Citing “an active investigation …
in progress with an undetermined completion date,” the United
States Army Criminal Investigation Division refuses further releases
of that agency's WikiLeaks-related material. In contrast to two
previous FOIA requests <here and here> which were promptly answered with released
documents featuring limited redaction, this policy shift represents a
wholesale end to WikiLeaks releases for the indeterminate future.
Possibly more interesting than the
denial of records itself is that US Army CID invoked (b)(7)(f) as a
justifying exemption. Under the (b)(7)(f) exemption, records can be
withheld if their release “could reasonably be expected to endanger
the life or physical safety of any individual.” With the use of the
(b)(7)(f) exemption, US Army CID is implicitly stating that WikiLeaks
members pose an active, physical threat to those investigating
WikiLeaks and/or those cooperating with the investigation.
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