Feds Focusing on Source of Afghan War Data Leak

(July 27) -- The Pentagon has launched an official investigation into the thousands of Afghanistan war-related documents made public over the weekend by the website WikiLeaks, with the mission of uncovering who actually supplied the massive data dump.

Defense Department spokesman Col. Dave Lapan told The Associated Press that the investigation, led by the Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID), would focus on identifying the source of the leak, which has been compared in scope and importance to the Pentagon Papers.

While WikiLeaks has made repeated claims that it has been targeted by U.S. agencies, in most cases involving leaked documents, it is the source, rather than the publisher, that is likely to be the focus of law enforcement efforts.

A CID spokesman confirmed that investigators are focusing their attention on the source of leaks, and specifically on Bradley Manning, an Army soldier who has already been charged in connection with providing other documents to WikiLeaks, including a video of an Army helicopter gunship strike.

The CID was already investigating allegations that Manning -- who is being held by the Army in Kuwait -- made an unlawful release of classified information. Now, "the large amount of government information that was released to the public over the weekend is also being considered by our investigators," CID spokesman Christopher Grey told AOL News via e-mail. "This is a continuation of the Manning investigation."

Grey also said that Army CID was working with other federal agencies, but declined any further comment, citing the need to protect the investigation.

WikiLeaks and its supporters have made repeated claims that WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange and others working with the organization have been targeted by various U.S. government agencies, though there has been little to substantiate those claims. In an often-repeated claim, the Daily Beast said that Pentagon agents were trying to hunt down Assange.

Gary Comerford, a spokesman for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, declined to comment on whether its agents were involved in the WikiLeaks investigation, but said that the agency typically would focus on investigating the source of the leaks.

In a separate incident, Eric Corley, publisher of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly, claimed that Department of Homeland Security agents showed up looking for Assange at a conference he organized in Manhattan where Assange had been scheduled to speak. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson was not able to comment on the allegation, but noted that DHS has a number of law enforcement arms, including the Secret Service, and that agents would typically identify with a specific agency.

A message left for Corley at 2600 Magazine was not immediately returned.

Dean Boyd, a Justice Department spokesman, declined to comment on whether there was an active investigation into the WikiLeaks documents or whether the department has made efforts to locate or speak to a representative of WikiLeaks.

Beyond the immediate investigation, government officials have taken a two-pronged -- and seemingly contradictory -- approach to the documents, saying the leaks represent a threat to national security but also that the information they contain is not that significant.

In a statement, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the documents "old news," while also condemning the link. "The source of this harmful leak within the U.S. government should face the full penalties of the law," he said.

President Barack Obama echoed that sentiment today in his first comments about the disclosure, saying the leaks might "jeopardize individuals or operations," while also stressing that the documents themselves covered events that took place during the previous administration.