I'll start out by saying that I'm no fan of Julian Assange and I hope the guy gets caught. I think it's ridiculous what he has done and the whole “freedom of information” idea needs to have its definite limits. With that said, there appears to be a treasure trove of information in the latest Wikileaks cable releases. From a scholarly viewpoint, won't this be one of the "greatest" boons to studying history in modern American (and world) history? Although some or all of the information may have been released in another 70 years or so anyway, the fact that it was done earlier will definitely give historians a different perspective on this decade than they would have had without the release.
Wikileaks are like peanuts – absolutely addictive, but in the end curiously unsatisfying. This analysis can be close to your historian view about the real impact of these "revelations"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11918573
I would not be surprised if there were not a hit team out looking for that clown. His “revelations” have put friends of mine at risk and I would not shed a tear were he or any of his supporters to suffer some accident. Some things are secret for a reason, granted much that is classified probably should not be but I would argue that diplomatic cables and military after-action reports should be classified, especially the AARs in the middle of a war.