WikiLeaks helped spark off Middle East uprisings

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said his paper’s coverage of leaked US embassy cables helped stir revolution in the Middle East and North Africa as he picked up the newspaper of the year prize at the Press Awards last night..

“I think it’s too early to say the impact that story had on events in the Middle East and North Africa, but I would guess that it had some effect."

Speaking afterwards to Press Gazette, Rusbridger said: “Wikileaks was thestory of the year, I can’t think of another story, which has been created by a newspaper, that has been bigger.

“It has been discussed in every capital city in the world. It wasn’t handed to us on a plate - it was a lot of work.”

On the question of what effect revelations in leaked US embassy cables had on Arab countries, he said that Guardian foreign correspondent Ghaith AbdulAhad told him that “everywhere he's been – Tunisia, Egypt, Libya – they talk about Wikileaks”.

He added: “The Americans were the people who were propping up these regimes and yet [the Embassy Cables revealed] they knew they were corrupt. It was hugely important.”

Wikileaks stories helped fuel Arab revolts
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story....code=46938&c=1

Psychological Operations (United States)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychol...ited_States%29