It is difficult to quantify the harm done by those who disclose confidential government information to the public. Once information is exposed on the Internet, anyone can access it, almost anywhere in the world. A certain level of secrecy is necessary for government to function at many levels. In particular, secrecy is vital in the fields of national security and international intelligence. Government whistleblowers endanger national security by disclosing classified documents to the public because such information can be used by enemies of the state against American interests. Furthermore, leakers often act with malice or self-interest and act illegally by exposing information. While it is difficult to understand the extent of the damage created by leaks of classified information, some specific examples are known. Such cases confirm that enemies can use leaked information against American interests. In a 2012 article in The New Statesman, "Julian Assange and Europe's Last Dictator", they reported that an associate of Julian Assange, Israel Shamir, handed over unredacted State Department cables to Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko before of the 2010 elections. These cables contained information about US relations with Lukashenko's opposition. They included names and financial transactions between the United States and opposition leaders. After the election, those who had been reported by dispatches found themselves facing retaliation; “Andrei Sannikov, the defeated presidential candidate of the opposition” was imprisoned, his press secretary was found dead, others were placed under house arrest. (Komireddi)In another case, Bradley Manning's leaks of State Department cables put lives at risk. In the documentary We Steal Secrets, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, German IT te...... middle of paper ......File. Web. 22 March 2014. Komireddi, Kapil “Julian Assange and Europe's last dictator” The New Statesman 1 March 2012. Web. 22 March 2014. Savage, Charlie. "Snowden says he reported concerns before the leaks. The New York Times 2014: 3. Academic OneFile. Web. March 22, 2014. Schoenfeld, Gabriel. Necessary Secrets: National Security, the Media and the Rule of Law. New York: WW Norton &, 2010. 266-268. United States Code 2012. Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure Washington, DC: Printing Office of US Government, March 22, 2014. We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks, Julian, Gibney, Alex 2013. Universal City, CA: Universal Home Video, 2013.Wise, David "Leaks and the Law: The Indictment of Thomas Drake highlights the tension between government secrecy and the public's right to know" Smithsonian 2011. : 90. Academic OneFile. 2014.