Wikileaks to release 5m emails from global security think tank

Wikileaks is at it again, this time claiming to have acquired over 5 million private emails from a US-based global ‘think tank’ possibly obtained by various online hackers.

The pro-transparency group has said it will begin publishing the hefty collection of internal and external correspondence from Strategic Forecasting Inc (Stratfor) based in Austin Texas, beginning this week.

The Austin based organisation describes itself as a subscription based provider of geopolitical analysis with an intelligence-based approach to gathering information.

Julian Assange, Wikileak’s founder, told Reuters: “Here we have a private intelligence firm, relying on informants from the US government, foreign intelligence agencies with questionable reputations, and journalists.

“What is of grave concern is that the targets of this scrutiny are, among others, activist organisations fighting for a just cause.”

George Friedman, Stratfor’s chief executive officer and founder, warned on January 11 that emails had in fact been stolen, but said the thieves would be hard pressed to find anything significant among them.

“God knows what a hundred employees writing emails might say that is embarrassing, stupid or subject to misinterpretation. As they search our emails for signs of a vast conspiracy, they will be disappointed.

After Stratfor’s computers were hacked into at least twice last December, the credit card details of more than 30,000 subscribers to Stratfor’s publications were posted in the Internet, including those of former US secretary of state Kissinger and vice president Dan Quayle.

An FBI investigation is already underway into the hack last December. Friedman said his staff were cooperating with the FBI in the investigation.

“We are what we said we are: an organisation that generates its revenues through geopolitical analysis. At the core of our business we objectively acquire, analyse and distribute information.”

Emails will be released by Wikileaks to the Internet on Monday, US time.