ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.</s>GUY RAZ, Host: NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports now on what Europe makes of all this.</s>SYLVIA POGGIOLI: Official reactions in Europe have mostly played down damage caused by the revelations. But in government offices all over Europe there was irritation and anger.</s>H: But Ruprecht Polenz, chairman of the German Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said considerable damage has been done.</s>RUPRECHT POLENZ: (Through Translator) The partners of the United States assume that the things you discuss with your closest ally remain confidential. There are certainly doubts about that now and it will be up to the Americans to eliminate those doubts.</s>SYLVIA POGGIOLI: Budget Minister Francois Baroin said the government would not comment and pledged France would help the U.S. defend diplomatic secrecy.</s>FRANCOIS BAROIN: (Through Translator) We're naturally very worried about the release of information of a confidential nature. The protection of nations, it's something very important; it's the protection of men, of women, of citizens.</s>SYLVIA POGGIOLI: Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chair of the British Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, expressed anger.</s>MALCOLM RIFKIND: Some of the information will severely damage operations against terrorism, the strategy of Western and democratic governments deal with countries like Iran or North Korea who are trying to develop nuclear weapons. And it is very, very disgraceful.</s>SYLVIA POGGIOLI: Today, Berlusconi reacted with disdain.</s>SILVIO BERLUSCONI: (Through Translator) You can't take seriously statements made by third-ranking embassy functionaries who obviously get their information from the leftist media. And besides, I've never been to a wild party.</s>SYLVIA POGGIOLI: Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.
From Moscow to London to Paris to Rome and beyond, WikiLeaks' release of thousands of classified U.S. diplomatic cables has caused embarrassment, anger and possibly some damage in Washington's relations with European governments.