Breaking on Sky News: WikiLeaks: British Police Arrest Assange

[maddezmom]

Source: Sky News

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested by British police over sexual assault claims in Sweden, according to Sky sources.

A fresh European arrest warrant has been received by Mr Assange's lawyer - as anger grows in the US over the latest leaked embassy cables by the whistleblowing website.

Sky sources have said officers from Scotland Yard detained the 39-year-old Australian at around 9.30am.

¬snip¬

After meeting police, Mr Assange will appear before City of Westminster magistrates so a decision can be made about whether the warrant is appropriate for extradition.

But Mills added that Mr Stephens has warned any attempt to extradite will be resisted, "mainly on the grounds that he may be handed over to the Americans".



Read more: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Julian-Assange-WikiLeaks-Founder-Meets-Police-In-Britain-Over-Sexual-Assault-Claims-In-Sweden/Article/201012115849036?lpos=UK_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15849036_Julian_Assange%3A_WikiLeaks_Founder_Mee

---

Sky reporting that after court appearance will likely be released on bail.

[ClayZ]

1. I will light a candle for him tonight.

[No Elephants]

11. Do you know if we now have an address for donations? Lawyers are costly.

[John Kerry VonErich]

20. Unless there is someone who do it pro bono.

nt

[TorchTheWitch]

30. he already has attorneys

and has had them for quite some time. Changing horses in mid-stream especially at this point would be a really bad idea.

[caseymoz]

126. Yes, but what are they living on in the meantime?

Sounds like this case will take a lot of hours. How many of their hours will be left to keep them out of destitution? Especially while US agents and helpers make their lives Hell?

[molly77]

136. Good Huff Po comment of Master Card .They won't allow donations either to Assange defense.

thought MC liked free speech!"
"According to Open Secrets, between 1998 and 2009 MasterCard spent about $20 million dollars exercising free speech, funding a small army of lobbyists. This spending came at a cost to society. By 2009, largely as a result of lobbying by MasterCard and the banks, Americans had very few rights as credit card holders, as financial consumers. The financial crisis that had broken out the previous year could largely be attributed to lobbying by financial institutio­ns such as MasterCard­. A milestone along the path to financial catastroph­e had been the repeal in 1999 of the Glass-Stea­gall Act of 1933 (which had been enacted to prevent another depression­). The passage of the repeal bill had been anticipate­d by a record year of lobbying by MasterCard­.

n 2010 MasterCard­, already one of the top spenders on lobbyists, increased its donations to lobbyists by 25%. So far this year, MasterCard has spent almost $4 million ($3,990,00­0.00 to be exact) lobbying Congress. Moreover, this year banking lobbyists filed more reports of lobbying activity for MasterCard than for any other financial institutio­n.

[ronnie624]

147. Yep. To MasterCard, 'free speech' means the 'right' to bribe legislators. n/t

[snagglepuss]

22. Some ways remain to donate however options are closing as

the Australian govt is closing his PO box and Mastercard can no longer be used for donations. Other credit cards can still be used at datacall. com for donations and bank transfers can still be made.

His financial is worse since Swiss authorities the other day froze his defense fund account.


Some info here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9707552

[caseymoz]

128. Hey, can people who donated to Assange sue that Swiss bank?

Accusing them of theft and diversions of their funds? I mean massively? I could see where a government can freeze funds if there's an investigation, (as far as I could tell, there wasn't any) but why and how could a bank do that by itself? I could understand the legality of saying, "We don't want to handle your money, come and pick it up," (like that will ever happen!) but how is they are able to get away with simple theft of thousands of people's money? How is that not common theft, fraud or embezzlement?

People need to sue over this. And sue PayPal also for freezing funds.

Demand their money back? I admit it might not go anywhere, but you ought to be able to make waves internationally over this. That money was not the bank's to freeze. No way shape or form.

[TorchTheWitch]

29. the Wikileaks defense fund was cut off

Can't remember if the assests were frozen or not.

[molly77]

37. Julian Assange is still proving his point.

[madmax]

51. There was a post yesterday

Someone wanted links to wikileaks mirror sites. One site DID have a gmail account to send paypal donations.

I've looked and can't find the OP and there were only a few replies, dropped like a stone.

Hope someone can find it I'd like to donate a few bucks.

[loudsue]

68. PayPal cut him off.

They are participating in this fiasco against Assange.

[madmax]

86. Wasn't paypal.

someone is taking donations for him through Paypal with a gmail account. I don't think it's a scam because it's posted on the wikileaks site. But, what do I know - not a Geek ;)

[ronnie624]

102. PayPal freezes WikiLeaks account

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4641858>

[madmax]

116. Ok, it was someone who has a gmail

acount who is accepting donations through PayPal. Maybe I'm not being clear on this. The person is a third party acting as an agent for wikileaks.

[loudsue]

177. Or scamming people out of their money?

Who can say? :shrug:

[caseymoz]

129. PayPal will freeze funds at any excuse whatsoever.

They've done it at any imagined whiff of anything illegal. They are so bad I'm surprised WikiLeaks tried to take any funding through them.

[madmax]

135. Thanks... I so pissed that I've contributed to politcal campaigns

that I would like to donate to WikiLeaks - it may do more good.

[molly77]

141. Another interesting comment from The Guardian

m: Charles Arthur, the Guardian's technology editor, points out that while MasterCard and Visa have cut WikiLeaks off you can still use those cards to donate to overtly racist organisations such as the Knights Party, which is supported by the Ku Klux Klan.

The Ku Klux Klan website directs users to a site called Christian Concepts. It takes Visa and MasterCard donations for users willing to state that they are "white and not of racially mixed descent. I am not married to a non-white. I do not date non-whites nor do I have non-white dependents. I believe in the ideals of western Christian civilisation and profess my belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God."

[molly77]

142. I was unable to put this comment up on FB

[MrMickeysMom]

101. Light it up today, if you can...

I'd say they're being prompted by the powers too eager to extradite him.

If so.... release the hounds, hackers....

[Turborama]

2. They just announced it on Al Jazeera English, too. They said Reuters were reporting it

Haven't found an article online yet.

[timo]

16. reuters

LONDON | Tue Dec 7, 2010 5:40am EST
(Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arrested by British police on a European warrant issued by Sweden over allegations of sex crimes including rape, London's Metropolitan Police said Tuesday.

Swedish prosecutors issued the arrest order for the 39-year-old Australian who is wanted in Sweden on suspicion of committing sexual crimes, which he denies.

Police said Assange, at the center of a row over the release of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, had been arrested at about 9.30 a.m. (0930 GMT) Tuesday by appointment at a London police station under a European Arrest Warrant.

"He is accused by the Swedish authorities of one count of unlawful coercion, two counts of sexual molestation and one count of rape, all alleged to have been committed in August 2010," London police said in a statement.

He is due to appear before City of Westminster Magistrates Court in London later Tuesday.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Keith Weir)

WORLDWIKILEAKS

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[truthisfreedom]

8. 7 posts later

[Turborama]

4. Good link for real time updates..

Here: http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&tbs=mbl:1&q=assange+arrested&aq=f&aqi=g-c1g1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

[Hissyspit]

5. Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-us-embassy-cables-live-updates?CMP=twt_gu

10.26am: Police say WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested on Swedish warrant, AP confirms.

10.18am: Sky News is reporting that Assange was arrested at 9.30 this morning. It says he is expected to appear before City of Westminster magistrates court later today.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. I think you will see massive protests in Britain

as a show of support.

"Hand over to the Amerikans" I doubt that will happen but we shall see.

[No Elephants]

13. At least one song will be written, but Assange is almost as hard to rhyme as orange.

[Ichingcarpenter]

23. Plenty of rhymes to go with Julian

Assange is it pronounced like Strange?

[TorchTheWitch]

31. uh, no - it's French

Doesn't sound anything at all like "strange".

[Hissyspit]

36. Uh-sahnj'

[Ichingcarpenter]

38. Thank you

That is a tough one to put into rhyme.

I need to think about it but I'm sure it can be done.

[Hissyspit]

42. It rhymes with or-ahnj'

:)

[muriel_volestrangler]

43. 'Melange'? (nt)

[Jamastiene]

172. Make it a country song and add a little twang to how you say it.

If you really work at it, maybe you could rhyme it with "wronged" as in he was wronged. Make sure to use a southern pronunciation though, so it'll rhyme and sound right.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

58. Blancmange?

[RufusTFirefly]

120. Haha! One of my favorite all-time episodes!

(And I say that as a person of Scottish heritage who is pretty bad at tennis.)

[Imajika]

70. There will be no "massive" protests in Britain in support of Assange

That people believe he is so popular as to trigger "massive" protests on his behalf is laughable.

This is what happens when people sit in an echo chamber too long. They and all their friends support Assange, so they assume huge swaths of the world do as well. The truth is, Julian could just go away tomorrow and most of the world wouldn't care.

[bhikkhu]

95. So most of the world are fascists who like secrecy?

Bow to power, prefer to believe what their governments tell them, avoid the truth whenever possible?

[Ichingcarpenter]

103. You live in the South in the US and have no idea

what the Brits will do.

Give me a break because you Know 'what the rest of the world thinks"
in your Southern Home of Virgina.

[muriel_volestrangler]

149. I don't think there will be 'massive protests'

and I do live in Britain. Since the accusations are about having sex with someone without their consent, many people are not going to see him as a martyr, especially the sort of people who organise large protests.

[Ichingcarpenter]

160. Well, I disagree.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/europe/julian-assange-faces-judge-as-wikileaks-supporters-flock-to-court/article1827668/

[muriel_volestrangler]

168. Analysing what's in the report about numbers

The headline may say 'supporters flock to court', but in the actual article written by the reporter there we find:

"rousing testimonials from famous supporters"
"the packed courtroom"
"The hundreds of journalists fighting to get into the court, and the five high-profile supporters who offered financial guarantees for bail"
"A handful of Mr. Assange’s supporters also showed up outside the courtroom"

That's not what I call "massive protests". "Massive media interest", perhaps.

[BlueCaliDem]

109. When you mentioned the echo chamber, I thought you referred to the U.S.A.

which is the biggest echo chamber on the globe thanks to corporate propaganda disguised as our Fourth Estate. Unfortunately, at least 85% of the American people (mostly in the South) are imprisoned in that well-funded echo chamber that they'll demonize whomever U.S. Corporate Media tells them to.

[indimuse]

48. Thank you! Fascinating live feed..n/t

[Turborama]

7. BBC: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange arrested in London

December 07 2010 Last updated at 10:26 GMT

The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police.

The 39-year-old Australian denies allegations he sexually assaulted two women in Sweden.

Mr Assange's lawyer, Mark Stephens, has criticised the Swedish prosecutors, saying Mr Assange had been offering to meet since August.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11937110

[Karenina]

39. Don't you LOVE the use of language in all this hubbub?

As I understand it, Mr. Assange WALKED INTO a police station somewhere around 9:30 and was taken into custody. Why is the headline not: ASSANGE TURNS HIMSELF IN??? :rofl:

[fatbuckel]

73. Because it would`nt appear as if the authorities were in charge .

[Boudica the Lyoness]

89. Really!

He has been working with the police all along. The media wants people to believe he's been hiding and they finally nabbed him.

[ronnie624]

96. Perception management in action.

They wanted to portray a fugitive, on the run from justice.

[BlueCaliDem]

113. Yep. He walked voluntarily into a police station, according to all

reports except those in the U.S., that is.

[BlueCaliDem]

114. Isn't Sky owned by that commie-Australian Rupert Murdoch? EDITED

Although owned by British Sky Broadcasting, Sky News is partially-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which holds a minority stake in BSkyB. Murdoch said of Sky News in March 1992, when he was the full owner:
“ Taking nothing away from CNN, which has done an outstanding job, I would point out that Sky News, the Fox news service and the News Corporation's combined reach - which have together over three thousand journalists spread over every continent and every country - leave us with an army of news gatherers second to none both with regard to their access to news and ability to bring news from anywhere into people's homes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_News

Edited to expand on information, adding the above + link

[Tunkamerica]

9. This story is exhausting

It really is the epitome of the 24-hour news cycle. What did Minor threat sing? "I can't keep up, I can't keep up, I can't keep up with the world."

[No Elephants]

10. Geist (blecch) on msnbc reporting as well. Law and justice, not always congruent..

[Turborama]

12. CNN International are reporting on it on the hour, if anyone can find a link to a stream...

I don't think they have a live stream on their site.

(edited because they just went back to a Larry King repeat of him interviewing Al Pacino)

[No Elephants]

14. December 7, still infamous, after all these years (apologies to Paul Simon).

[cowcommander]

15. Does this mean we'll finally get the password?

For the insurance file?

[timo]

17. I bet

NOT, he wont release the password is my guess.

[SpiralHawk]

18. Ugly attempt to staunch the truth

this shall not stand. I predict a global uprising ...

FREE ASSANGE NOW

[defendandprotect]

161. Less opportunity to discuss cables/facts ... more time for Assange smear ...!!

Trust that most people understand this is a smear --

but if they move to "terrorist" then the fear mongers will have another

unquestioned win, much like the "underwear" bomber --

and the shoe bomber --


:eyes:

[snagglepuss]

19. Assange Arrested By U.K. police

Source: Herald Sun AU

THE elusive head of whistle-blower website WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has been arrested by British police in relation to an international warrant issued by Sweden over alleged sex offences there.

Sky News reported that he was due to appear before magistrates later Tuesday local time.



Earlier, it was reported Mr Assange was preparing to talk with English police about sexual assault claims.

The 39-year-old Australian was wanted for questioning over allegations of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion relating to two women in Sweden, in a case that could lead to his extradition from London.




Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/assange-arrested-by-uk-police/story-e6frf7lf-1225967232654

[Swagman]

21. this was a 'honey-trap' and nothing else. I'm bitterly disappointed with

the appalling actions of the kowtowing Australian government in condemning Assange on behalf of the US.

If Assange goes down-it will prove that any dissent will not be tolerated.

This is a defining moment. If they destroy Assange then the fight is over and they have won.

I'm also bitterly disappointed that some DUers (only some but oddly some well know ones)are not supporting Assange and Wikileaks to the fullest extent.

[Tunkamerica]

24. If Assange had been celibate... what would he have been charged with?

Remind me to castrate myself before I speak truth to power.

[Mimosa]

127. ^ It's a mystery, TunkAmerica ^ n/t

[defendandprotect]

159. "Terrorism" -- of course!! Obvious direction they'd like to move in ....

too many will see thru the sexual charges --

but give the public a "terrorist" and they'll believe anything ....

like "underwear" bombers --

and shoe bombers


:rofl: :rofl:

except the price we pay for this FEAR we enjoy so much is very, very high!!

A National Security State which has nothing to do with national security!!

[snagglepuss]

25. +100000 nt

[Bodhi BloodWave]

26. i'm curious, are you going to stand by that view regardless of what happens

if he goes to trial?

[defendandprotect]

162. Notice there was an immediate change in judges from the one who dismissed the charges ....

of rape -- to another who reinstated them.

Exactly as the right wing Senators arranged for the Clinton entrapment.

[Azathoth]

33. What Assange has done is wrong

and everyone knows it except for the burn-it-all-down armchair anarchists and the people who fancy themselves socialist revolutionaries fighting against the grand Imperial Design.

Whistle-blowing is a legitimate and vital act of conscience which involves leaking information that sheds light on specific crimes and lies and acts of malfeasance in which the public has a compelling public interest. What whistle-blowing is *not* about is trying to embarrass or cripple legitimate governments by preventing them from fulfilling their ordinary and proper functions and obligations. This latest "leak" is nothing but an indiscriminate document dump in the hope that something embarrassing or scandalous will emerge from the pile, without any regard for the potential consequences. The right to conduct diplomacy, and the inviolacy of diplomatic communication, is one of the most universal cornerstones of international relations. Numerous treaties, including some to which Australia is a party, have been drafted and ratified over the years to this effect. Even if Assange has not explicitly violated these treaties, it is clear that he is violating their spirit and intent. It's more than a little ironic that the same people who are always screaming that we should have tried more diplomacy instead of taking military action in this matter or that are now cheering whole-heartedly for a full-scale assault on the country's diplomatic capability.

Assange has put himself on morally untenable ground, and he has done so in the most ostentatious, attention-seeking way possible. Even if the Swedish allegations are complete bullshit, it comes as no surprise that he finds himself with no friends. Hell, even the Swiss banks don't want to deal with him any more, and that's *really* saying something.

[GliderGuider]

40. This "armchair anarchist" stands squarely behind him.

Many of the people on this board have been fighting for transparency, honesty and integrity in government for years. Over the last couple of decades it has dawned on many of us that this is an impossible dream. What we ascribed to Republican malfeasance under Bush has been shown to be a systemic infection thanks to the failures of the current administration. Millions of American families, millions of Iraqi families, millions of Afghan families are suffering from the consequences of power wielded for its own sake.

At what point do we have the right to say "Enough!"??? At what point do we have the right to speak our own minds? At what point do we have the right to select a standard-bearer of our own choosing?

[Azathoth]

47. Indiscriminately undermining the diplomatic corps does nothing to enhance honesty and transparency

It's just about taking revenge on the government because you don't like some of its policies.

[BenzoDia]

52. I agree completely.

This is less about transparency and more about "sticking it to the man"

[texastoast]

82. Gosh, I haven't heard that phrase in years

And I know few nowadays who understand what it really meant. Those rebels are gone or they just got way too disengaged.

[tinkerbell41]

100. My brother accuses me of it often

To me it sounds like he thinks it's an insult, but when I think about it, I'm not insulted, I feel like a dying breed.

[GliderGuider]

60. You miss the point completely. This is not about either regaining transparency or taking revenge.

The idea that we can enhance honesty and transparency in such an utterly compromised global system is a chimera. It's actually the elite's “preferred approach” that is being bruited about by the powers that be in order to de-legitimize the growing swell of global protest – protest that is at its core about the consolidation of power out of the hands of the citizens. Think of Wikileaks as the latest expression of the anti-globalization and anti-free-trade movements, both of which were at their core about the disempowerments of citizens.

Similarly, it’s not about taking revenge over the simple dislike of some government policies. It’s far more basic than that. It’s a fundamental revulsion against what government has become in an era of globalized power structures. Changing this or that policy is the band-aid approach that TPTB offer us instead of the structural reform that is required.

That leads to the questions of whether such structural reform can be achieved, and if it can’t what can be done to improve the situation? I personally believe that the system cannot be reformed, and I suspect from what he’s written that Assange doesn’t either. IMO all attempts at reform will be directed precisely by those who already have the power, and have no interest whatsoever in relinquishing any of it. As a result, attempts at reform will be subverted at every turn. We know they are capable of such subversion because we have seen it in action at environmental conferences in Kyoto, Copenhagen and Cancun.

So it we can’t trust the foxes to reform their guardianship of the hen-house, what options are we left with? As citizens our hands are kept far from the official levers of power. This leaves only the time-honoured tradition of asymmetric warfare using the tools at our disposal. Sort of physical violence (which plays directly into the hands of the global power elite) we have civil disobedience and disruption.

This is precisely what Assange is engaging in. He is using governments’ institutional reliance on secrecy against them, making them distrust their lines of communication, making them unsure of what or who has been compromised. He is doing this because he no longer sees the institutions of government as legitimate representatives of those they govern.

As citizens who are being progressively disempowered by our rulers we have very few options left and the hour is getting late. I see Wikileaks as a creative, elegant and effective blow for freedom, and am in full agreement with Assange’s approach.

[Azathoth]

76. Well, I can't really respond except to say that I'm not an anarchist

Since you have grounded your support for Assange's latest actions in an all-encompassing doctrine that essentially calls for governments everywhere (what you call the "compromised global system") to be undermined and torn down by whatever tools are available, I can't really respond without directly confronting your worldview, which unfortunately isn't really practical. So I will simply say that I personally am not interested in waging "asymmetric warfare" against the world's governments, and I suspect the vast majority of people aren't either. In fact, I consider this behavior self-destructive, and given the current level of human social evolution, I believe that successfully smashing and tearing the whole system down would likely result in the eventual emergence of something far more noxious, cruel, and abhorrent than anything we have today. I am, of course, interested in fighting the (perhaps quixotic) good fight to clean up and perfect government, but I am not convinced that western governments are so thoroughly and systemically corrupt and diseased that our only option is to tear them down.

[GliderGuider]

77. You're right, that this is a clash of world views.

There’s nothing wrong with having opposing views. It’s just that in order to understand Assange’s actions you need to understand that he sees the world through an anarchist lens. It’s your right to disagree with that perspective, but it is helpful to recognize that this feeling is what is driving the current drama.

And also that to those of us who hold that view, the desire to put band-aids on the system seems collaborationist.

[goforit]

93. bada bing!

[tama]

152. Comment on anarchist worldviews

There are many ideological (Western) anarchists who actively oppose states and governments and try to "smash and tear the whole system down". I don't see much point in that behavior and consider it counterproductive, violent and other active opposition to global tyranny just gives more power to state terrorism against we the people. And, in the extremely unlikely event that e.g. urban anarchist rioters were able to dismantle and destroy Greek state, there would be no way to feed the people liberated from the tyranny of evil state.

In fact, global food crisis (peak oil passed etc. energy crises, water crises, etc. eco-systemic limits of growth for the system dependent from continuous growth) is already on and worsening, crucial sign that the global system that is actively destroying the ecosystem that it is dependent from is relatively quickly collapsing by it's own impossibility. It's happening and will happen and there is no way around that fact, denial will only make adjusting to the new emerging reality more difficult and of course will deny creative adjusting for those in denial.

For me practical anarchy and -ism as a way of life means that revolution happened already, governments have already lost power and meaning in any real sense. What is left of the system is just desperate attempts to act even more idiotically than before. In this post revolution era of continuous revolution it's all about adjusting to the new emerging reality in creative ways. Building networks of small communities, self sufficient to large extent ("permaculture eco-villages" etc.) to is what practical anarchism - and spirituality - means to me and many others. The great vision of Gandhi and many others, so far the best idea that I've seen for this time and age.

Sure, there are other scenarios, like:
1) green global capitalism - sorry no can do in post-growth world
2) green fascism/national socialism - extremely likely to lead to escalating resource wars and systemic collapse
3) mad max

All three are probable in various local blends but none of them sustainable. Adjusting to post-growth reality is all about sustainability and what networks of small local communities are all about is relearning sustainable ways of life.

To put it as simply as I can. :)

[GliderGuider]

169. We have seen the same things.

I agree with your assessment of modern urban "anarchism". It seems more an adrenaline-driven excuse to break things than any deep assessment of the state of world affairs.

I had quite a fling with anarcho-primitivism (a la Zerzan and Jensen) a couple of years back, but in the end I had to leave it behind. I still think its critique of how we got into our current predicament is reasonable, but one is always left with the question, "So now what?" As you point out, violence is counter-productive -- it's the one modus operandi that the power hierarchy has completely mastered. that's what delights me so much about Wikileaks - it is at least a solid step forward based on a clear understanding of the forces at work.

Ultimately, the concept of the hierarchic nation-state is doomed because of resource limitations, the marginal return on complexity and the loss of economic, social, ecological and infrastructure resilience. However, getting from our current, penultimate state to that ultimate resolution is fraught with uncertainty, as we tread an uneven path through perilous terrain with no promise of a good outcome.

For me that's where the "spiritual" viewpoint enters. It helps to recognize that all we have to operate in is the present moment; that change is the only permanent state of being; that even the most difficult circumstances can be used for personal growth; and that we suffer less if we do our best but don't get attached to specific outcomes. With that frame of mind, enormous amounts of change become tolerable.

I used to be very attached to trying to predict the future, as a way of creating an island of certainty in the sea of change. No more. I now accept that the future will probably resemble the last answer to a multiple choice question: e) All of the above.

These days for me the idea of anarchy serves as a reminder that I am a sovereign individual, at least within my own heart and mind - that the archons can steal my body but not my soul.

[tama]

176. What to say?

As Little Grandmother says, it's the strongest of the strongest who dream this dream we are living on this planet - we are all here by our own choice (by the choice of our true selves). Good to be here with you, your words and wisdom have allways been a great consolation and source of strength. Last Summer (in a peyote seremony of the native american church) I met and became a friend with a Wounded Healer whose vision - well a part of it - is that this universe was originally dreamed and spoiled by an hierarchic and technocratic race so badly that Big Help from the Source is needed to correct what went wrong. All my experience tells me that our collective consciousness is evolving pretty fast nowadays...

My new friend says that saving Earth is pretty simple, all we need to do is a simple meditation of making a ball shape with one's palms, imagining Earth inside and then bringing it to one's Heart.

As for anarchist shamanhood, we are all shamans and our own healers, though sometimes we need a little help to find our healer self. Curiously, the "traditional" shamans, medicine men, wheel men or what ever are very busy these days all over the globe, e.g. ayahuascaleros (and other traditional medicins) have been and are coming in increasing numbers also to this northern part of the old continent.

Again, Thanks for being here, my good friend. :)

[Kaleko]

85. + 1000. That is a great must-read post, GliderGuider. Should be an OP of its own.

[GliderGuider]

98. Your wish is my command...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9710323

[Kaleko]

111. Thank you. I'm there :)

As U2 said way back when: "We're one but we're not the same. We've got to carry each other, sister and brother."

[madmax]

137. +1

[awnobles]

84. Democracy doesn't work

when the populace is misinformed. The deliberate dishonesty by our government needs to be recognized. It gives cover for murder and theft on a global scale. The government made the laws broken specifically to enable the tyranny. I don't know if breaking the laws enabling the criminality is wrong. Don't forget, these are diplomatic cables, not military. They are not endangering anyone, the original tyrannical actions are.

[metalbot]

148. Then democracy has never worked?

If you argue that democracy doesn't work when the populace is misinformed, then I think you'd be hard pressed to argue that democracy has ever worked. Can you point to a country and time period where you feel that people were better informed about the inner workings of the diplomatic corps than they are today?

[defendandprotect]

164. Agree with both of you ... democracy is being blocked -- avenues to

correct corruption of government are being blocked --

Meanwhile, I will also agree that the heavy propagandizing of the public with right

wing lies does confuse the public. Anyone who doesn't have access to the internet

is screwed!!

:)

[defendandprotect]

163. Democracy can't work in a govenment overtaken by fascism ....

and our "people's" government was also taken in the coup which asssassinated JFK.

New Deal financial reforms were overturned with criminal intent, imo --

and think the results show that without doubt. And the power to do it came from

campaign finance "bribery" --

Same is true of the trade agreements which are bankrupting our nation thru elimination

of jobs -- betrayal of labor - treason.

As Abe Lincoln said -- "All that betrays labor is treason" --

[goforit]

92. Excuse me!!!....Ethnic cleansing the whole world for World control and profit?

More than just phucking policies!

[Azathoth]

94. Ethnic cleansing? Now we're on par with Milosevic and the Hutus?

I must have missed that cable...

[defendandprotect]

165. Rather, the "undermining" and the "revenge" seem to be coming from ....

CIA/US and our diplomatic corps --

"Some of its policies" -- ???

We have a government engaged in TORTURE, overturning Habeas Corpus, seeing up

fascist systems like The Patriot Act and Homeland Security -- infiltrating and

arresting anti-war organizers -- interferring with the right to free assembly --

beating up protesters -- organizing false flag events -- illegal and immoral

attacks on other sovereign nations -- destruction of our safety nets --

wiretapping of citizens begun 6 months BEFORE 9/11 --

and you want to say we just don't like some o the policies???


:eyes:

[goforit]

90. well said!!!!

[Bragi]

44. He exposed war crimes. That alone justifies him and Wikileaks /nt

[Robb]

45. In Assange's defense, the attention-seeking was a cornerstone of the release strategy.

Gone are the days you could safely drop the entire file on the front steps of the city newspaper and trust a reporter and editor to do the right thing.

For the last few months, Wikileaks has been successful in staying in the news with new developments almost daily, whether it's been the releases themselves or Assange's carefully-scripted appearances (and disappearances). The showmanship was critical; without it, most of this would have received little to no press attention.

[msanthrope]

49. "armchair anarchist" is an apt term for those who think when the revolution

comes, they will be the ones standing about Party Headquarters with clipboards.....

[trumad]

57. What a stupid fucking post...

I betcha you said the same when the Iraq war started....

No friends? That comment made your post even stupider...

[Azathoth]

61. The intellectual brilliance of your response is blinding

I'll bet you learned that kind of rhetorical legerdemain at the Oxford Union, right?

Nothing says "I win the debate!" louder than a fumbling, vulgar ad hominem attack :hi:

[fatbuckel]

75. Thesaurus anyone? Gosh,you`re smart.

[Azathoth]

78. Perhaps I should have added

:sarcasm: :shrug:

[Kaleko]

99. You will draw responses of outraged dismissiveness for posts that advocate colluding

with a system that many of us here have recognized as lethally rotten, corrupt to the core.
This has been pointed out to you above by GG. Count on being cursed and insulted even if the words aren't spelled out in a written reply to your views.

[Azathoth]

110. Well, two comments

One, when did DU become Anarchist Underground? Back when I joined, I was under the impression this was a Democratic forum -- as in, a forum which supported Democratic candidates for offices in the US *government*, not a forum dedicated to tearing the whole government down. GliderGuider gave an admirable explication of anarchistic principles, but it seems to me those principles are incompatible with one of DU's core goals, which is to improve the government by electing (non-conservative) Democrats, so I can be forgiven for assuming that I wasn't addressing an audience full of anarchists.

Two, I get angry and pissed all the time, usually in the real world, but every now and then in cyberspace as well. However, when I'm angry and I want to be taken seriously, I don't scream "fuck you" at someone and then take my toys and run home.

[Kaleko]

124. You see, what you call anarchy looks more like an (r)evolutionary impulse to me.

It is the impulse to revolt against intolerable oppression and utter hopelessness in the face of it.

I seriously doubt that Assange, his team and the majority of Wikileaks supporters want anarchy. No, what drives this soul movement of collective outrage is the realization that we have once again been lulled into believing we can change a system that is sucking our very will to live and act as responsible citizens out of us.

[Azathoth]

139. There's a reason why anarchistic and revolutionary philosophies tend to go hand in hand

They both have the same approach to the problem. It's just that anarchists view a stateless society as the ultimate ideal, while generic revolutionaries often believe they can erect a more workable and agreeable form of government. In either case, the first step is the same, not to fix but to tear down the governments we currently have.

I guess this is the best way to summarize it: I believe the United States government and other western democracies have the fundamental right to exist and to conduct their affairs according to international law and treaty. If they aren't doing something wrong, then their rights should be respected and they should not be attacked or undermined. If they are doing something wrong, I believe *corrective* action is the appropriate response. Honest vigilance on the part of the citizens will often, but not always, be able to uncover and correct much of this wrongdoing. The existing system will never be perfect, but I believe there will always be a positive net effect when people work constructively to improve it, and thus things will get better. And lastly, I don't believe that people who live in western societies are living, by and large, under intolerable oppression and utter hopelessness, as you artfully put it.

[Kaleko]

150. I am confident that in the coming days we will see more and more of the debt slaves

millions of us have been forced to become wake up and actively support platforms for information exchanges such as Wikileaks. These leaks will bring about a massive shift in perception. Only highly informed perception of painful realities can change the world for the better.

[tama]

155. Anarchistic philosophies

Yes there are plenty of those, and IMHO they are not totally without value IF put into the test of practice. Anarchy (to avoid the -ism) is however 99% practice and 1% ideology and many of those who practice anarchy don't call them selves or identify as anarchists and many such people also participate in party politics and representative system. So it should not be a surprise that anarchist ways of life (e.g. anarcho-spiritualistic eco-hippie gardening communities that I'm involved with ;)) are represented also on this forum, sharing their experience and points of view with other peoples because anarchy is all about compassionate responsibility.

[defendandprotect]

166. Our Founders overthrew government -- were they anarchists?

Of course not -- it's an elastic term intended to create FEAR in those

who fear "underwear" bombers!!!

Government is simply like a typewriter -- it depends on who is actually doing the

writing. Right now, that's mainly corporate fascists --

Same as in the days of the Founders -- they, too, were fighting corporate control.

[Kaleko]

121. ... wrong post

[sirthomas66]

63. You are wrong!! What Assange did was let the world know what

Amerika is all about. It starts war after war because that is its sole product--no other reason. It bribes, threats, murders, tortures, whatever to attain what it wishes. And now we finally have SOURCE documents proving what is being done on a mass scale. Assange is an International hero and I adamantly hope he releases everything he has. As soon as I find where to donate reliably, I am sending money, even if it means my family has less of a Christmas. They are all in agreement with me. We have seen this country go from great to near extinguished by politicos from all parties, and now that we finally have a light, people like you want to extinguish it and leave it all to Congress and due process, both of which have been absent for years.

[jberryhill]

64. +1

[JackRiddler]

67. Your conflation of a bank screwing him with having "no friends" is *really* saying something, but...

not about Assange.

[Azathoth]

69. No, I conflated *Swiss* banks screwing him with his having no friends

When Swiss banks don't want your money, you've pretty much reached the bottom and are persona non grata everywhere.

[Javaman]

72. What laws did he break? he's not an american citizen. nt

[Azathoth]

88. It's not clear that he broke any laws

with the possible exception of this arcane Swedish condom law. Of course, that won't stop the US from trying to extradite him, and I can pretty much guarantee that lots of governments are going to be getting together after this to amend laws and treaties to make what he has done unambiguously illegal.

What I said originally is that what he is doing is ethically wrong and violates a fundamental principle of international relations. As a result, organizations and governments which would have stood by him are now pulling away.

[Javaman]

133. Frankly, I'm surprised at my own comment...

considering how we lock up for eternity "enemy combatants" for no reason and no evidence.

As far as hurting foreign relations, I think the wars and our abuse of human rights was enough to do that.

Even gates has gone on record saying that none of these "leaks" have cost a single life.

[tama]

175. Taking side with Those in Power?

Well, that's what you say yourself, so that is not the question I want to ask. The question is, as you say what Julian is doing is ethically wrong (based on ethical axiom of taking side with those in power), do you consider those in power breaking and basically giving a rats ass their own laws( ethical or unethical? Julian has not broken any laws as far as we know, but we know that Wikileaks has revealed loads of unlawfull acts by those in power (e.g. Clinton ordering spying of UN staff for purpose of extortion) and the current campaign against Wikileaks and Julian is full of lies and criminal acts by governements and their representatives (e.g. public call for murder of Julian by high Canadian official). So, how do these levels of unethical behaviour compare in your opinion?

[TheMadMonk]

107. First of all, a fair amount of juicy dirt HAS turned up in this dump.

Maybe nothing Earth shatteringly revealing. But certainly a lot to confirm old suspiscions.

The gosip you disparage acts to confirm the veracity of the useful material.

This is only SECRET classification stuff. Bits of peices of this sort of material will be circulating throughout the diplomatic community continuously, so the tenor of the chatter will come as no suprise to the various "affronted" nations and parties.

The whole game is played out in elaborate "fan" and "flower" type codes that never overtly admit anything, but clearly inform.

The problem with having all this dirty laundry out in the open is that the affected parties are now publicly forced to choose between wearing egg on their faces or taking official notice of insults they have long been fully aware of, if not in specific detail, then in general tenor.


The United States is clearly indicating that it fully intends to continue with the policies of public arse covering and openly secret arm twisting. A thread which has run right through many of the documents released and every reaction all unauthorised releases.

[Azathoth]

158. Juicy dirt is great when it's obtained legally

Otherwise, there needs to be some higher, more focused, more ethically-justified motivation for releasing classified information than "I don't like the government and there might be something that embarrasses them in here." I

As far as other countries having egg on their face, well, yes, that is part of why this "leak" has so badly undermined the US diplomatic corps. It's made it a lot harder in the short term for our diplomats to negotiate anything, since the other party will now be afraid that whatever is said will end up on WikiLeaks, and it has put foreign governments in awkward positions with their own citizens. I don't consider these positive things in and of themselves.

"Public arse covering" and arm-twisting are the bread and butter of international relations. The US obviously does it all time, as does every other country to the extent that it is able. Unless they are part of some specific criminal activity, they aren't reasons to blow a hole in the State Department.

[The Flaming Red Head]

108. Blah, Blah, Blah

Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[ronnie624]

112. "ordinary and proper functions and obligations"

Aggressive war, supporting illegal coups, covering up civilian deaths and conducting "diplomacy" in a generally corrupt, hypocritical and duplicitous fashion, are NOT "proper functions" of a democracy. It is these activities that violate international treaties. You need to do some serious reconsideration of these issues.

We have a right and an obligation to examine and criticize our government's conduct. So said the founders of our republic and the framers of our constitution.

[Azathoth]

123. Conducting diplomacy certainly is a proper function of the government

Just because you don't like some of it and think it is "hypocritical and duplicitious" does not negate that fact. If there is evidence of specific crimes and/or corruption, let it be aired. Otherwise, there is no justification for undermining the diplomatic corps.

And you and I both know what the framers would have done with someone who stole secret US diplomatic communiques and published them, for instance, in a European newspaper. Fortunately, we live in a more enlightened age.

[enlightenment]

115. Then he should be arrested and charged for what he did -

not for some trumped-up sex crime.

Or do you think it is appropriate to make false charges against someone because there is apparently insufficient legal precedent to arrest them for the crime you believe they committed?

[Azathoth]

151. I have no idea whether the charges are false or not

I read an interview with his son who thinks the charges are legitimate and not some type of CIA plot. Either way, I think there would be a lot more support for Assange if he weren't on such morally untenable ground.

[Blue_Tires]

117. It's still insignificant compared to disregard for law and honesty on display

in U.S. foreign policy...And I think you know that...

But evidently the "world's most wanted criminal mastermind" global manhunt sideshow worked, since the media (and much of DU) are focusing on that and not why our Secretary of State is stealing computer passwords and collecting biometric data of the United Nations leadership...

And great job breaking the irony meter with your outrage over Assange(!) violating the "spirit and intent" of international treaty...

[Azathoth]

154. Do you honestly think every UN ambassadorial staffer is not trying to get all the info they can?

From every country? The intelligence-gathering aspect of diplomatic statecraft is one of the unfortunate facts of life, but if it makes you feel better, pretty much everyone does it. Every embassy in Washington is, as we type, composing reports for their respective home governments which detail the latest intelligence and analysis and gossip they have compiled on our country and its leaders.

As far as Assange's misdeeds not being comparable to the US's misdeeds...I should hope they aren't, given that the US is a vast monolithic hydra and Assange is just one guy. That doesn't make what Assange is doing right, however, and it does not mean that the US diplomatic corps should be indiscriminately undermined.

[Blue_Tires]

170. what about the corruption? the waste? the torture?

what about England kneecapping (in private) their OWN Iraq inquiry after heavy U.S. pressure?

what about the U.S. kidnapping and holding a German terror suspect (who the CIA knew was innocent almost from the start) and then leaning on Merkel to not make a big deal of it?? The list goes on...


Sorry, I'll always believe that more transparency is a good thing...If our foreign policy has been this fucked up and inept, then in all honesty it deserves to have a lot more rocks kicked over...AND if the major media outlets and cable news were not so buddy-buddy with the wall street/beltway power elite, then we wouldn't even NEED Wikileaks...

I'm willing to bet you that whistleblowers only sought out Assange because they were tired of CNN/WaPo/NYT sitting on (or heavily filtering) the bombshell info they risked their lives and careers to divulge...

[treestar]

125. +10000

These posts are as if we have no right to any classified documents!

Every country in the world should just have access to everything! Ridiculous.

[ronnie624]

138. The purpose of government secrets in a presumed democracy,

is to limit the peoples ability to make informed choices. A people who are ignorant of their government's conduct, are easily manipulated by state propaganda.

Do not aspire to be ignorant.

[treestar]

140. What about classified documents!????

so it should all be out there, even for other countries to see?

[ronnie624]

146. The functions of government should be transparent. n/t

[LanternWaste]

174. Tjhat's me... an Armchair Loving Anarchist Authoritarian

Only on DU can I be labeled both an "armchair anarchist" and a "cop-loving authoritarian." Although I imagine in both cases, it's simply an over-exposure of melodrama to deflect our eyes from the lack of any well-reasoned positions.

Yet still... it begs to be on a bumper sticker "Armchair Loving Anarchist Authoritarian"

[Hissyspit]

27. Guardian: No Plans For Encryptian Code Release; Assange Video Statement Later Today

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9709549&mesg_id=9709549

[Hissyspit]

28. Reuters: WikiLeaks spokesman says Assange arrest does not change plans for release of more documents

[Hissyspit]

35. @wikileaks WikiLeaks Today's actions against our editor-in-chief Julian Assange won't affect...

@wikileaks
WikiLeaks

"Today's actions against our editor-in-chief Julian Assange won't affect our operations: we will release more cables tonight as normal"

1 minute ago via web Favorite Retweet Reply

[Heywood J]

32. It's like a congruence of infamy today... (NT)

[Lucinda]

134. Truly. n/t

[xchrom]

34. recommend

[Mnemosyne]

41. And war criminals walk free with no fear... knr n/t

[dipsydoodle]

46. They still use odd wording

The warrant is for interview in connection with........

[Myrina]

50. uh-oh .... anyone see the movie "Sneakers" ?

... methinks the games are just beginning & the gov'ts involved have no idea the can of cyber-whup-ass that's going to be unleashed on them ...

[defendandprotect]

167. What about it was pertinent to this ....

give us a few hints --

My thinking is CIA/government could release something very damaging UNDER the

WikiLeaks label ... ????

Forcing the country to turn against him --

Too much support for him right now -- they need to turn to making him a "terrorist"

threat --

Or -- "suiciding" him but think that leads to martyrdom?



:)

[The Flaming Red Head]

173. Airplane crash or car accident, maybe on the way to answer charges

They don't like martyrs and until then they'll smear him as much as they can.


edited to add: I'm surprised they didn't find him dead in a hot tub, isn't that more their style these days?

[Odin2005]

53. At least they are making sure they won't hand him over to the US.

[Bo]

54. I am shocked...round up the usual suspects

...The U.S. is done stick a fork in her

[Roland99]

55. Don't let the bastards bring him down!! (btw, here's a post from Julian re: oCaml/encryption)

http://caml.inria.fr/pub/ml-archives/caml-list/2000/08/6b8b195b3a25876e0789fe3db770db9f.en.html

[Bo]

56. ...I TOLD HIM TO BOMB CAMBODIA INSTEAD

....WE ARE A MASSIVE JOKE,,,INSERT HOODED TORTUE PICTURE...

[myrna minx]

59. K&R n/t

[midnight]

62. After court appearance I would like to know what charges

were added from last summer that made this necessary? I'm not even close to understanding this legal volleyball, but it does seem political and not legal.

[cbdo2007]

65. Good to hear.

[TheWatcher]

156. Keep Licking Those Boots.

Such a "Good American."

[maddezmom]

66. WikiLeaks chief Assange arrives in court December 8, 2010 - 1:09AM

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrived at a London court on Tuesday, hours after British police arrested him on a Swedish arrest warrant for suspected sex crimes, a court official said.

Police sealed the street outside the City of Westminster magistrates court as a black unmarked car carrying several police officers and a silver-haired man believed to be the 39-year-old Australian raced into the car park.

A court official said the extradition hearing was due to start at 1400 GMT and confirmed that Assange had arrived.

Advertisement: Story continues below Outside court, his London-based lawyer Mark Stephens said that Assange was "fine" after he surrendered to Scotland Yard's extradition unit at a police station in the capital on Tuesday morning.

"It was very cordial. They have verified his identity. They are satisfied he is the real Julian Assange and we are ready to go into court," Stephens told reporters.

more:http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/wikileaks-chief-assange-arrives-in-court-20101208-18okr.html

[peacetalksforall]

71. I thought I heard a lot of weird rules in various countries, but the law on

rape in Sweden was one of the most bizarre - I hope that what I have read about what he's involved in will be cleared up and that we will find out that Sweden will not stretch anything for political purposes.

Sweden has a reputation for clear and logical thinking and upholding rights. Now we are going to find out if at the top they are just as political and abide by world laws of the ruling elite or for their country.

Now we are going to find out about the connections of Anna to her friend - a set-up?

Or is it even more connected.

We know the ruling elite in England will do ANYTHING the ruling elite of the world want.

Secrecy - sublime secrecy. To do their thing. To control every last one of us.

[Lars77]

74. So what if he's guilty of rape?

If Assange really have raped this woman, he deserves to go to jail for it, that much is clear.

My question is, if he is convicted, so what? How does that in any way affect Wikileaks and the work the organization does?

Does it mean that the embassy cables don't matter, all of a sudden? Does it make them false?
Does it make the Apache helicopter video worthless? Can we learn nothing from that if he's convicted?

When i read what a lot of people write, i get the impression that the credibility of the entire organization and the material they have already published is completely dependent on this case.

Of course it isn't, they're not even remotly related in my opinion. But that's the goal of the PR campaign against Wikileaks. It doesen't matter if he did it or not. What matters, is sticking that rape charge to Wikileaks as an organization and not Mr. Assange in person. This is because Assange has made himself the face of the organization, and i think that's a tactical blunder on their part. He has given them something to destroy. Himself.

I really don't know if he's guilty or not. And even if i do care, it does not affect my view of Wikileaks and the material they publish in any way.

[backscatter712]

79. The "rape" charges are over a broken condom.

And one of the women involved is CIA.

[Schema Thing]

81. he's not even accused of rape.

[The Flaming Red Head]

119. He didn't rape anybody

They just want him for embarassing the US

[Lars77]

153. Gah, ok what if he's found guilty of what he's charged for?

Did the rest of my argument have no meaning whatsoever?

[goforit]

80. Well, well, well.....More leaks to come out now!!! Big mistake US/Brittain

[Name removed]

83. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[goforit]

87. AND NO ONE HAS ARRESTED OSAMA!!!! WTF!!!!

[Boudica the Lyoness]

91. Thank you for saying that

I thought he was going to be smoked out dead or alive and all that good old shit.

[MrMickeysMom]

105. That's because Langley's not interested...

Now, go back to work, then come home and look at the shiny object, you debt slave.

[SteppingRazor]

97. Now that he's been arrested, it's worth repeating that his main accuser has ties to the CIA:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/assange-rape-accuser-cia-ties/

http://www.counterpunch.org/shamir09142010.html


I agree with the sentiment elsewhere on this thread that, if Julian Assange is a rapist, they should throw him in jail and toss the key. But as of yet, I don't buy it.

[Ichingcarpenter]

104. accuser has ties to the CIA:

Your OP was too long and the important thing didn't get revealed
in the title of your reply.

So, I'm giving it a kick.

[MrMickeysMom]

106. kicked again

[maddezmom]

118. agreed and the charges read out today seems very odd

Gemma Lindfield, for the Swedish authorities, told the court Assange was wanted in connection with four allegations.

She said the first complainant, Miss A, said she was victim of "unlawful coercion" on the night of 14 August in Stockholm.

The court heard Assange is accused of using his body weight to hold her down in a sexual manner.

The second charge alleged Assange "sexually molested" Miss A by having sex with her without a condom when it was her "express wish" one should be used.

The third charge claimed Assange "deliberately molested" Miss A on 18 August "in a way designed to violate her sexual integrity".

The fourth charge accused Assange of having sex with a second woman, Miss W, on 17 August without a condom while she was asleep at her Stockholm home.




http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-us-embassy-cables-live-updates

[Bragi]

122. Sweden is a bad place to get laid /nt

[caseymoz]

132. lol. If it ever happened at all. nt

[BlueMTexpat]

130. Current reporting is that bail has been refused -

but the no bail order will be appealed. He has quite a few celebrities in his corner right now.
That is somewhat of a mixed blessing.

[caseymoz]

131. I'd say the American Empire will now be known world over as:

The Evil Empire. We're now all going to be "The Man" who gets screwed at every turn, everywhere in the world. You can't keep superpower status while that happens.

[valerief]

143. Assange is a good guy. Why doesn't the UK turn Cheney over to Nigeria instead? nt

[SoapBox]

144. My best wishes to you Julian...

...the more I read...and the more I saw the reaction to the WikiLeaks releases...the
more it became apparent how rotten our government is.

[Bo]

145. I'm shocked shocked i tell you

fucking cia

[canetoad]

157. Here's a glimmer of hope.

Geoffrey Robertson to defend Assange
Paola Totaro, London, Dylan Welch and Joel Gibson
December 8, 2010

AUSTRALIAN-BORN human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson, QC, has cut short his summer holiday in Sydney to represent WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after he turns himself in to British police.

Mr Robertson and another specialist extradition lawyer from his Doughty Street Chambers are to act for Mr Assange who was expected to surrender to police late yesterday and appear in a magistrate's court to argue for bail. A full hearing of the extradition case must be heard within 28 days.

But London legal sources warned that the European arrest warrant issued for Mr Assange over sexual assault claims in Sweden is difficult to ''avoid or challenge''. He and his lawyers plan to fight the extradition with every available resource. There is growing fear that this case could lead to a hand-over to US authorities in the wake of the release of hundreds of thousands of US diplomatic cables.
Advertisement: Story continues below

The Age believes that Mr Robertson, whose chambers are one of the few with a specialist in extradition proceedings with Scandinavian nations, has been in contact with Assange about his defence and met federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland about the case.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/geoffrey-robertson-to-defend-assange-20101207-18oc6.html

----------------------
I don't know if you have heard about Geoffrey Robertson but he is GOOD. More about him here http://www.geoffreyrobertson.com/

[Blue_Tires]

171. doesn't surprise me -- several have offered...

Every big name in human rights law would assist him pro bono....