So much for the "harmless" release of 90,000 secret documents from the Afghanistan war.

CBS News:

Hundreds of Afghan civilians who worked as informants for the U.S. military have been put at risk by WikiLeaks' publication of more than 90,000 classified intelligence reports which name and in many cases locate the individuals, The Times newspaper reported Wednesday.

The article says, in spite of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's claim that sensitive information had been removed from the leaked documents, that reporters scanning the reports for just a couple hours found hundreds of Afghan names mentioned as aiding the U.S.-led war effort.

One specific example cited by the paper is a report on an interview conducted by military officers of a potential Taliban defector. The militant is named, along with his father and the village in which they live.

"The leaks certainly have put in real risk and danger the lives and integrity of many Afghans," a senior official at the Afghan foreign ministry told The Times on condition of anonymity. "The U.S. is both morally and legally responsible for any harm that the leaks might cause to the individuals, particularly those who have been named. It will further limit the U.S./international access to the uncensored views of Afghans."

If I may channel the anti-war, anti-American Mr. Assange for a fictitious response:

I feel for those who will lose their lives as a result of the release of these documents. But we must remember that if the US hadn't invaded and occupied Afghanistan, the dead would still be alive - simple villagers trying to survive in a tough country.

Besides, we are at war to stop a war. In every war, blood must be spilled. I regret that innocent people are slaughtered, but it's not my fault.

Thus do leftists justify their towering arrogance and incompetence.

Hat Tip: Ed Lasky