What is Wikileaks?

 

Whistle-blowing website Wikileaks has dominated the news, both because of its steady drip feed of secret documents, but also because of the dealings of its enigmatic front man Julian Assange.

The recent release of thousands of sensitive diplomatic cables is just the latest in a long list of "leaks" published by the secretive site, which has established a reputation for publishing sensitive material from governments and other high-profile organisations.
In October the site released almost 400,000 secret US military logs detailing its operations in Iraq.
They followed hot on the heels of nearly 90,000 classified military records, which gave an insight into the military strategy in Afghanistan.
And in April 2010, for example, Wikileaks posted a video on its website that shows a US Apache helicopter killing at least 12 people - including two Reuters journalists - during an attack in Baghdad in 2007.
A US military analyst is currently awaiting trial, on charges of leaking the material along with the cables and military documents.
Legal wrangles However, the site's recent prominence is part of a longer and controversial history that started in December 2006, when it first hit the net.


Money matters
But more recently, the site has faced new challenges.
The private life of Mr Assange, its editor-in-chief, has been laid bare and it has lost key staff and supporters.

"[To] keep our sources safe, we have had to spread assets, encrypt everything, and move telecommunications and people around the world to activate protective laws in different national jurisdictions - Julian Assange

The site has also been targeted in a series of cyber attacks. Various firms - including web Giant Amazon - have also terminated agreements to host the site and provide services to it.

In addition, companies - including Mastercard, Visa and PayPal - have withdrawn the ability that allows people to donate to the site. Its Swiss Bank account has also been closed.
But it is not the first time that the site has faced financial problems. In February 2010 it suspended operations as it could not afford its own running costs. Donations from individuals and organisations saved the site.
Only time will tell, if it can do it again with many sources of funding now cut off.
Despite all of these setbacks, Wikileaks has largely remained defiantly online. It has moved its operations between various companies and countries. It has also encouraged volunteers to set up "mirrors" of the - hosted on different servers around the world.
"[To] keep our sources safe, we have had to spread assets, encrypt everything, and move telecommunications and people around the world to activate protective laws in different national jurisdictions," Mr Assange said earlier this year.
Throughout its history, the site has been supported and hosted by the Swedish ISP PeRiQuito (PRQ), which became famous for hosting file-sharing website The Pirate Bay.
"If it is legal in Sweden, we will host it, and will keep it up regardless of any pressure to take it down," the ISP's site says.
The ISP continues to host its most recent - and most controversial - documents.
The site also hosts documents in other jurisdictions, including France.
Its experience of different laws around the world meant that it was drafted to help Icelandic MPs draw up plans for its Icelandic Modern Media Initiative (IMMI) earlier this year
The plan calls on the country's government to adopt laws protecting journalists and their sources.