Christopher McKnight Nichols, the Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies at The Ohio State University, is available to talk about the latest leak of classified U.S. documents.
From the Vietnam Era Pentagon Papers to the more recent targeted leaks of Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, past leaks of classified information have tended to have real effects on US government and intelligence but often less lasting or severe than at first predicted, Nichols said.
One difference in these latest disclosures is how closely they follow and anticipate real actions — from weapons deliveries and battlefield assessments to likely timing for military offensives and maneuvers; and yet, in historical perspective these latest leaks and disclosures stand out as different because, at least from what we know now, they appear be less ideological and political than past precedents, according to Nichols.
For a full bio on Prof. Nichols, please go to his website.
