Starting Sunday, Nov. 28, WikiLeaks began a slow release of 251,287 confidential documents, known as "cables," which have received international attention.

According to its website, WikiLeaks.org is "a non-profit media organization dedicated to bringing important news and information to the public."

The cables released span from December 1966 through February 2010 and have so far covered topics as sensitive as China's frustration with North Korea and aspects of the War in Iraq, according to CNN.

"In terms of diplomacy and American foreign policy, it (WikiLeaks) complicates things for the United States," said Dr. Jaro Bilocerkowycz, a political science professor at UD.

WikiLeaks has leaked documents that cover topics including wars, murders, government transparency, diplomacy and Internet filtering, among many other topics. Some documents released include Guantanamo Bay's main operations manual; U.S. embassy profiles on the Icelandic prime minister, foreign minister and ambassador; warnings to the U.S. not to chase suspects into Iran; and reports on an insider trading program at JPMorgan & Chase Co.

This strain of leaks also includes 40,000 reports about operations in Iraq that were released in October and 70,000 reports on the war in Afghanistan that were released in July, according to CNN.

"[WikiLeaks] has let us see how deals are made or what is going on behind the public face of diplomacy," said Anthony Talbott, a political science professor. "It is very unprecedented. I can't think of another time when something of this magnitude has come out."

Bilocerkowycz said these cables are not positive for the U.S.' relationships with other countries because many of the documents that have been leaked contain comments about other world leaders.

"It has embarrassed the U.S.," Bilocerkowycz said. "There is a need for a certain amount of trust and candidness among diplomats."

WikiLeaks, founded by Australian Julian Assange, was created in 2006, but this latest leak of cables has been the most prolific.

Assange allegedly obtained the documents through Private Bradley Manning, an Army intelligence analyst currently stationed in Iraq, according to POLITICO, an American political journalism organization.

Manning was charged in July and awaits court proceedings for crimes that include "illegally disclosing classified information and illegally downloading more than 150,000 diplomatic cables," according to POLITICO.

"Assange is critiquing foreign policy by exposing these leaks, and this will complicate American foreign policy and diplomatic relations," Bilocerkowcyz said. "The whole world is reading about it. It is so global, and now the U.S. is doing damage control."

It's expected that more leaks will continue to surface in the coming months. Countries around the world are looking at ways to protect their documents and prevent this kind of occurrence from ever happening again.

"It is a new world here," Bilocerkowcyz said. "Everyone has to be more sensitive to cyber vulnerabilities. By publicizing [WikLeaks], it makes it so that others are disinclined to speak with our government. It has hurt the communication channel."

Talbott said he plans to talk about WikiLeaks in his POL 101 Global Politics class next semester. He said this situation will probably lead to diplomats and world leaders returning to safer, slower ways of communication.

"One of the biggest things it has done is shown people nothing is truly secret or hidden anymore," Talbott said. "Hopefully this will lead to more honesty and transparency."