(Newser)
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Just because Julian Assange is Australian doesn't mean his birthplace is getting a WikiLeaks reprieve: The country is currently bracing for the release of 1,500 diplomatic cables related to Australia. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said today that security officials are looking through the documents, and called the leaking "a grossly irresponsible thing to do, and an illegal thing to do," the Christian Science Monitor reports.
The US ambassador to Australia has reportedly briefed the Australian Defense Minister on the cables relating to Australia, the contents of which have not yet been published. To date, the only mention of Australia in the leaked documents describes it as a "rock solid," but not influential, ally. Some experts doubt the leaks will be any more "earth shattering," says one.
