Top Secret Government Secrets

“Sunday’s attack didn’t stop the publication of stories based on messages leaked from the State Department in several major newspapers. WikiLeaks had given the media outlets prior access to the diplomatic cables to publish in conjunction with their Sunday release on its site.  The cables, many of them classified, offer candid, sometimes unflattering assessments of foreign leaders, ranging from U.S. allies such as Germany and Italy to other nations like Libya, Iran and Afghanistan.  The documents revealed that the State Department asked its diplomats to collect DNA samples and other personal information about foreign leaders.”

(Excerpt from: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2013559944_wiki01.html)

Use the above excerpt to help you answer the questions below.

Do you think it’s wrong for people to post classified and top secret government documents online or feed them to the media?  Why or why not?  How should they be punished?