2011-07-08 WikiLeaks Notes: Latest News on #Cablegate Releases & #WikiLeaks

This is a "WikiLeaks News Update," constantly updated throughout each day. The blog tracks stories that are obviously related to WikiLeaks but also follows stories related to freedom of information, transparency, cybersecurity, and freedom of expression. All the times are GMT.

09:25 PM In a recent interview Kim Ives of Haiti Liberté analyzes Haiti's current political situation, heavily manipulated by the U.S.

05:50 PM Journalist Barbara Gunnell, who was recently in Australia for a series of Wikileaks-related talks, offers an account of the support for Wikileaks and Julian Assange in the country.

05:45 PM Ambiguity surrounding the lift on Wikileaks financial blockade yesterday resulted in a fair amount of misleading headlines and confusing stories. The Atlantic Wire sets he record straight with Why Visa and MasterCard Briefly Funnelled Money to Wikileaks Yesterday.

04 :55 PM Are Rumors Accused WikiLeaks Source Bradley Manning Is Transgender Behind Harsh Treatment?, an interesting perspective.

04 :45 PM Visa has managed to block Credit Card donations to Wikileaks once again. DataCell and Wikileaks are still preparing to sue Visa and Mastercard next week over the illegal blockade.

*In the meantime, Wikileaks urges Visa and Mastercard customers to file a class action lawsuit.

John Smith, writing for WL Central, describes Wikileaks battle against the financial blockade it has been suffering over the last 7 months as legal activism :

…these lawsuits do double duty as legal activism, quite apart from their primary aim of uniting WikiLeaks with the millions of dollars owed to it but illegally being blocked by MasterCard and Visa. WikiLeaks is taking a stand on legal principle: the triumph of civilised law and order, over the thuggish, illegal abuse of power by two titanic and amoral financial organisations with unlimited resources: Visa and MasterCard, who have acted as though unaccountable to the law and against public interest.

04 :30 PM Armenian-Iranian relations detailed in a newly-released cable :

Armenian experts believe that Iran’s nuclear aspirations are irreversible. In addition, Armenian specialists expressed their belief that Iran is deeply interested in maintaining the status quo in the region, particularly in maintaining the current situation of Nagorno-Karabakh problem

04 :25 PM Haiti’s former justice minister and top cop Bernard Gousse, described in diplomatic cables as a disappointment and accused of leading "witch hunt" against Aristide supporters is President Martelly’s pick as Haiti’s Prime Minister. via McClatchy

04 :00 PM After being up for only a week, a hungarian Wikileaks-inspired website is under investigation. Its owner, Tamas Bodoky, was questioned yesterday by Budapest police.