WikiLeaks’ Record Release

“The brief, matter-of-fact incident reports [of the Iraq war released by WikiLeaks] offer an unusual perspective on a war that lasted longer than World War II. They show the everyday aspects of the campaign as US soldiers experienced it. The thousands of threat analyses, attack reports and arrest records allow a very precise reconstruction of the escalation of the sectarian battle between the Shiites and Sunnis, how it brutalized Iraqi society and how kidnappings, executions and the torture of prisoners became routine practices. The reports also provide some evidence that neighboring countries including Syria and Iran were involved in the war.”