WikiLeaks Reveals U.S. Spied on UN Chief

A spy operation targeting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is among the embarrassing secrets in documents released by WikiLeaks today.

A cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton directed diplomats to gather information on Ban Ki-moon and several other UN officials, including their computer passwords, credit card numbers, emails, and even frequent-flyer account numbers. That UN spy operation was just one revelation from the 250,000 documents released by WikiLeaks Monday. Others include that an Afghan government official was allowed to leave the country without explaining why he was carrying millions of dollars, that U.S. diplomats’ referred to Canada’s “inferiority complex” in internal communications, and several unflattering descriptions of foreign leaders that could strain ties with U.S. allies. The Obama administration condemned the leak on Monday, saying it could endanger American lives.