Assange Lawyers Prepare for U.S. Spying Indictment

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Attorney Says American Indictment Related to Espionage Act Imminent for Wikileaks Founder

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the man behind the publication of more than a 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables, could soon be facing spying charges in the U.S. related to the Espionage Act, Assange's lawyer said today.

"Our position of course is that we don't believe it applies to Mr. Assange and that in any event he's entitled to First Amendment protection as publisher of Wikileaks and any prosecution under the Espionage Act would in my view be unconstitutional and puts at risk all media organizations in the U.S.," Assange's attorney Jennifer Robinson told ABC News.

Robinson said a U.S. indictment of Assange was imminent.

Assange is already in custody in London on sexual assault charges including rape originating out of Sweden. He is being held in solitary confinement with restricted access to a phone and his lawyers, Robinson said.

"This means he is under significant surveillance but also means he has more restrictive conditions than other prisoners," she said. "Considering the circumstances he was incredibly positive and upbeat."

Justice Department officials declined to comment on the possible coming charges, but earlier this week, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the release of the documents had put the United States at risk and said he authorized a criminal investigation into Assange.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/assange-lawyers-prepare-us-espionage-indictment/story?id=12362315

[Bragi]

1. Why does the Obama adminstration oppose transparency? /nt

The President seems determined to ensure that war crimes and lies remain covered up.

Sad, really.

[Pavulon]

2. Subject identified himself as XXXXXXXXXXXX . XX is dead

if his name goes free. Myanmar will kill him with zero hesitation for discussing their joint n. korean nuclear program.

[Bragi]

4. I agree: Wikileaks has been quite responsible

They have redacted the names of many spies, liars and henchmen.

Not sure I would have been so generous.

[Pavulon]

5. So a person who informs on the Myanmar junta deserves than 9mm

round in the face? This person is dead is julian dumps his unredacted files. Or maybe someone already leaked it from one of the press agencies.

That has cash value.

[Bragi]

7. There are yet to be ANY casualities associated with the leaks

That's what the news reports are saying, that there's never been a single person put in jeopardy as a result of 4 years worth of leaks.

Have you information to the contrary?

And I wonder if you ever heard this phrase: "It is the job of governments to maintain secrets, and the job of the media to expose them."

That's the way things used to work in open democratic societies, even in the U.S before the media became a bought mouthpiece for the "security" state.

[Pavulon]

8. Name one nation who conducts all intelligence in the clear.

It has never worked that way in any nation, ever. As soon as that persons name goes clear they are dead. Any I doubt the junta is going to call in and let everyone know they killed that person.

And if they were killed it would be CLASSIFIED.

[Bragi]

9. I missed your response

I asked:

Have you information that contradicts the claim that, so far, the casualty count from WikiLeaks exposure is: zero.

[GliderGuider]

10. There will, of course, be no substantive response.

This individual appears to believe that citizens have no right to know anything the government decides they shouldn't. Period.

It's a reprehensible, repugnant, antidemocratic attitude, but there it is.

[Pavulon]

12. And you have never heard of the LOC, which is FILLED with data

that was at one point classified. You can also request FOIA information. There are tens of thousands of books written sourcing this information.

You can also get elected to public office and have access to this information.

Again answer: One state that conducts all business in public?

You people appear to believe that all information should be "free" which is and was a childish position.

[villager]

34. "You can also get elected to public office and have access to this information."

Because in America, regular Joes and Janes get elected to public office all the time!

[Bragi]

29. So I gather. I'll not waste more time seeking an answer

However, I have to admit that opposing the release of files exposing war crimes and lies on the grounds that still-secret classified information might show great harm from this is an innovative and vaguely amusing contrivance, though one which remains completely unconvincing.

[Pavulon]

11. No, bradley manning cant steal that information and give it to assange to fence

so I cant access that.

Question:

DO you support the release of these unredacted documents.

Do you have access to information confirming no one has been impacted (ie are you sitting at the presidential National Security Briefings)?

[msanthrope]

17. You've highlighted the great irony here--these documents aren't 'available' and 'transparent'

to the general public--they are micro mananged and kept by Assange--who hasn't made these things available to the general public. So all these people lauding him for release--

Well, didn't he just give them to the same MSM that we decry?

[Pavulon]

19. I also cant access the realtime location of SSBNs

and the procedure to initiate a nuclear launch. Should I have real time access to everything?

[msanthrope]

24. Apparently, that's what a free and open society demands.

Armchair anarchy is all the rage on DU.
On edit--

Reading the Manning charge sheet, I have a feeling that if Assange is charged, it will be with relation to specification # 4--and the charge is conspiracy to commit espionage...

He won't have a 1st amendment defense to that.

[Bragi]

28. Good move, for enemies of free speech /nt

[JDPriestly]

30. Well, lots of governments try to keep secrets.

Our government, historically, is very good at getting other countries' secrets, very good at it.

Actually, most of the stuff I have seen was just banter about things that the diplomatic world probably talks about all the time.

It's sort of like reading e-mails at a large corporation in which they dish their competitors. Lots of gossip and very little that could harm anyone at least in the ones I have read.

The leaks are more just embarrassing. The ones I have read had little strategic value.

I am reminded of advice I received when I first started using the internet: print out your e-mails. Make sure that you really want to say the things you say.

[snagglepuss]

33. Why then hasn't cheney been charged for exposing Valerie Plame and

thereby her covert connections?

[Arctic Dave]

15. A 9mm to the face. Isn't that basically what you advocate for Manning?

We spy, lie, cheat = Good. Anyone else = Bad.

Spying is an unhealthy profession, do not apply if you have a fear of being outed.

[Pavulon]

18. Life in Florence ADX

or Leavenworth. Euthanasia if his activity creates bodies and it can be tied to his leak.

So the junta in myanmar or china should not be spied on?

[Arctic Dave]

22. Every spies. No doubt about it.

But a quick read of history will show that your country will not be too pleased when they find out.

[sabrina 1]

31. Tell that tot the U.S. government who are not especially concerned

about who might be hurt or not. But Wikileaks AND the NYT asked them to remove names of anyone they thought might be hurt by having their names revealed. They rejected the request.

If anyone is harmed by News Reporting the blame goes directly to those in the U.S. government who are apparently hoping someone will be hurt so they can jump and down some more when Journalists do their jobs, and it reveals the crimes being committed by this and other governments.

It's laughable to see the very people whose hands are dripping with blood, pretend to care if anyone is harmed and then refuse to protect them when given the chance.

You really should stop trying to defend them. The world knows the facts and no one is on our side in this, except or course for the usual criminal suspects themselves.

[Frisbee]

21. Obama is hanging on by his fingernails right now...

I wonder if there's not the possibility of something in those files that would destroy his presidency, either now or in 2012. It may or may not be in there, nobody knows, including the president, but he is acting like that is a real possibility.

[Pavulon]

23. Probably, I'm sure the Republicans will take full advantage.

it would really suck if this dump helped elect sarah palin. I laugh at the people who say they will move if someone dies not get elected.

But fuck I would look for an expat job.

[Raschel]

36. Is it the POTUS? Does he have control over the CIA demands etc?

Not challenging you, just asking.

[ixion]

3. The US Atty Gen. must be aware of what a Pandora's box they're opening

I think it's insane for them to bring the case to court.

[glinda]

14. If the US Gov. charges Assange, they will look even more corrupt.

[Pavulon]

20. You think they care?(nt)

[glinda]

25. Of course not. But they will surely look even more corrupt to the outside.

They do not kill if they kill him. And they will surely if not already made up a law that will imprison him for life. This is why he should not be sent here at all.

[EFerrari]

27. This is the same stuff that failed with Ellsberg.

As he pointed out today, we don't have a state secrets law as Britain does. This law was not intended to be used this way.

[EFerrari]

6. Somewhere Donald Rumsfeld is smiling.

[mike_c]

13. more lies from the U.S. press....

There are no rape charges. At present there are in fact no formal charges against Mr. Assange at all. This whole exercise is a ruse to get him into custody so that the U.S. government can waterboard him at a "secure location" sometime in the near future.

[Pavulon]

16. Making him listen to anything by men at work

would make up for assanges activity.

[EFerrari]

26. Greenwald is pretty good today on the media, Wikileaks:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9743224&mesg_id=9743376

[Blue_Tires]

38. Greenwald has been killing it with his excellent commentary

[EFerrari]

39. He has and Greg Mitchell, too.

Mitchell used to have "Editor & Publisher" but now he blogs at the Nation. Two of my big favorites.

I linked a post from Greg's blog today in that same thread.

[Raschel]

35. Thanks for this post. As I understand, he hasn't been charged with anything.

[nalnn]

37. rly?

Do you think that the United States would waterboard him?

[blackspade]

32. So, all leakers are in danger now...

if this happens.
So is Holder going after the leakers of the Pentagon Papers as well?
Or pursuing indictments against the Bushies for war crimes?
Is he going after the Plame leakers?
The Al Quada mole exposer?
This is some of the most cynical, hypocritical shit I have ever seen out of a Democratic administration.