President Barack Obama says he is concerned about the massive leak of sensitive U.S. documents about the Afghanistan war.
But Obama, in his first public comments on the matter, said the papers do not reveal any new concerns about the war.
"While I am concerned about the disclosure of sensitive information from the battlefield that could potentially jeopardize individuals or operations, the fact is these documents don't reveal any issues that haven't already informed our public debate on Afghanistan. Indeed, they point to the same challenges that led me to conduct an extensive review of our policy last fall," Obama said.
The documents released by WikiLeaks range from files on Afghan civilian deaths to evidence of U.S.-Pakistani distrust.
The U.S. military has said it could take "weeks" to determine the impact of the leak of some 91,000 classified military records.
Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking in Baghdad on July 28, said the leak could put American lives at risk. Mullen said he was "appalled" by the leak, but added that it did not call into question the U.S. strategy or Washington's relationship with Pakistan.
The documents are said to include unreported killings of Afghan civilians as well as covert operations by U.S. Special Forces against Taliban leaders.
compiled from agency reports
But Obama, in his first public comments on the matter, said the papers do not reveal any new concerns about the war.
"While I am concerned about the disclosure of sensitive information from the battlefield that could potentially jeopardize individuals or operations, the fact is these documents don't reveal any issues that haven't already informed our public debate on Afghanistan. Indeed, they point to the same challenges that led me to conduct an extensive review of our policy last fall," Obama said.
The documents released by WikiLeaks range from files on Afghan civilian deaths to evidence of U.S.-Pakistani distrust.
The U.S. military has said it could take "weeks" to determine the impact of the leak of some 91,000 classified military records.
Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking in Baghdad on July 28, said the leak could put American lives at risk. Mullen said he was "appalled" by the leak, but added that it did not call into question the U.S. strategy or Washington's relationship with Pakistan.
The documents are said to include unreported killings of Afghan civilians as well as covert operations by U.S. Special Forces against Taliban leaders.
compiled from agency reports