The veil has thinned just a little bit more. Diplomats around the world found themselves a step closer to the fine line between public disclosure and private conversation on Sunday.
As WikiLeaks unloaded nearly a quarter of a million classified documents to media organisations, the top secret information has become public property.
WikiLeaks is a non-for-profit media organisation that wants to open up governments. Set up in 2006, it has become increasingly popular for bringing to the fore classified documents like the collateral murder of two Reuters journalists in Iraq in 2007 and now secret diplomatic cables from the US government.
For analysts, the latest reports are a treasure trove of data points, which would normally be declassified decades later. Most of the cables are dated between 2004 and the current year. They offer perspective into American foreign policy and the way its diplomats view the local leadership at their outposts.
Damage control efforts ahead of the release saw the US State Department to warn foreign governments, days in advance of the release.
In Pakistan, US ambassador Cameron Munter published an opinion piece in a leading daily to convey the US governments view of the situation. Condemning the release, he highlighted the risks to foreign diplomats and the network of US informants around the world.
"Tensions are likely to simmer between Pakistan and the US. Anti-American feelings will be fuelled as nuclear assets are very close to the hearts of Pakistanis" seasoned strategic analyst Talat Masood told BR Research.
Opinion is divided amongst newsmen around the world regarding the release. Whether media should provide amplification to classified information -obtained through shadowy at best, and downright illegal at worst means- is an ethical debate that will unfold in the weeks and months to follow.
Pakistan has featured significantly in the flood of cables. The US governments failure to transport highly enriched uranium out of the troubled country speaks to the efforts in national security of the countrys leadership.
At the same time, rulers in the Middle East have, in private conversations, shared their reservations about the President. With the image deficit already highlighted by the West in the aftermath of the floods, this presents a grim picture so far as strategic partners are concerned.
While media houses must remain mindful of their moral responsibility in disseminating sensitive information, the incident should serve as a wake-up call for governments and diplomats as well.
Choose your words carefully, the walls are definitely listening.
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