The documents - detailing military operations between 2004 and 2009 - disclosing how Nato forces have killed scores of civilians in unreported incidents in Afghanistan.
More than 90,000 documents were leaked to the Wikileaks website and shown to several newspapers around the world.
The release of the huge file of classified papers is described as one of the biggest leaks in US military history.
The White House condemned the publication of the data which it said threatened the safety of coalition forces.
A spokesman said: "We strongly condemn the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organisations, which puts the lives of the US and partner service members at risk and threatens our national security."
The documents also include references to incidents involving British troops.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We have been unable to corroborate these claims in the short time available and it would be inappropriate to speculate on specific cases without further verification of the alleged actions.
"Reducing the risk to local civilians has always formed an essential part of planning for all military operations carried out by UK forces and we always do our utmost to ensure that we shield the civilian population from violence during the course of any military activity.
The leaked documents reveal how:
* Hundreds of civilians have been killed by Nato troops
* There has a been a steep rise in Taliban attacks on coalition troops
* A secret "black" unit of special forces hunts down Taliban leaders for "kill or capture" without trial
* The US covered up evidence that the Taliban have acquired heat-seaking surface-to-air missiles.
* The coalition is increasingly using deadly Reaper drones to hunt and kill Taliban targets by remote control from a base in Nevada.
* The Taliban have caused growing carnage with a massive escalation of their roadside bombing campaign, which has killed more than 2,000 civilians to date.
* There have been more than 50 incidents where local troops have opened fire on their comrades
Although many of the claims have been aired previously, the leak is highly embarrassing.
The documents claim that 195 civilians have been improperly killed and 174 wounded. Many are innocent motorcylists or drivers shot after being suspected of being suicide bombers.
The growing evidence that Iran and Pakistan in supporting and fuelling the insurgency is also detailed in the documents.
Pakistan's ambassador to the United States insisted his country was fully committed to fighting Islamic insurgents.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani called the release of the file "irresponsible", saying it consisted of "unprocessed" reports from the field.
The founder of Wikileaks said the angry reaction showed that the whistleblower website is succeeding in its mission.
Julian Assange, 39, an Australian former hacker and computer programmer, told the Guardian: "If journalism is good it is controversial by its nature.
"It is the role of good journalism to take on powerful abuses, and when powerful abuses are taken on, there is always a back reaction."
Until the Afghan dossier, Wikileaks' most prominent scoop was a video posted in April this year showing a US Apache helicopter strike in Baghdad in 2007.
The not-for-profit website organisation has also been responsible for publishing a Guantanamo Bay training manual, BNP membership lists and details of Sarah Palin's private emails.
The source of the leak to the website is so far unknown.
The last person suspected of providing classified material to the outlet is American soldier Bradley Manning who has been charged with two counts of misconduct for allegedly providing video footage of a US Apache helicopter strike in Iraq in 2007 in which around a dozen people were gunned down in broad daylight.
Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7909771/Afghan-war-logs-inquiry-launched-into-source-of-leaks.html
More than 90,000 documents were leaked to the Wikileaks website and shown to several newspapers around the world.
The release of the huge file of classified papers is described as one of the biggest leaks in US military history.
The White House condemned the publication of the data which it said threatened the safety of coalition forces.
A spokesman said: "We strongly condemn the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organisations, which puts the lives of the US and partner service members at risk and threatens our national security."
The documents also include references to incidents involving British troops.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We have been unable to corroborate these claims in the short time available and it would be inappropriate to speculate on specific cases without further verification of the alleged actions.
"Reducing the risk to local civilians has always formed an essential part of planning for all military operations carried out by UK forces and we always do our utmost to ensure that we shield the civilian population from violence during the course of any military activity.
The leaked documents reveal how:
* Hundreds of civilians have been killed by Nato troops
* There has a been a steep rise in Taliban attacks on coalition troops
* A secret "black" unit of special forces hunts down Taliban leaders for "kill or capture" without trial
* The US covered up evidence that the Taliban have acquired heat-seaking surface-to-air missiles.
* The coalition is increasingly using deadly Reaper drones to hunt and kill Taliban targets by remote control from a base in Nevada.
* The Taliban have caused growing carnage with a massive escalation of their roadside bombing campaign, which has killed more than 2,000 civilians to date.
* There have been more than 50 incidents where local troops have opened fire on their comrades
Although many of the claims have been aired previously, the leak is highly embarrassing.
The documents claim that 195 civilians have been improperly killed and 174 wounded. Many are innocent motorcylists or drivers shot after being suspected of being suicide bombers.
The growing evidence that Iran and Pakistan in supporting and fuelling the insurgency is also detailed in the documents.
Pakistan's ambassador to the United States insisted his country was fully committed to fighting Islamic insurgents.
Ambassador Husain Haqqani called the release of the file "irresponsible", saying it consisted of "unprocessed" reports from the field.
The founder of Wikileaks said the angry reaction showed that the whistleblower website is succeeding in its mission.
Julian Assange, 39, an Australian former hacker and computer programmer, told the Guardian: "If journalism is good it is controversial by its nature.
"It is the role of good journalism to take on powerful abuses, and when powerful abuses are taken on, there is always a back reaction."
Until the Afghan dossier, Wikileaks' most prominent scoop was a video posted in April this year showing a US Apache helicopter strike in Baghdad in 2007.
The not-for-profit website organisation has also been responsible for publishing a Guantanamo Bay training manual, BNP membership lists and details of Sarah Palin's private emails.
The source of the leak to the website is so far unknown.
The last person suspected of providing classified material to the outlet is American soldier Bradley Manning who has been charged with two counts of misconduct for allegedly providing video footage of a US Apache helicopter strike in Iraq in 2007 in which around a dozen people were gunned down in broad daylight.
Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7909771/Afghan-war-logs-inquiry-launched-into-source-of-leaks.html
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