Statement on WikiLeaks’ unauthorized disclosure of sensitive, classified documents (Rep. Adam Schiff)

I learned this morning that the released cables include one chronicling a private meeting I had in Islamabad with now President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari. Not only could this release cause a potential issue for President Zardari, but it will certainly inhibit his willingness — and that of other foreign leaders — to be candid in their discussions with the administration and members of Congress. This is not in our national interest.

Ultimately, the intelligence community and the Departments of Defense and State need to strike a balance between information sharing and reasonable limits on the dissemination of and access to classified or sensitive information. There are many legitimate reasons for keeping diplomatic conversations from leaking into the public domain. Confidence breeds candor and compromise, and the current document “dump” is particularly damaging to our diplomatic relationships and security alliances that have been critical to American foreign policy, diplomacy and counter-terrorism efforts worldwide.