WikiLeaks lists Canadian sites vital to U.S.

WikiLeaks has published a secret U.S. State Department list of key infrastructure sites in foreign countries including dozens in Canada that Washington considers vital to the national security of the United States.

The list of "critical infrastructure" and "key resources" located outside the U.S. was put together as part ofa State Department order to compile an inventory offoreign sites whose loss could "critically impact" the public health or security of the U.S.

According to a February 2009 cable sent to U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, U.S. diplomats were instructed to update an existing listofforeign sites that could seriously harm the U.S. if they were targeted by terrorists or destroyed by other means.

Canadian sites on the 2008 list include such things as theDarlington and Pickeringnuclear power plants east of Toronto, a number of internationalrail crossings and bridges, oil and gaspipelines, the James Bay hydroelectric project in Quebec, the Hibernia Atlantic undersea cable landing in Halifax, several dams, a number of mines, and several factoriesproducing everything from missile parts to plasma to vaccines.

The cable includes hundreds of other strategic sites in all regions of the world. According to the diplomatic note, the order to update the listwas aimed at strengthening "national preparedness, timely response, and rapid recovery in the event of an attack, natural disaster or other emergency."

WikiLeaks' publication of the list hasincreased official criticism of the whistleblowing websitefor providing a virtual"wish list" of potential targets for would-be terrorists.

"This is further evidence that [WikiLeaks has] been generally irresponsible, bordering on criminal," former British foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind was quoted in British media reports. "This is the kind of information terrorists are interested in knowing," he said.

This is just the latest in a series of embarrassing leaks thathave caused concern and anger in many world capitals in recent days.WikiLeaks began releasing more than 250,000 classified U.S. State Department cables more than a week ago.

Many of them have included unflattering U.S. diplomats' private assessments of foreign leaders.