U.S. diplomats deliberately suppressed firsthand reports describing northern Gaza as an "Apocalyptic Wasteland" with human bones in streets and total collapse of food, water and medical access, representing a serious failure of transparency and moral leadership. Career diplomats are meant to surface uncomfortable truths, not have them buried for political convenience. Such actions undermine U.S. credibility on human rights and weaken evidence-based policymaking.
Any decision to withhold internal cables would reflect the normal tension between diplomacy and public disclosure during an active conflict. Not only do governments routinely limit the circulation of sensitive assessments to protect negotiations, alliances and broader strategic goals, but the cables in question relied solely on contested U.N. information. Judging the decision without full context risks mistaking caution for misconduct.
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