>> hello and welcome to "the journal." >> welcome. >> our top stories this hour -- u.s. officials seek to control the damage as wikileaks exposes classified diplomatic cables. >> a billion year route bailout for ireland fails to impress global equity markets. >> omar khaddafi demands more assistance from europe at the start of the you africa summit. captioned by the national captioning institute

--www.ncicap.org-- >> we begin in washington, where u.s. officials are attempting to limit the damage from a massive release of classified diplomatic cables revealed by the whistle- blower in website wikileaks. a short while ago, secretary of state hillary clinton refused to comment on what she called stolen u.s. classified information, but did issue an apology to american partners and allies around the world. >> the united states deeply regrets the disclosure of any information that was intended to be confidential, including private discussions between counterparts, or our diplomats' personal assessments and observations. i want to make clear that our official foreign-policy is n set through these messages, but here in washington. >> for more, we asked our

washington correspondent what more u.s. officials can do about the leaked information. >> the information is out there, and it is not going to go away. what the white house and the state department are trying to do at the moment is downplayed the information, saying that policy made in washington was not based on information in these diplomatic cables. at the same time, hillary clinton said it was common practice to phrase diplomatic cables the way i phrased. she talked about talking to a diplomat overseas. he said not to worry about it. we write more difficult stuff in our tables about you. she laughed, trying to put a little humor in all of that. other than all of that, there is nothing more they can do. what they have to do now is take a big and good look at their information system they have, because it is accessible to more than 2 million people who up until now were able to download

large quantities of information in very little time. that is something the american authorities are certainly going to look into. other than that, in the countries were the most harm has been done, there might be a a switching around of ambassadors. we have not heard anything concrete about that yet, but it would be a feasible and quick solution to atmospheric problems in different countries. >> that was max hoffman talking to us earlier from washington. u.s. officials have launched a criminal probe into wikileaks and tightened handling procedures for classified information. in germany, the u.s. ambassador is under scrutiny for less than diplomatic assessments of german including the foreign minister. that is talked about in the lead cables. >> traditional diplomatic discretion has been set aside as the u.s. ambassador to germany gives one interview after another. he is making no apologies for

the pointed american appraisal. his focus was on criticizing wikileaks for its actions. >> we are already facing a range -- germany and the united states face a range of globally challenging situations. afghanistan, iran, middle east peace, global economic challenges. this does not help any of those. >> the communiques are particularly harsh about the german foreign minister. western well -- he is more concerned about the political consequences. >> is the national security effected? is the security of our allies affected? >> the staff will examine the extensive documents, as other governments re doing. the publication may have ended the widespread feeling of goodwill towards wikileaks. >> this practice of revealing state secrets is taking on its own life and is just serving public craving for

sensationalism. >> above all, the leak of the u.s. data means that politicians the world over are reassessing how will handle secret information in the future. >> will take an in-depth look at this story after the break later in this program. walmart gaddafi has called on the west to provide 5 billion year rose four libyan efforts to combat illegal immigration into europe. he has threatened suspend operations if it is not provided. he made his appeal at the opening of the third e.u. african summit in tripoli. representatives from dozens of states are attending the conference, which addresses the you as well as african development growth. >> all market duffy is omnipresent threat tripoli. -- khaddafi is omnipresent throughout tripoli. africa and libya has a lot to offer to the eu -- oil, gas, and

other commodities. they have increased libyas wealth in recent years. skyscrapers going up around the capital reflects the business potential for european partners. >> europe and africa could be at the center of the world, if we can agree on things that could really make a difference. >> but many africans think europe should not be the one dictating the terms. african foreign ministers, for instance, have already rejected an eu proposal for a joint statement on climate change. another issue is thousands of migrants fleeing africa for europe. gaddafi says the eu should pay 5 billion euros for africa to help stem the flow. european officials say such deals are irresponsible. >> the e.u. is trying to shirk responsibility and is living it up to others to commit human rights violations.

>> but khaddafi it refuses to be cowed. he says that without significant financial support, libya will no longer play the role of what he calls europe's coast guard. >> iranians have confirmed that a nuclear scientist was killed in a series of bomb attacks in tehran on monday. another professor was injured. the bombs were attached to victims' cars by people on motorcycles, apparently using magnets. a chinese human rights activist has been released after 12 years in prison. he co-founded the band that china democratic party and edited a newsletter called the human rights observer. in 1998, he was convicted of endangering state security and jailed. now 57, he plans to resume publishing his newsletter. we will move on to monica, who has business news stora -- who

has business news, starting with the plan to support ireland. >> germany and france declared monday that europe had to rescue ireland and laid the foundation for a permanent debt resolution system. but the measures have so far failed to convince the markets. >> the bailout package for ireland has not calmed nerves on wall street. traders are concerned that brussels is simply not able to stabilize the eurozone. so they are holding back. especially since equity markets in germany were also skeptical. on monday, the dax dropped by over 100 points. and the europe continued to decline against the dollar. at times it reached below $1.31, an eight week low. >> we still have big problems. there is still portugal, and spain could flare up again. we do not have a sustainable

response mechanism. >> the e.u. and imf are supporting ireland with 82 billion year rose, and germany is contributing 6 billion year rose of the total. germany's finance minister says there is hardly any choice but to pay up. -- are supporting ireland with 82 billion euros. >> if we cannot successfully protected european common currency, there will be incalculable social and economic consequences for germany. this would also affect germany's budgets. >> but there is a common goal for all parties in europe's debt crisis -- to restore confidence in the eurozone. >> for more on how the markets in germany performed, we spoke to our correspondent at the frankfurt stock exchange. here is her summary of the day's action. >> the ongoing european debt crisis is driving investors into

the safe haven of the u.s. dollar, despite the rescue package for ireland. investors are not convinced that the rescue package has contained contagion risk for other eurozone member states. there is risk on the bond markets for spanish, italian, and portuguese debts. those are rising, and could default swaps are on the rise. turbulent times for porsche are over. the carmaker has posted a profit of more than 150 million euros in the last three months, mainly because of good sales of their models. >> let us take a look at market numbers in more detail, beginning in frankfurt. the dax index closed in negative territory at 66.97. a similar picture for the stock's 50. the figure was 2669 at the end of the day's trading. the dow is also in negative

territory, a bit over a third of a percent in-at 11,051. the euro is trading 3115. despite the eurozone problem, and germany's economic problem continues. that is good news for businesses. personal bankruptcies are on the rise. >> germany's economy is in recovery mode, but many people have yet to benefit. this year, private bankruptcies are scheduled to speak for a total of 112,000 cases. that is nearly an 11% rise over 2009, and there is no shortage of reasons. >> for one thing, there are the consequences of higher unemployment in 2009, the cost of pensions isising, and running a household is more expensive. you could say that that is

becoming entrenched. we have more and more young people becoming insolvent, and they are having real problems. >> things are looking better on the commercial front. company insolvencies are expected to shrink by 2.5% by the enen of this year. economists say this trend will continue into 2011. >> the eurozone economy is set to slow next year. spending cuts will pick up again in 2012, boosted by a private demand. that is what the european commission said monday. it's twice yearly economic forecast -- executives said growth in the single currency area was slowed to 1.5% in 2011 from 1.7% this year. it will rebound to 1.8% in 2012. the main engine o ogrowth was germany. >> thank you. delegates are gathered in

cancun, mexico for a u.n. summit on climate change. the talks are not expected to achieve a breakthrough on a new agreement to fight global warming. the u.n. is concerned about the continued rise in carbon emissions, notably from coal plants and the growing number of cars on the road. it is hoping for progress on funding renewable energy, deforestation, and aiding development -- aiding developing countries. a snowstorm has blanketed large parts of southern germany, snarling traffic and grounding flights. commuters around munich had to deal with 15 centimeters of snow. snowplows had a hard time keeping roads clear. more than 100 flights were canceled at the main airport, and dozens more have been delayed. forecasters are predicting plummeting temperatures across much of northern and central europe. germany's women's soccer team has high hopes for their world cup next year, not least because

germany will be hosting the tournament. the drop for the group face took place in frankfurt today after the initial stage show with live music. the organizers made picks up who will face whom in the first stage of the championship. as well as being the host team, the german side will also be defending the title they won in 2007. let us take a look at how things are moving for next year. germany are in group play, alongside canada, nigeria, and france. group b hits japan against new zealand, mexico, and england. in group c, the u.s., north korea, north columbia, and sweden. in group d, australia, norway, and a "real guinea. -- ecuador -- equitorial

guinea. some of the teams are separated before the draw. i assume those were the strongest teams? >> those teams were seated. that is what the fed does. he the best teams apart to make them -- those teams were seeded. that is what fifa does. they keep the best teams apart to make the matches were interesting in the final. norway were former winners of the tournament. the american group is interesting because they come up against north korea, which will politically always be an interesting game. germany has a pretty easy group. you never can be too sure in this competition. they have an interest in the opening game against canada, which will be tough. that will kickstart the competition well with a win against canada. >> germany does have a pretty talented players. but it does not always get the

attention it deserves. do you think this tournament is likely to provide the spark that could lead to more widespread public interest in women's soccer? >> that are hoping that is the case, but i have to say women's soccer has gained in popularity over recent years. a lot of the women's team have signed lucrative advertising contcts and make a good living out of football. but the cuts are not there for domestic games. internationally, it is a different story. in 2006, the weapons -- the men's world cup -- people will tune in. however, i do not think it will be as successful on the men's on the women's football side. but it will give the boost of increased appeal in germany and across the globe, i think. >> thank you for being with us here in the studio. that is it for the news, but stay with us because we will be right back with our top story, and also with more news information.

>> welcome back. an angry white house has ordered a government review of how the agency said could sensitive information. the quarter million classified cables released by the wikileaks web site and the partners contained not only a unflattering assessment of foreign leaders, but also revelations about sensitive political issues. saudi arabia pressure the u.s. to bomb iran. the chinese directed an intrusion into gogol's computer systems. the u.s. tried to remove highly enriched iranian -- uranium from pakistan out of fear it could fall into the wrong hands. that is just for starters. there is consternation in foreign capitals and crisis management in washington. >> that are an impressive double act on the political stage --

president barack obama and secretary of state hillary clinton. on the face of it, washington is seeking increased harmony with other nations, particularly russia. but in the late correspondence, diplomats described dmitry medvedev as pale and hesitant and accused him of playing robin to vladimir putin's batman. the revelations are certainly embarrassing. other lakes are more damaging. some documents show that hillary clinton personally tasked her staff with spying on high- ranking un representatives including secretary-general bank ki moon. clinton asked for personal information. data should include e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers, fingerprints, facial images, dna, and i respect -- iris scams. -- scans.

before it can close guantanamo bay in cuba, the u.s. must find countries willing to take in inmates. the leaked corespondents shows slovenian diplomats were offered a personal meeting with president obama in exchange for taking in a prisoner. delete cables also convey the scope of concern in the middle east over the prospect of iranians acquiring nuclear weapons. the reveal that saudi arabia urged a u.s. military strike on iran. documents "the egyptian president as describing iran in these words. "they are fat lyr and justify their lives because the belief it is for a higher purpose. bomb iran, or live with an iranian bomb." uring the recent escalation between the two koreas, china renewed support for p'yongyang. but china is frustrated with kim jong il and would welcome the

united peninsula under south korean control. wikileaks whistleblowing has been condemned by washington, but that is unlikely to limit the diplomatic fallout arising from the breach. >> for some analysis of just how bad that fallout is, let us go to a member of the german marshall fund in washington. mama of these revelations are embarrassing, but what goes beyond that? where you see the worst real damage for u.s. policy and security? in a number of areas. first of all, the breach of confidentiality, so you cannot have honest and frank discussions with leaders. the although they have to be very careful about what they said. -- they all know they have to be very careful about what they say. the middle east is a sensitive situation and you have leaders speaking frankly about each other. that will cause problems in their own streets. that is damaging. the other damage is that you

mentioned the fact that the state department was not collecting information about foreign diplomats and others, which i think damages their role entirely. diplomacy is based upon trust and on keeping in your role as a diplomat. this is a role for spies. i think the state department will be deeply embarrassed by this. they are not very good at it either. what is damaging is that american officials cannot speak honestly to each other or write to each other about their assessments. even now, people have been afraid about putting things in writing in the white house and state department. that will damage our analysis and foreign policy because people will be careful about what they are putting in writing. >> wikileaks provided some media with these documents in advance. the new york times, for example, has published a very elaborate justification for why it has decided to make these cables public. what do you think? do the benefits justify the costs?

>> my view is that it is not the role of the media to keep government secrets. it is the role of the government to protect its own secrets. if the media gets this information, as long as it is not compromising inside sources in terms of spying operations or that sort of thing, or anti- terrorist activities, i do not see why the media has a will to protect the government from its own mistakes and its own incompetence. >> thank you very much for being with us. german foreign minister westerwelle, who dispatches described as a vain, say it is difficult to assess the damage the leaks can cause. he said the disparaging characterization of him was not any worse than what he reads gularly in german media. >> the german chancellor and barack obama at the g-20 summit in seoul this month. they spoke of their close

working relationship. behind the scenes, u.s. diplomats in berlin had cabled home and unflattering view of angela marco. -- merkel. when cornered, she can be tenacious, but is risk averse and rarely creative. the berlin embassy nicknamed her teflon merkel, noting that little criticism stuck to the chancellor. but diplomats s d see her as a dependable ally. westerwelle came in for harsher criticism. he is described in 2009 as incompetent in foreign affairs, and his views on the u.s. are called into question. he is also described as somewhat arrogant, comparing him to a former german prime minister, one cable said he is no genscher. that came from u.s. ambassador

philip murphy, who is now engaged in damage control. >> i am proud of the personal relationship i have with him, and more importantly with our general relationship with him, the foreign ministry, and the coalition. we work seamlessly together on a range of complicated stuff, which makes this more anchoring to me, because the world will not wait for us. >> there is more criticism for other top figures. the bavarian premier is described as populist and unpredictable. there are reservations about interior minister and mekel ally in the fight against terrorism. the right that a free democrat was a weird choice says germany's development -- they it right that a free democrat was a weird choice -- they write that a free democrat was a weird choice as germany's development

minister. others get short shrift in the u.s. cables. a party is seen as lacking a dynamic leadership figure. the finance minister gets a positive right up, at least regarding his former role -- writeup, at least regarding his former role as interior minister. no official pushes harder for bilateral security issues as the interior minister. germany's most popular minister also seems to have some fans in the u.s. diplomatic corps. he is praised for his foreign- policy expertise, and as a friend of america. >> that has been our in-depth report on the wikileaks revelations. stay with us for more news and information.