leaking information

A British newspaper, The Sunday Times, published information today saying that they have leaked information that Israel is planning a nuclear strike on the Iranian nuclear facility.

Needless to say, this information made waves and spread like wildfire. The PM refused to deny it or confirm it. Some think the information was leaked for the specific purpose of being a veiled threat against the Iranians, so they should realize "we are serious" and prompt them to back off their plans.

This has been all over the news today and is splashed all over the front of all the newspapers.

I consider this media irresponsibility. The media, in an attempt to sell newspapers (and advertising) look for the splashiest, most provocative information and publish it. We constantly read about "secret" meetings between enemy countries (specifically Israel and various Arab countries, but also other warring states) that are no longer secret because of the newspaper and his leaking source.

There is an issue of national responsibility and that should be preserved. If the national representative feels the need to meet secretly with the rep of another country, it is because he feels that the publicity will only harm his efforts. Yet the next day that meeting is frequently no longer secret and all gains are washed away because of a leak (granted, sometimes it is media spin and is intentional for the purpose of letting people think you are actually doing something like holding secret meetings).

In this case we have a similar situation. I read in the newspaper today a glaring headline saying that a source says Israel is already practicing a nuclear strike in test sites in preparation of an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Because we successfully destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in an amazingly successful strike, everyone is just assuming that it is no problem to take out the Iranian problem.

They forget that a large part of the success in Osirak was the element of surprise (aside from the element of G-d). Nobody had ever heard of such plans and the attack was executed with such precision that the whole world was shocked and surprised, not just the Iraqis.

Yet ,because of that, we have no element of surprise today in the case of Iran, yet everyone expects a similar attack, despite the more difficult conditions. All the media can do is talk about it. Does the press think that the Iranians do not read Israeli newspapers? Maybe they do not read the Sunday Times in the U.K.?

Such leaked information only harms the cause and there are times where it would be more prudent for people to keep the information secret.

I only hope that it really was leaked for the sole purpose of scaring the Iranians. If Israel really is planning and practicing an attack, that leak will likely be at fault if such an attack takes place and fails.