Reports of a deal set to free WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, ending his imprisonment in the UK amid a 14-year legal odyssey, were welcomed by several countries and leading human rights groups on Tuesday.
Assange, 52, agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to filings in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
WikiLeaks, a non-profit that published classified, censored, or otherwise restricted information, has played a significant role in influencing the political and social dynamics of the Middle East.
Through his work with WikiLeaks, Assange exposed various governmental and military operations, which have had far-reaching consequences in the region.
Here's a detailed look at what Julian Assange has offered the Middle East and his connections to the region.
Arab spring catalyst
One of the most notable impacts of WikiLeaks in the Middle East was its influence on the Arab Spring. The release of US diplomatic cables in 2010 provided detailed accounts of corruption, human rights abuses, and authoritarian practices in several Arab countries, helping fuel public discontent which led to the uprisings that swept across the region.
WikiLeaks released cables highlighting the corruption and lavish lifestyle of Tunisia's late Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family. These revelations contributed to the public outrage that led to the Tunisian Revolution, the first in the series of uprisings known as the Arab Spring, which led to the overthrow of Ben Ali.
Similarly in Egypt, Wikileaks exposed the Mubarak regime's corruption and abuses, adding momentum to the protests that eventually led to President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
Civilian deaths in Iraq, Afghanistan wars
WikiLeaks has also played a crucial role in exposing military operations and actions in the Middle East, shedding light on the realities of war and the impact on civilian populations.
In 2010, WikiLeaks published the Iraq War Logs, a collection of nearly 400,000 US Army field reports from the Iraq War. These documents revealed the true scale of civilian casualties, instances of torture, and insights into military operations in Iraq.
The logs provided a transparent view of the conflict, challenging official narratives and highlighting the human cost of the war. It detailed that over 60 percent of the deaths in Iraq were civilians - marking a staggering 31 civilian deaths daily in the six-year period.
Similarly, the Afghanistan War Logs released by WikiLeaks detailed the US military's operations in Afghanistan, including unreported civilian casualties and the role of private contractors. The documents offered insight into the conduct of the war and its impact on Afghan society.
US Diplomatic Cables
The release of over 250,000 US diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks, known as Cablegate, had significant repercussions in the Middle East, which provided candid assessments of various governments, regional dynamics, and US foreign policy strategies.
The cables revealed internal discussions within the Saudi government, its foreign policy manoeuvres, and its concerns about Iran. It revealed that Saudi Arabia had put pressure on the US to attack Iran, while other Arab allies also secretly agitated for military action against Tehran amid the development of its nuclear programme.
In Yemen, the cables exposed US involvement in military operations against Al-Qaeda, including drone strikes, with dispatches revealing President Ali Abdullah Saleh's secret deal to let US launch missile attacks on Aqap, but claim it as Yemen's own work.
These leaks influenced local and Arab opinion and political discourse in Yemen, highlighting the extent of foreign intervention in the country.
On Israel
WikiLeaks has also shed light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the broader geopolitics of the region with cables revealing the close cooperation between the US and Israel on various security issues, including discussions on Iran's nuclear program.
Documents released by WikiLeaks highlighted Israeli scepticism about the peace process, with Israeli officials expressing doubts about the effectiveness of negotiations and the role of other regional players.
The leaked cables revealed that Israel had intended to keep Gaza's economy on the brink of collapse, maintaining it just above a humanitarian crisis level while avoiding a full-blown disaster. This strategy aimed to pressure and suffocate Gaza without triggering a severe humanitarian outcry.
The cables also revealed Israel's concerns regarding instability in neighbouring countries, particularly Syria and Egypt, and how changes in leadership could supposedly impact its security.
Documents also touched on Israel's policy of nuclear opacity, with little official US or Israeli acknowledgement of its nuclear capabilities, despite widespread international speculation. Other revelations addressed Israel's capabilities and initiatives in cybersecurity and cyber warfare, which an Israeli whistleblower had revealed.
Syria war
In the context of the Syria war, WikiLeaks released emails and documents that offered insights into the Assad regime’s strategies and the international community’s responses.
The released emails included communications between Syrian officials and their foreign allies, revealing the regime's tactics and its efforts to maintain power amid the war.
The Syria Files shed light on the inner workings of the Syrian regime, corruption, and the economy, but they also revealed how the West and Western companies say one thing and do another. The Syria Files mainly embarrassed the US and Assad and highlighted the ties between the two, which WikiLeaks saw as proof of Western hypocrisy.
Syria's first lady, Asma al-Assad, too faced controversy when WikiLeaks exposed her lavish spending during the onset of war which saw tens of thousands of protesters disappeared and towns bombed and gassed.
Whistleblowing and free speech
Assange's advocacy for transparency and accountability has resonated in the Middle East, where many journalists and activists face repression. WikiLeaks's work has inspired a broader movement for free speech and government accountability in the region.
By providing a platform for whistleblowers, WikiLeaks has encouraged individuals to come forward with information on government abuses and corruption. This has been particularly impactful in authoritarian regimes where such disclosures are often suppressed.
On Tuesday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomed Assange's release, hailing it as a significant victory for media freedom.
The dropping of 17 of the 18 charges that he faced avoids the criminalisation of the normal journalistic practices of encouraging sources to confidentially share evidence of wrongdoing and criminality, the group said.
