WikiLeaks diplomatic documents put educators in a quandary

Whether you applaud WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange or condemn him, one thing is sure: The 251,287 illegally leaked classified diplomatic documents his site began posting in November are out.

They're in the public domain, accessible to anyone who wishes to read them.

So why not use them in the classroom?

The papers, a collection of correspondence between the State Department and embassies abroad, afford a detailed glimpse of how U.S. diplomats abroad do their job.

They would be invaluable for students training for careers in foreign service.

"I personally think what Assange did was reprehensible," says Frank Plantan, codirector of the international-relations program at the University of Pennsylvania, echoing all the scholars with whom we spoke. "However, I do not see an ethical issue in using the materials once leaked. . . . There is nothing better than real-world examples."

But there's a big catch: It's illegal to read classified documents, leaked or not.

That's according to Stephen I. Vladeck, who teaches national-security law at American University's law school in Washington. He cites the Espionage Act of 1917. "The current law," he says, "is that a document remains classified even after it has wrongfully been disclosed."

In December, Vladeck testified before the House Judiciary Committee about the legal and constitutional issues raised by WikiLeaks.

"Strictly speaking, even the most innocent, well-intentioned educators" may be prosecuted for "disseminating classified materials," he says. "But it's a long shot whether the government would decide to prosecute."

Does this mean educators should protect their students by banning the papers?

No, say administrators.

Christina Paxson, dean of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, says universities should foster the free exchange of ideas.

"We feel strongly that faculty should have a lot of discretion for what is appropriate for their classes," she says.

"On the other hand, we don't want students to . . . do anything they would find uncomfortable" - especially would-be diplomats.

Barbara K. Bodine, diplomat in residence at the Woodrow Wilson School, sees the dilemma.

The former diplomat - she was the U.S. ambassador to Yemen from 1997 to 2001 - says reading the papers might endanger career chances for students who intend to go into foreign service.