By Adam Allington, St. Louis Public Radio
ST. LOUIS – Mo. Sen. Republican Kit Bond is calling for those responsible for leaking over 250,000 U.S. diplomatic documents to be "brought to justice," and that the leakers may have blood on their hands.
The confidential documents were posted to the website WikiLeaks Sunday.
The information contained in the leak details confidential state department correspondence and has become the source of countless news stories around the world.
Bond sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He said that the leaks pose a critical security threat.
"Anybody who leaks classified information should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Bond said, "We have had our intelligence sources compromised by too many leaks in the past, it's endangered troops; it's made our country less safe."
Bond also said that having secure, private correspondence between U.S. diplomats and Washington is a crucial element in shaping policy.
"And if you can't have candid conversations without having some worm disclose them, then we are in danger of not having an effective foreign policy or an effective military policy," Bond said.
In July the pentagon confirmed a criminal probe into Wikileaks, an investigation that is ongoing.