The release of the Guardian’s book on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks today has definitively poisoned relationships between the two behemoths.

The latest salvo was fired by WikiLeaks last night when it tweeted:

Guardian names Manning as source. Sarah Tisdall mark 2. The slimiest media organization in the UK. http://is.gd/GT0tzF

That leads to a Telegraph article that states:

The authors, David Leigh and Luke Harding, of The Guardian, name Specialist Bradley Manning, the soldier being held in a US military jail, as the alleged source of the information which was passed on to The Guardian by WikiLeaks. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has repeatedly refused to confirm that Mr Manning was the source of the information.

Ouch. So, was the Guardian responsible for ‘outing’ Bradley Manning?

I asked David Leigh whether the Guardian had indeed outed Bradley Manning as the source, making US prosecution against him much easier.

James Ball replied, saying that the Guardian book merely rehashed what Wired magazine had already published several months ago. The same account was detailed in the Telegraph back in November, he points out.

So the Guardian did not reveal any new information, but should there be concern that the book will be used as evidence against Manning if and when the US does eventually decide to prosecute him.

WikiLeaks went on to add:

It should be noted, that as far as we know, neither we, nor the Guardian have any inside knowledge as to who the sources are.

But co-author David Leigh took to Twitter to hit back, repeatedly, saying at one point:

@wikileaks All the #guardian book says abt bradley manning is already in public domain. Of course we don’t name a “source”. Why Lie, Julian?

He also replied to me saying:

No, it’s not “evidence” to repeat Manning public domain material. Evidence is direct knowledge

It’s odd then that the Telegraph has packaged this as a story where the Guardian has ‘outed’ Bradley Manning as the source.

The article has no quotes to back up its allegation, nor any new information that would suggest the book contains more than what it has already published.

All that aside, it clearly signals that relations between WikiLeaks and the Guardian have broken down to an extent where the former is willing to misrepresent its former media partner of choice.

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   WikiLeaks and Guardian at war over new book http://bit.ly/eD97I9

2. wikileaks reports

   #wikileaks WikiLeaks and Guardian at war over new book | Liberal Conspiracy: The authors, David Leigh and Luke H… http://bit.ly/gkO9hJ

3. WikiLeaks and Guardian at war over new book | Liberal Conspiracy | The Daily Conservative

   [...] this link: WikiLeaks and Guardian at war over new book | Liberal Conspiracy Share and [...]

4. sunny hundal

   Does the new Guardian on WikiLeaks really 'out' Bradley Manning as Telegraph claims today? http://bit.ly/eD97I9 (my rpt from this morning)

5. Paul Wood

   RT @sunny_hundal: Does the new Guardian on WikiLeaks really 'out' Bradley Manning as Telegraph claims today? http://bit.ly/eD97I9 (my rp …

6. sunny hundal

   @glinner Did you see this hilarious exchange between WikiLeaks and Guardian? http://bit.ly/eD97I9

7. Oliver Milman

   @wikileaks v @guardian source slam! http://bit.ly/eD97I9

8. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS OF WIKILEAKS « Crashed Aspidistra

   [...] and WikiLeaks was already tense for a number of reasons, but with publication has come another public spat between the parties involved. Such animosity is not likely to end [...]