WikiLeaks founder not being investigated

MELBOURNE, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The United States has not asked for a criminal investigation of the man responsible for publishing secret military files on the Internet, an official says.

Australian Julian Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks, the Internet site that last month published the secret Afghanistan war documents, enraging the United States, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Thursday.

However, the United States has not yet asked for a criminal investigation in the matter, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith told ABC.

"But quite clearly we're working closely with the U.S. on these matters; these are very serious matters for concern," Smith told ABC.

WikiLeaks published some 90,000 documents online and the publication could endanger the lives of Australian troops, the report said. Additionally, Australia's Department of Defense has set up a task force to investigate the potential impact of the leaks.