Julian Assange: Whoever leaked US embassy cables is unparalleled hero (Referring to Bradley Manning)

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

The WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, today hailed the young US soldier accused of leaking the diplomatic cables as "an unparalleled hero" and suggested that his organisation deliberately placed its servers in certain jurisdictions, such as Amazon in the US, to test their commitment to freedom of speech.

In a live Q&A on guardian.co.uk, the Australian journalist highlighted the role alleged to have been played in the leaks by Bradley Manning.

"For the past four years one of our goals has been to lionise the source who take the real risks in nearly every journalistic disclosure and without whose efforts, journalists would be nothing," said Assange. "If indeed it is the case, as alleged by the Pentagon, that the young soldier — Bradley Manning — is behind some of our recent disclosures, then he is without doubt an unparalleled hero."

Assange was answering questions online as it was claimed that he faced imminent arrest. AFP reported that the Swedish authorities had issued a new international arrest warrant containing information requested by British police.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/03/julian-assange-live-online-answers

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Related OPs...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9680192">Do You Want To Know A Secret? - Julian Assange On The Cover Of Time

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9680329">Assange: "If Something Happens To Us Key Parts Of Cablegate Archive Will Be Released Automatically"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9680405">Results From The Guardian's Q&A: Julian Assange Answers Your Questions

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9680085">WikiLeaks to reveal UFO references in cables

[Fearless]

1. Betcha he disappears.

[glinda]

2. I wish hundreds of people could go to where he is and surround him.

[Fearless]

3. I'm sure they'll have some sort of charges drawn against them too. And into the bag you go.

[JackInGreen]

4. That's usually the way it works

how many of us tie ourselves because of the hostages to fortune or the control the sonsofbatches exert and terrify us?
The true terrorist is anyone that uses fear, and that means nearly everyone in control.

[glinda]

7. True. But it would be amazing if there were so many people that it wold be impossible to control.

[Fearless]

9. A nation was tricked into two wars. Dissent was silenced or ignored.

Unfortunately nothing is too big to control if you know how IMHO.

[Ruperto31]

26. Just like on DU.

Mostly silenced.

[SoapBox]

5. I agree with him...

He exposed TRUTH...Liars, creeps and crooks hate that.

[elias49]

6. I think you're editorializing...

The Pentagon is making allegations about Bradley Manning and the diplomatic cables. Jullian Assange is not.
In other words the paranthetical "(Referring to Bradley Manning)" in your subject line is careless.
IMO

[Turborama]

8. I think you didn't read the article carefully...

"If indeed it is the case, as alleged by the Pentagon, that the young soldier — Bradley Manning — is behind some of our recent disclosures, then he is without doubt an unparalleled hero."

ETA Just so you know why I added it. The Guardian wrote a title that didn't truly reflect what he said and I saw it needed to be clarified that Assange wasn't talking about himself and was in fact referring to Manning.

[elias49]

12. I see what you're saying.

Thanks for the clarification.
I applaud what Wikileaks is doing. And I'm rooting for Assange! When I saw your subject line I thought "Wow. Manning has ENOUGH crap on his plate without the implication that Assange was basically fingering Manning as the 'offender'.
I see that wasn't your intention.
Interesting days are ahead. Let's hope sanity and restraint prevail, though I'm not optimistic about that.
Oh, and thanks for the links.

[Turborama]

15. Interesting days are ahead

We are also living through extremely interesting days and nights right now, I've hardly had any sleep over the past week, lol.

You're welcome, glad we managed to come to a friendly conclusion. :fistbump:

[bemildred]

10. Mr Assange did refer to Mr Manning.

That is really all that is required for the OP headline to make sense. It is true that Assange refrained from asserting any facts about Mr Mannings case.

[Historic NY]

11. Well thats not going to help with his court martial is it?

[northernlights]

13. it's not going to matter one way or the other

According to published reports posted on DU yesterday, Manning discussed what he was doing online with another hacker, who they named. That other hacker turned him in.

Assange isn't pointing toward or away from Manning. He's just saying *whoever* submit the documents is a hero. Worst case, it's irrelevent. Best case, millions of people stand up for Manning and whistleblowing.

In my book, they are both heros. Assange is simply the more sophisticated, experienced and practiced hero who is the face of a heroic team. He is not trying to drag Manning down, nor will he. Assange knew what he was getting into when he chose to be the public face that would take the heat.

That Wiki understood what they were doing is demonstrated by how very many, many steps they apparently remain ahead of their "victims."

[marasinghe]

19. i believe you got this absolutely correct. & agree - they both are heroes. (n/t)

[bemildred]

16. Did you think it would? nt

[purrFect]

14. I agree

Unparalled.

[sabrina 1]

17. Excellent article from the Guardian. And from the comments

Wikileaks has huge support. There are some very thoughtful comments following the article.

And I love that he said they were testing certain people by placing their servers strategically in places where it is likely there are problems with free speech:

He said: "Since 2007 we have been deliberately placing some of our servers in jurisdictions that we suspected suffered a free speech deficit in order to separate rhetoric from reality. Amazon was one of these cases."

His comments on the matter came after WikiLeaks tweeted that if Amazon was "so uncomfortable with the first amendment, they should get out of the business of selling books."

Amazon failed the free speech test obviously.

I hope Amazon loses big for being so cowardly, so afraid of sunlight on governments. Although it's interesting that they hosted Wikileaks while they were leaking about OTHER countries. Cowardly corporate hacks.

[sabrina 1]

18. An interesting comment from the Q&A with Assange:

The west has fiscalised its basic power relationships through a web of contracts, loans, shareholdings, bank holdings and so on. In such an environment it is easy for speech to be "free" because a change in political will rarely leads to any change in these basic instruments. Western speech, as something that rarely has any effect on power, is, like badgers and birds, free. In states like China, there is pervasive censorship, because speech still has power and power is scared of it. We should always look at censorship as an economic signal that reveals the potential power of speech in that jurisdiction. The attacks against us by the US point to a great hope, speech powerful enough to break the fiscal blockade.

That is an amazing and extremely astute comment. It is true that while we supposedly are free to say most things here, as he points out, no one is listening. We cannot affect those in power no matter what we say because the American people simply have no power.

But, now, the reaction to these leaks is a hopeful sign that finally something has scared them. They finally feel vulnerable, weak and they are lashing out.

I wonder, what is it that is being leaked that scares them so much? They didn't worry about the video of the slaughter of Iraqis. Who was going to care about that anyhow, except us 'lesser people' as Alan Simpson so lovingly refers to us?

I wonder if it is the promised revelations about a big bank. THAT could cause some of the 'more important people' to get upset.

As he says maybe they are about to 'break the fiscal blockade'.

[bemildred]

20. Politics is like acting, control of your image is everything.

That is why they are freaking out.

[24601]

21. With so much admiration, Julian should be willing to share a cell

with Manning.

[clixtox]

22. 'Except that "Julian" hasn't committed any crimes...

when passing along the information leaked to the wikileaks organization.

Do you understand that?

So your comment is completely non-sensical, I would further say it is stupid and attempting to be embroiling.

I hope that you are ignored after this post!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. these days du suggests jail for anyone who may embarrass obama

though embarrassing obama or america is not a crime.

[Ruperto31]

25. Exactly.

DU also deletes posts that tell the truth about the persecution of Assange.

[treestar]

24. He has violated US laws

Look it up.

Manning certainly has.

[clixtox]

27. You might enlighten millions of scoffers if you...

would post a link exposing the law(s) Julian might have "violated". Your saying something doesn't make it so, yes even you, treestar, are not the arbiter of what's a violation of law.

Of course he hasn't, just as the NEW YORK TIMES hasn't violated any laws by their similarly disseminating the cables, etc.

It's beyond belief how quick to condemn journalists many folks seem to be, even here in DU.

You wrote "look it up", what hubris! Do your own research, if you can...

[treestar]

28. ...

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/search/display.html?t...


§ 798. Disclosure of classified information

(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified information—
(1) concerning the nature, preparation, or use of any code, cipher, or cryptographic system of the United States or any foreign government; or
(2) concerning the design, construction, use, maintenance, or repair of any device, apparatus, or appliance used or prepared or planned for use by the United States or any foreign government for cryptographic or communication intelligence purposes; or
(3) concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government; or
(4) obtained by the processes of communication intelligence from the communications of any foreign government, knowing the same to have been obtained by such processes—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

[24601]

29. Let's start with accessory after the fact or conspiracy to receive

stolen material, 250,000 counts. I say we go easy and give him only one month in jail per count.

Let's see what President Obama's Justice Department comes up with - then we can judge if you're right about no violations. I'll bet you're dead wrong.

[Taverner]

30. Yes he is

I don't care what you Yellow Dogs say...