"The WikiLeaks release of some (not all!) of the diplomatic cables in its possession has generated an unprecedented response. Glenn Greenwald did an excellent roundup of the different ways both public and private entities are putting the squeeze on its founder Julian Assange. This is somewhat noteworthy considering WikiLeaks has previously released sensitive US government data. The uncharitable interpretation would be that the issue of potential war crimes committed against ordinary Iraqis is not as urgent as the mild embarrassment of American diplomats. Feel free to drop more generous ones in the comments.
One of the most interesting parts of the cables is the American stance towards Spain. More so than perhaps any other country in Western Europe, America has leaned on the Spanish government to do its bidding. Scott Horton translated the following summary from El País, the Spanish paper given access to the cables:
Over the last several years, the Embassy of the United States in Madrid wielded powerful resources in an extraordinary effort to impede or terminate pending criminal investigations in Spain which involved American political and military figures assumed to have been involved in incidents of torture in Guantánamo, violations of the laws of war in Iraq or kidnappings in connection with the CIA's extraordinary renditions program.
The American approach here seems similar to its approach to WikiLeaks: Do not overtly interfere, but work through back channels in order to get relevant parties in line. While it may seem too heavy handed to actively derail investigations in the areas Horton outlines, applying different kinds of pressure through diplomatic, um, persuasion may be as effective here as it is to have partners sever ties with WikiLeaks."

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