"The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organizations which could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk, and threaten our national security," said White House National Security Advisor James Jones.

Three newspapers, the New York Times, the Guardian and the German weekly the Spiegel,had access to the documents before publication and say they reveal Nato concerns that Pakistan spy services were helping the Taliban.

In one of the documents, Pakistan's former spy chief Hamid Gul is described at a January 2009 meeting with a group of insurgents following the death by CIA drone attack of a leader of Al-Qaeda operations in Pakistan.

According to the Guardian, the documents reveal hundredsof civilians killed by coalition troops in unreported incidents and the existence of a covert unit to "kill or capture" Taliban leaders.

The source of leak was unknown.

US senator John Kerry, chair of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the leaks “raise serious questions about the reality of America's policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

The documents also suggest Iran is waging a covert campaign against US-led forces in Afghanistan by providing money, arms and training to Taliban insurgents.

Reports from Afghan spies and paid informants accuse the Iranian government of
directly supporting the insurgents.