Wikileaks publishes CIA "Red Cell" memo on risks of US perceived as "exporter of terrorism"

Wikileaks has just published what it identifies as a CIA "Red Cell" report from February 2, 2010. The single, three-page document—much smaller than previous, highly-publicized leaks from Wikileaks— discusses the potential foreign policy consequences of perceptions that the United States "exports terrorism."

The leak is the third to hit Wikileaks since Assange faced a storm of allegations in Sweden, just four days ago.

From the overview:

[The document] looks at what will happen if it is internationally understood that the United States is an exporter of terrorism; 'Contrary to common belief, the American export of terrorism or terrorists is not a recent phenomenon, nor has it been associated only with Islamic radicals or people of Middle Eastern, African or South Asian ethnic origin. This dynamic belies the American belief that our free, open and integrated multicultural society lessens the allure of radicalism and terrorism for US citizens.' The report looks at a number cases of US exported terrorism, including attacks by US based or financed Jewish, Muslim and Irish-nationalism terrorists. It concludes that foreign perceptions of the US as an "Exporter of Terrorism" together with US double standards in international law, may lead to noncooperation in renditions (including the arrest of CIA officers) and the decision to not share terrorism related intelligence with the United States.

CIA Red Cell Memorandum on United States "exporting terrorism", 2 Feb 2010 [wikileaks.org]

Spencer Ackerman at the Wired defense blog Danger Room is not one bit impressed:

[I]f not for the controversial transparency organization WikiLeaks, we might never have known that the CIA can occasionally bore policymakers to tears with its time-wasting obviousness.

And Kevin Poulsen of the Wired blog Threat Level is even more blunt: "WikiLeaks publishes SECRET//NOFORN memo by CIA. But real message is UNCLASS//FUCKYOU."