Wikileaks breached diplomacy's 'private domain'

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14th December 2010

A foreign office minister has told the Commons that the Wikileaks revelations about international relations have damaged the UK's national security.

At FCO questions Jeremy Browne said the government supports freedom of information and transparency, but there needs to be some "private domain" when it comes to diplomacy.

Joseph Johnson (Con, Orpington) asked what impact the Wikileaks saga has had on the conduct of diplomacy.

Browne said it is important to get the balance right between openness and security.

Denis MacShane (Lab, Rotherham) congratulated US diplomats for their reporting skills as shown in the leaked cables.

He condemned "lazy journalists" who do not put foreign stories on the front page unless Wikileaks provides the story.

Browne reiterated that "private domain" matters such as health or tax records, should not be in the public domain.

Caroline Lucas (Green, Brighton Pavilion) raised the arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange by British police on a Swedish warrant to face rape charges.

She said there is "widespread concern" that there is a political dimension and asked if ministers have had any contact with Swedish authorities on that point.

Browne said he could not comment on the case as it is before the courts.

David Cairns (Lab, Inverclyde) said we did not need Wikileaks to know about the fear of Iran in the Gulf states.

He said there should be a new international consensus on Iran and the threat from its attempts to develop nuclear weapons.

Foreign secretary William Hague said there is "enormous concern about nuclear proliferation in the region".

He explained that the Gulf states all have different relations with Iran.

Paul Flynn (Lab, Newport West) condemned "irrational optimism" about Iraq when there are people starving on the streets of Kabul.

Hague said there is realism about the situation and told MPs at the recent Nato summit there was a meeting between the 48 countries with troops there, more nations than at any stage of the operation.

Shadow foreign secretary Yvette Cooper asked about Sri Lanka and war crimes.

She called for an international investigation and urged the government to press the Sri Lankan administration to acccept international involvement.

Foreign office minister Alastair Burt said Britain want any process to examine war crimes in that country to be "credible" and have "an independent element".

On North Korea, Hague said it must resume co-operation with the IAEA over its nuclear facilities.

He called the recent attack on South Korea "provocative behaviour" and said talks are the best prospect but cannot succeed without trust.

Shadow minister Emma Reynolds said the opposition backs the government's stance on this issue. She asked about China's offer to hold emergency talks.

Hague said it is important that the Commons is united in its message to North Korea.

He said there will be no immediate return to negotiations, as that could be seen as "rewarding" North Korea's leaders for bad behaviour.

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