(Newser)
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Covert operations, hidden civilian victims of the Afghanistan War and US suspicions that Pakistan is aiding the Taliban are among the shocking secrets bared in some 92,000 leaked American military documents posted yesterday on Wikileaks. The New York Times, the Guardian and Der Spiegel were given early access to the documents, and all three publications are running huge front-page stories on the leaked information today. Among major civilian casualties never before reported to the American public were 7 children, killed in 2007 during a raid by a secret special American operations unit called Task Force 373, according to the records.
The documents also reveal that US officials fear that even as Pakistan collects some $1 billion in US aid to combat militants members of its intelligence community secretly meet with the Taliban to help organize networks of militants to fight American soldiers, reports the Times. National Security Adviser James Jones blasted Wikileaks' disclosure of classified information—one of the biggest leaks in US military history—saying it endangers the lives of American servicemen and threatens US security. The Times said in a statement to readers that it took care "not to publish information that would harm national security interests."
