WASHINGTON (AP) The Obama administration said Wednesday it has warned Congress that the WikiLeaks website is preparing to release sensitive U.S. diplomatic records that could damage U.S. relations across the globe. "These revelations are harmful to the United States and our interests," department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "They are going to create tension in relationships between our diplomats and our friends around the world."
In anticipation of the posting of the leaked documents by the self-styled whistle-blower website, U.S. diplomatic outposts around the world have begun notifying other governments that it may happen within days, Crowley told reporters.
"We wish this would not happen, but we are obviously prepared for the possibility that it will," he added.
A Pentagon spokesman, Marine Col. David Lapan, said the Pentagon also has notified congressional committees of an expected WikiLeaks release. He said the files are believed to be State Department documents, but they could contain information about military tactics or reveal the identities of sources.
Crowley said the State Department "has known all along" that WikiLeaks has obtained classified State Department documents.