Julian Assange Expected to Be Set Free Next Week

[jeff47]

158. And the big gaping hole in this idea

is that the US does not have to wait for Sweden to arrest him. He was in the UK, our closest ally, and a nearly identical legal system.

If the US filed for extradition from the UK, the UK would send him with a gift bow stuck on his head.

Waiting for Sweden to arrest him makes it harder to get him, not easier.

There's also the minor issue that Assange hasn't broken any US laws. Leaking information is only illegal if you get paid for it, or if you leak it to a specific country. Leaking it to "everyone" for free isn't actually covered by the US law. (The UCMJ does not have this hole, so Manning could be charged. But Assange is not subject to the UCMJ. Snowden has accepted "payment" in the form of shelter, food and protection from Russia. If Snowden had stayed in Hawaii, the US could fuck with him like they fucked with Ellberg, but could not convict him)