WikiLeaks War Logs: 391,832 Iraq War Files Released to Media

It was several days after the previously reported Monday release, and earlier than some more recent indications, but WikiLeaks finally released its 391,832 “war logs” files from the Iraqi War. As with the previous leak, The Guardian was at the forefront with a major, well-organized web release.

The document dump is by far the largest release of classified war documents in American history, and centers around field reports detailing civilian killings, friendly fire incidents, and killings of insurgents who were trying to surrender.

The documents revealed 15,000 previously unreported killings, and underscored that the military actually had been keeping track of civilian deaths, despite claims that no such counts were being made.

Another major revelation surrounded a standing order that existed ordering US military personnel not to investigate the rampant torture by Iraqi security forces. Officials had pled ignorance about what Iraqi officials were doing to detainees but the ignorance was “by design.” Al-Jazeera reported that the order not to probe the torture came from Gen. Sanchez.

According to WikiLeaks’ twitter, the documents were made available in advance to “TBIJ, IBC, Guardian, Spiegel, NYT, Le Monde, Al Jazeera, Chan4, SVT, CNN, BBC,” all of which are expected to release coverage related to it. Al-Jazeera is running an hour-long special beginning at 5:00 PM Eastern. Below is a list of the coverage so far from these sites, more will be added as they are available.

• The interactive: Every death mapped

• The story: How US ignored torture

• The deaths: 15,000 previously unlisted

• Grim toll at Iraq’s checkpoints

• Men who tried to surrender killed

• ‘No further action’ – US order on abuse

• How friendly fire became routine

• No answer for deaths of journalists

• Apache helicopters kill 14 civilians

• Serial abuse by coalition troops

• Civilians in the crossfire

• Crazy Horse’ and collateral damage

• Reports Detail Iran Aid to Iraq Militias

• Civilians Paid War’s Heaviest Toll

• WikiLeaks Iraq FAQs: What the Logs Really Say

• Beaten, Shocked, Eyes Gouged: Iraq Abuse, Wikileaked

• Iraq War Logs: Wikileaks V Washington

• Iraq War Logs: Seven Killed, Including Two Children, by Marines ‘Speeding Towards’ Checkpoint

• Iraq War Logs: 200 Bullets Fired by Soldiers at Speeding Vehicle Kills Parents and Wounds Their Two Children

• Chemical Weapons, Iranian Agents and Massive Death Tolls Exposed in Wikileaks

• Iraq War Logs: UN Calls on Obama to Investigate Human Rights Abuses

• Wikileaks: Iraq War Logs Claim British Soldier ‘Killed Iraqi Girl, 8, as She Played