U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry
More than a quarter million State Department documents were released this weekend by the whistleblower website Wikileaks. The leaked documents include private diplomat correspondence and reveal candid comments about U.S. allies and adversaries. WikiLeaks claims it released the documents to reveal quote "the contradictions between the U.S's public persona and what it says behind closed doors."
Local U.S. Representative Mac Thornbery said, "All of the Wikileaks releases have been irresponsible, endangering the lives of soldiers and intelligence officers as well as undermining U.S. policy. Those involved in the releases should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
In her first public comments since the weekend release of the classified State Department cables, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that Wikileaks acted illegally in posting the material. She said the Obama administration was "aggressively pursuing" those responsible for the leak.
She said the leaks erode trust between nations. But Clinton also said she was "confident" that U.S. partnerships would withstand the challenges posed by the latest revelations.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the administration is considering several steps following the release, and there is an ongoing criminal investigation into how the documents were made public.
Attorney General Eric Holder said there is a criminal investigation into the leaks and that anyone found responsible will be prosecuted.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
