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Geoff Caddick / AFP - Getty Images
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is shown in December speaking to the media outside the High Court in London.
Updated at 4:17 p.m. ET: WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange has taken refuge in the Ecuador Embassy in London and has asked for political asylum, Ecuador's foreign minister said on Tuesday.
"Ecuador is studying and analyzing the request," Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino told reporters in the capital Quito.
The Ecuador Embassy issued the following statement:
This afternoon Mr Julian Assange arrived at the Ecuadorian Embassy seeking political asylum from the Ecuadorian government.
As a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration for Human Rights, with an obligation to review all applications for asylum, we have immediately passed his application on to the relevant department in Quito.
While the department assesses Mr Assange's application, Mr Assange will remain at the embassy, under the protection of the Ecuadorian Government.
The decision to consider Mr Assange's application for protective asylum should in no way be interpreted as the Government of Ecuador interfering in the judicial processes of either the United Kingdom or Sweden.
Assange faces extradition to Sweden for questioning over alleged sex crimes after Britain's top court said last week that it had rejected a legal request to reconsider his case.
Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden after two women accused him of sexual misconduct during a visit to the country in mid-2010. His legal struggle to stay in Britain has dragged on for the better part of two years, clouding his website's work exposing the world's secrets.
In a brief, five-point judgment, the British court rejected arguments that Assange's legal team hadn't been given the chance to properly cross-examine the evidence that justices relied on to deny the Australian native's appeal against extradition.
Claes Borgstrom, the lawyer for Assange's accusers, told The Associated Press that Thursday's ruling is "an obvious and expected decision that has been delayed for too long."
The development effectively exhausted Assange's legal options in Britain, and he could be sent to Sweden by the end of the month. Assange could still apply to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, but legal experts say the 40-year-old stands little chance there.
The former computer hacker gained international prominence in 2010 when WikiLeaks began releasing secret video footage and thousands of U.S. diplomatic cables, many of them about Iraq and Afghanistan, in the largest leak of classified documents in U.S. history.
That made him a hero to anti-censorship campaigners, but Washington was furious about the release of classified documents.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
They always run away. The Courts should have known better. Ecuador knows he is a fugitive from justice. If they take him we should stop all aid. Better yet, put him in an Ecuadorian Prison until his trial comes up. A Metro-sexual like that would be eaten alive within five minutes.
Our government is a fugitive of justice... It likes to get pissed when its corruption is shown.
Yes, we can assassinate the Ecuadorian president if they let him in too!!
Hmm......I still cannot figure out all the vitriol over Assange's "leaks", when ultimately all it did was embarrass our officials over their own statements and policies.
Of course, someone will conveniently 'remind' me that some of the leaked documents MAY have caused harm to some of the ME liasions that were working with our military, possibly putting them in harm's way. To that I say it IS possible, but not substantiated.
And besides, why is it our government, that fomented two illegal wars of aggression that led to the deaths of over 5000 American soldiers and well over 100,000 Iraqi citizens, gets to be placed on a pedestal for their alleged 'greatness' in dealing with 'terrorism'.....but when Assange leaks our government's own documents that MAY have led to the death of a collaborator or two, he is considered a "traitor" (not that he's even an American citizen), or a murderous fool of some sort??
Here's a quote:
You kill one man....you're a murderer
You kill many men....you're a conqueror
You kill them all.....you're a God
A fugitive for showing what ACTUALLY happens at war, with pilots laughign after they gun down iraqi cameramen and release opinions of US senators?? All he did was humiliate, sorry dude hes in the clear. Screw the bully US.
What he did was release thousands of pages of documents detailing the personal complaints that diplomats have about one another. It was immature and sophomoric and did nothing to further the cause of justice. It did nothing but produce fodder for our immature, sophomoric media.
If he wanted to expose corruption he should have used some judgement in what he posted instead of just posting thousands of trivial pieces of paper that did nothing but hamper the work of diplomats who may actually be honest.
An honest diplomat? You're joking right?
The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of a million men is a statistic.
Josef Stalin
I said "who may actually be honest". I don't think there are many of them, but there are probably some who are honest. When the whole world finds out that one diplomat complained about another's body odor, it makes it a little difficult for those two to continue to have a civil relationship.
Patrick Hanna - too much koolaide buddy hahahahahahahaha...the honest ones they don't last
@patrick
Well then maybe that comment shouldn't have been made? If you get caught saying something stupid, then you get to live with the consequences, not sweep it under the rug.
Yeah, he should have know that the truth always gets you in trouble. in god we trust all others are suspects. Welcome to globalization. enjoy
hahahahahahahahaha. Yeah, that's exactly it, dip@!$%#. I read story after story about how this person complained about this person and it was all juvenile. My third grade teacher used to read notes in the front of the class when she caught the girls passing notes. All it accomplished was getting juvenile gossip in front of everyone. It did nothing to stop people from gossiping. Releasing priveleged communications about someone's fashion sense or body odor is retarded. Putting that into a communication to begin with is retarded. Thinking it has value to release is retarded. The media thinking it is worth reporting as anything newsworthy is retarded.
I'm not saying that what he is doing doesn't have value. But when you release ten thousand pages of B.S. along with the important stuff it doesn't do anything but make you look like an idiot.
This is ridiculous !!!
That's not the point. I agree that it shouldn't have been made. But how is revealing it to the world "exposing corruption"? It's not. Telling people what someone else said about their personal hygiene is what little kids and immature adults do. And to top it off, why should we even care what they said about each other?
The guy is a slimeball and a perv.. on top of that he knowingly released some classified information that put many peoples lives in grave danger. The guy needs to rot in prision.
And you're an idiot who doesn't want to know the truth.
A lot of ignorant people on here don't know what a hero Brad Manning and Assange are.
Extradition for a crime is Sweden, do you people read, or is it that you have your blinders on, if he was not guilty We is he trying so hard not to face the accusers there in Sweden, the Leak is done can't take what was shown back right, but those alleged Sexual crimes is another thing. I hope justice is done and he is extradited and lets see how arrogant he is then.
What has any of this crap about whether Asange should or shouldn't have published all his "leaks" got to do whith whether he should be allowed to flee (to Ecuador?!) to avoid prosecution in Swedish courts for alleged sex crimes? Oh yeah, and Sweden is known to be a harsh legal venue. Give me a freaking break. If he is found to have "done the crimes" he needs to "do the time". It will probably be in a country club anyway.
Before you cast the first stone, you may want to know what the "sexual assault" charges are. The complaint stems from two women who claim that he had CONCENTUAL sex with them without a condom.
These charges are phony and trumped up to silence the dude. Pure and nakedly simple. He's not gonna rot in jail for being a "perv" like others here have suggested. He's gonna rot in jail because he stripped the mask from the powers that be. And they don't like that.
All I can say is wow!
Assange was set up and the U.S. colluded with Sweden to bring these phony charges in an attempt to muzzle him. The complaint against Assange was ridiculous, by two women who invited him to sleep with them but then claimed he seduced them so it's rape. Essentially, he's been in jail without having been arrested for anything.
Wikileaks provided the kind of information that newspapers used to provide before they were purchased by Corporations and became propaganda tools for the govt. Classified material is routinely leaked to writers by govt personnel. The stuff Assange printed wasn't even top secret; it had the lowest classification.
The issue should be--what deserves to be a secret and kept from the American people. How can you be informed on issues if everything's a secret?
@Patrick
Lets get two things straight:
1) The government works for us - the people
2) The government should not keep ANYTHING hidden from us.
That's why we should care.
Its would be like me hiding stuff form my employer. If I make a rude comment about one of my clients and they find out. I would prolly be fired. I get paid to help people, not make personal comments about them.
He is a Freedom Fighter.
He is liberating us from the Corporate-Party of No-Military Industrial Complex.
Conservatives fear the Truth...
This can be dealt with real easy. Let him go wherever he wishes and then send a predator drone up and kill him with a $50,000 missile. As for you that support these traitors and back up their actions, I wish we could do the same to you. But if you hate this country so bad that you have turned into traitors then why don't you go somewhere else, because you have worn out your welcome here.
Never Stop Asking Questions,
You are a idiot and a traitor to this country. Why don't you leave if you hate it here so much.
People like you should be deported, we have enough problems with illegals in this country without traitors and people like you that support them. Go Away!
And Sam, People like you are naive, what would you have the government do, give away all it's secrets, sell out the people that help us just to make unpatriotic people like you happy. Why don't you take your communist friends and go to Cuba, see how much you like it there. It is this perfect world ideology that is sad, you and you idea's seem nice in books but have no place in reality.
@Tbenton
Could you explain to me how someone gets to the point where they think the goverment of the USA can do anything it wants AND that 100% of its actions are justified.
Since essentially what your saying is just that. That if the government does something wrong we should just STFU and be sheep......
What he did in Sweden, you can count 100 times every night just in New Orleans------It is definitely connected with revenge!--I am only surprised how they got Sweden to corporate--there must a few Swedes involved in the leaks!
Hero? Not hardly. Overall with all the information that he released which he had no right to do in the first place I cannot think of one incident that has proved to enhance one persons life on earth. All this guy did was become a pain in the ass for a few people. He is paying the price of being a known person that everybody wants a pice of. Just supposing how would you feel if someone got a hold of all the documents you have manufactured in your life and exposed them to the public. Goverment officials think wrongly thet everything they produce is sacred and cannot be exposed. That makes them free exchnge opinions and ideas. Some may make a remark about another individual jsut to get on the side of someone thay know has the same opinion. If say that comment is exposed and taken out of context ....well you get the drift. He obviously does not know anything about Ecudor
The guy is a scumbag that is a sexual predator rapist type and owns a organization that steal/hacks data that is not his business and is for government eyes only. Idiots on this forum think that all information should be for the public's eye's which is a fool's thinking.
He is not hero. A rapist and should be tried for treason.
I don't recall anyone saying that that the government can do anything it wants. Where did you get that?
Humanity needs you. Go WikiLeaks, Go!!!
Assange should drink some of that fine radioactive British tea, that will make him feel better. Yes, some like their ASSange well done and are enjoying watching the fry........
They are zombies. American idol, soap shows, beer and sports cable and mainstream media has affected their minds. They no longer possess real perception.
JM, you might want to learn how to spell the word consensual before pontificating about it. However, consent ends the SECOND a woman says no. So, in the case of Assange who allegedly had sex earlier, but the second time held at least one of the woman down when she objected to having sex without a condom, then there is a case for rape. I don't understand why men have such a hard time believing the word "No." However, considering Sweden's legal system, Assange is an idiot. He's spent more time in England under a quasi-form of house arrest, then he would have in a Swedish jail.
IndyPatriot,
"......I still cannot figure out all the vitriol over Assange's "leaks""
It isn't his leaks. He's wanted for committing rape, and the fact that he is seeking asylum in Ecuador does not argue well for his innocence. If he is truly innocent, as he claims, he should stay and face justice from the courts in Sweden. But he's a whimp.
Well, if they got a UK diplomat filing a complaint that the French diplomat smells, that'd hardly be either a. a revolation (the UK and France have tended to have certain rocky relations over the ages), or b. a matter of national security. Embarassing? Yes, but life threatening, no... There would more relavent matters (such as did said document give away the names, locations, and identities of intelligence assets who are in the field), not who think's who's embassador has a high pitched and annoying squeeky voice, etc
Assange might be in for a surprise if per chance the US requests he is extridited, and the Euquadorian government complies.... Then again, considering the number of revolutions they have had in the last 12-14 years due to economic instability, the government he negotiates with today, might or might not be the government who will be in power tomarrow. He might not know quite, what he could be getting himself into with this assylum seeking. And yes, they would know he's a fugative, and those who do have Internet access (which is certainly not the whole country), probably know all about the issues surrounding wiki leaks. No doubt, the officials there, in a country itself in economic and political upheaval, wouldn't appreciate their own secrets being publically aired as such either....
@ Mickey-1983943
The same crime committed by a blind lawyer from China for pointing out corruption and travesty in "one child policy", right?
Government can make up any crime they want. What if the US want him once he gets to Sweden, what then? I bet you still say that he needs to pay for his new crimes.
assange committed a capital offense or are you people that slow? he stole government documents for the purpose of embarrassing/harming that country and made money by doing it. HE IS A SPY!!!! we are still at war people or did you forget while drinking your latte? he is no hero and anyone who sides with any traitor is a traitor themselves and at a time of war shall be executed per laws of war.
i cant see how so many people are okay with others STEALING state secrets and profiting off them, how bout i hack into your life and reveal everything i can about you, what would you do? call me a hero? our government is allowed to keep secrets or did you want all our enemies to know everything about us? so much of our tech has been leaked anyways.
I'm sorry but Manning is a foolish child who was in a snit after an argument with his boyfriend and decided he would show EVERYBODY by grabbing a crap load of files and delivering them to a man who had a desperate wish to sock it to the US. That is the best you can really say about them. Now Julian lied again and scampered off into hiding. I hope the guy who housed him in Britain gets taken to the cleaners.
CuongDNguyen,
I don't think that blind lawyer from China was accused of committing rape, and it isn't the government accusing him of rape. It was a couple of women who brought that charge against him. The government did not make anything up. Or are you just that determined to defend his wrongdoing? If he is innocent of it, he should stand trial. Isn't that what the criminal justice system is for?
Assange did not think about the consequences for long. His ego stepped in and he thought he was invincible. Well, now the coward doesn't want to face the US. He can slam us but not to our face. He used Manning and now that traitor is gonna be behind bars forever. I hope Assange gets what is coming to him like Manning is going to get. They put lives, just not Americans, at risk. The Taliban openly stated it is combing the documents to find out who helps the Afghan government and the US. He should face us in court and explain himself, but he too much of a coward.
@Mickey-1983943
You really need to read more into the story. Those 2 women brought charges years ago about him not using a condom during theirs sexual encounter, that is a crime in Sweden. They later dropped the charge.
However, after he shows the leak, those 2 suddenly brought up the charge right after investigator starts to dig up all his past records.
You may also want to learn that Assange and NYTimes both got the copy at the same times. They both put up on theirs websites, but Assange show more than NYTimes and that is his crime.
@ Swagganaut
By what you are saying, NYTimes should also stand trial because they also got the copy as well and at the same times from the same person.
Oh hey, corporate are people, but I don't see anyone in jail.
Assange is not a spy, he is a publisher and he got the documents the same way NYTimes did. He just publishes more and that is his crime.
A lot of ignorant people on here don't know what a hero Brad Manning and Assange are.
Hero's generally accomplish something. Assange accomplished nothing. Other then molesting woman and pissing off entire governments. Pissing people off is easy, it doesn't make you a hero.
Yeah this guy is a slimeball in my opinion, however, i believe this man would have disappeared off the face of the earth, in otherwords, he would have been killed off by some angry government. This guy wont be killed for one reason, he has more secrets that would be revealed if he does die, I think that may be why they want him in prison and put away, to teach him a lesson, not to mess with people with power, just my opinion.
I have one question, how did Assange get to the Ecuadoran Embassy in the first place ? Wasn't he supposed to be under house arrest ? Didn't they fit him with an ankle bracelet ?
You had better believe that the next P.O.S. who attempt to challenge extradition in England will likely be made to rot in prison until their hearing.
As for Mr. Assange, I say go ahead, let him run to Ecuador. Amazing the number of people who are dying in the drug wars in Latin America... almost as many as have died in Chicago recently.... just saying, be careful what you ask for, you just may get it.
What is the going rate for Koch-funded Market Fundamentalists to troll MSNBC, wage war on women, the old, the young, minorities, and the poor, while reinventing history/economics in order to create culture and class wars in defense of Fuhrer Norquist's Party of No ideology...about $7.25/hour or so?
@Indy Patriot-1934313
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2145218/WikiLeaks-cable-led-Iran-hang-kick-boxer-said-Israeli-spy-assassinated-nuclear-scientist.html
Seems pretty well substantiated to me. And of course the real damage is the intel we WON'T receive because people don't trust us to keep our mouths shut.
Deangelo, Lee2-3538213, you're each suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
NO, don't complain!! Let that scumbag get safe passage to a 3rd world dirt floor country. As soon as he steps off the plane ( a beat up old Ecuador airlines DC-3), he's open season. Any snitch will rat out his hiding spot for $20 bucks US and pack of American smokes. Man, let him go there. Problem solved....
They big on sheltering rapists in Ecuador or something?
Most 3rd world countires will shelter any criminal for a dollar amount. Doesn't anyone remember all of the South American countries that let a ton of Nazis retire down there several decades ago???? They'll let Assangehole go down for a price, but then some smart enterprising dirt floor hustler will rat out his hiding spot for a price too. Jullian Assangehole, come ooooon down!!!
Why don't you people go get on Google and research the two women from Sweden. One of them is a CIA operative. I'm not kidding. It's been released publicly. You honestly think, knowing this, that there's no ulterior motive for these charges against Assange. The other woman didn't want to press charges and was convinced by the operative. These details were publicly released when the story broke like a year ago. Yet no one even remembers. Why am I not surprised?
CuongDNguyen
yes the nytimes should also be held for treason, they have repeatedly revealed classified information with the intent of harm as assange did, while he did not personally steal the information he knowingly acquired stolen state secrets with the intent of profiteering from the stolen property and harming the state, at the least he conspired to commit espionage at a time of war, punishable by death.
Clinton, Bush, Obama all deserve to be in prisons and Assange deserves to be free.
Dangerous Mind,
I did. Only one article on it and it is from a source that is worse then The National Enquirer. Instead of "Aliens Eat Baby" type stories it's "Republicans Eat Baby" type stories. I don't care for Repubs, but come on.
All the other sources (Reuters, UK Guardian, MSNBC, etc.) on the google page show reasonable articles that would lead reasonable, thinking people to a conclusion that Assange should at least be tried.
Now, I'm sorry if your hero has been accused of Rape, but if she is a CIA agent Assange's Lawyer will bring it out in court.......
tyler,
In my opinion, perhaps you are a bit heavy handed. Must be new on the job maybe?
1) one guy directly calling someone and idiot, which a suspension is maybe warranted. But we here know who the real idiot here is and a suspension is duplicative at best.
2) the other guy was referring that a lot people on here may be ignorant. Last time I checked, ignorant simply means lacking in the facts. Hardly insulting or abusive, even in the context of his statement.
On Newsvine, I have seen much worse which has been ignored by the moderators.
In either case, if people here are offended, we are a highly democratic lot in these forums and we can simply collapse the person and set them to ignore. We also praise those that really do contribute.
Please, try to have a little faith in your readers. . . . Give the system a chance to work.
Excuse me, but anyone who wants to compare the NYTimes with Wikileaks are idiots. First, Wikileaks did a dump. The NYTimes followed the time honored methodolgy of a news organization. They did not report anything that could have potentially endangered people's lives. The NYTimes asked the parties involved for rebuttal or context. They published ONLY those documents which would enhance the public's right to knowledge. For instance, they did NOT publish many of the more salacious and ridiculous diplomatic briefs. That is the difference between journalism and what Wikileaks did. It also explains why Wikileaks would probably not have first ammendment protection. But, Assange or one of his close associates would have to be willing to travel to the USA and risk arrest before the courts could determine if they fell under freedom of the press or not.
Please search "Assange accusers agents"
According to many reputable news sources, including The Sydney Morning Herald, the accusers in this alleged sexual misconduct case are CIA agents. There is absolute proof that at least one of the two accusers worked for the CIA.
But so many of you trust your government without question...it's sad really how many sheep there trully are.
If you were the state, how you would you best ad hominem the Wikileaks people exposing your lies and crimes? If you kelled him, it'd be too obvious and too controversial...so why not accuse him of sexual misdeeds. They'd have accused him of child abuse, but no children work for the CIA (yet).
In repsonse to being asked to research the subject an above poster wrote:
"I did. Only one article on it and it is from a source that is worse then The National Enquirer. Instead of "Aliens Eat Baby" type stories it's "Republicans Eat Baby" type stories. I don't care for Repubs, but come on."
You didn't try to research the subject very well then, did you? Stop being a closed minded person, and do the research. It's not coincidence that these women are CIA.
Why are we having a discussion wrt the NY Times wrt this? As to the time this came to a head in times past (Pentagon Papers), we already got a court ruling on the matter. Also a dump of stuff (from the ridiculous, to the scandelous, to the downright gossipy, junior high level of who can embarass who the most, to stuff one could expect to hear from the National Enquierer) is not the same thing as journalism...
Also, I'm not sure "such and such an abassador thinks that countries representative smells" is really up there with sensitive/top secret type information. It's almost juvenile level bickering, if people would really have a stink over it (no pun intended), and start an issue over. One would at least hope (and yeah with politicians it's sometimes just hope), that by the time people come to a leadership role on the world stage, they'd have more maturity then to get all bent out of shape, and in pissing matches over "but he thinks I'm fat". Umm really? It sounds more like the neighborhood gossip at that point.
And in real journalism, some thought would be given both to protecting sources (and not necessarily just a guy doing hard drive dumps onto one's websites), and the issue of where people's lives might be affected. The idea is to get the truth out, NOT notify a bunch of terrorists of something along the lines of when for instance Karl Rove leaked the identity of Plame, over just as childish "but her husband didn't back up our Niger uranium claims". Good heavens, if these people are that un-nerved and can lack this amount of self control, to be this childish, gawd help us all that some of them have the launch codes to nuclear weapons :o
But then again, actual investigative journalism (which also isn't just dumping a bunch of documents, without for instance redacting stuff that might give away troop locations where enemy combatants could also read it) seems to be a bit of a lost art these days. It's come more to the quick 10 second sound bite, with marketable and snappy catch phrases, that would stick in the viewer's head...
Ecuador must be pissed - not being a first round choice.
Poodlefan
Hey dummies, he exposed what your government is about ! Ugly and corrupt !
For years, the only thing your government has been telling you is YOU LIVE IN THE GREASTEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD ! WORK, PLAY, SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP AND DO NOT QUESTION !!
With this brainwashing most of you lost all critical thinking !
What this man did was exposed the true nature of your government ! Criminals than do not give a @!$%# about human life including yours !
#201 - Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:24 AM CEST
poodlefan007
YOU LIVE IN THE GREASTEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD !
They have repeated these words so often and you heard those words since you were born, this is why you believe it !! But people you do not live in the greatest country in the world!!! Not when 50 000 of your working citizens die every year and millions more suffer misery because they cannot afford your outrageous and corrupt health care system !!!
Just like you believe that the rest of the world is socialist !!
You are a bunch of fools and believe me, it has not served you well ! Look where you are at, now !
#201.1 - Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:33 AM CEST
msteel
US Army Ranger here. And if good people expose the ugly, traitorious secrets of the US Government and all the ugly elites who pretend to support us he becomes an enemy of the good people he cares about.....
Whats the point of a Government of the people, by the people and for the people?
IT NO LONGER EXISTS!
#202 - Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:28 AM CEST
Do you know how we call america now ?? the country of medical misery ! So much for the greatest country in the world ! Ha ! sound more like a 3rd world country, to me !
He should be snatched up and punished for all he has done. He is a cancer on society and has been allowed to publish papers he KNOWS should not have been leaked.
Why Ecuador? Why not Pakistan, Syria, or Iran? Wouldn't they be more welcoming?
Yes
They hid the Nazis so lets send them a clear message !
This isn't the 1940s
He's going to rot in jail for one simple reason. He is a criminal. Look at his past, costing Nortel, Universities and government agencies millions of dollars from his hacking in his youth. He then released classified documents that were not his, and which were, at time of release, stolen property.
Doesn't get much more simpler than that. If I steal from Steve Jobs and give it to the poor, guess what? Yup, still going to jail.
@Tbenton - FOAD.
I just find this to be very convenient after all of the leaks. Strange timing.
Yes, it is strange timing, just before our 2012 Elections--leaks? coming from where in our US Government--we're they connected?
I don't care where he goes. Never want to see or hear about him ever again. He's smug, arrogant, and a "dirty operational man". Let him tell Ecuadorian top secrets about the crops they grow there.
Assange is a Coward, who cannot face his own sentence for illegal activity, dispersing High Intelligence Secrets which have threatened or potentially killing the lives of others, here and abroad.
He can learn to "knit" with all the time he'll have, if he lives there.
Oh yes Marachant, they are so dangerous they could have killed a lot of people, yet noone is dead and noone cares. There shouldnt be any under the table dealings. Good job to him, you keep living with your head in the clouds.
Marchant,
By "illegal activity", do you mean "having sex that was totally consensual, until the two women found about each other, then retroactively revoked their consent"? Then yeah, I guess what Assange is facing in Sweden was illegal.
BS like this would be eliminated if only the penalty for false rape accusations were the same as the penalty for actual rape. If some promiscuous female was looking at the better part of 20 years in prison for lying about rape, I bet we'd cut down on that nonsense. That would go a long way toward confining rape charges to actual rapists, as opposed to guys who played the field and were sloppy enough to let their conquests meet and compare notes.
Sweden has laws mandating condom use. he broke them He committed a crime then ran away. He went to court in England to avoid facing up to what he did and then he lost and again, ran away. He's a coward and a criminal and an idol to Progressives. What does that say about Progressives?
Im glad he was able to bring some truth to light. What he brought out was just a small piece of what's going on daily. They are going to silence this guy anyway they can.
Jeff:
Exactly. Great explanation to those who want to bury their heads in the sand thinking life is infinite.
It is called "DENIAL" of the truth, when one person purposely puts other lives in Danger. Assange is so stupid for wanting some kind of "Recognition for some kind of feat" in his own life, when he had nothing else to brag about. The guy is a Maniac.
Some do not realize the damage this Coward has committed, along with the rape charges.
Sure hope they accept him there. No better place for him to have a "accident" that he surely will sooner or later.
@ Marchant
Perhaps you should travel to another country and ask how they like US. We are talking bad about China, Russia and others country, but we are just as bad.
I live in Vietnam for 15 years and I can tell you that there are plenty of crimes come out of nothing. Look at China, anyone talk bad about the government, they are magically commit some serious crime. We condemn how bad others countries is doing, but we are doing the same thing anyway.
Cuonog:
If you think this Country, The United States of America is so bad MOVE, buddy.
If you are in another Country commenting, then come here and see, and feel all the Freedoms available to anyone who is willing to make this country great. It's so bad that illegal Aliens are coming in droves from all parts of the world.
You've never had it so good. We don't need excess baggage here, assuming you are are Legal Citizen.. Yes, Viet Nam--I sure have good memories of Viet Nam in the 60's/70's.
Cuong:
Another thing. Your language skills seem to be so much better on other subjects.
You like being a "Fake"? Vietnamese person who cannot speak good English?
What a Charade.
About Cuong:
He lives here. He emigrated and worked hard to gain his citizenship. He's an active participant in the political commentary here and cares about the USA.
In other words Marchant, take your ethnocentric presumptious garbage and shove it. Stop being a jerk to those different to you. That's part of this country too, inclusion for those who want to take part and go through the right channels. If you don't like it, maybe you should move.
If America had a law like that, we'd call it TYRANNY. American tradition dictates breaking tyrannical laws...it's called Civil Disoebience.
Some sheep parrot the state without critical thinking. "Well it's a law!"
You drones...lol. Jaywalking is a law too, so is speeding, and no sane person obeys them if they don't want to....as adults can make their own decisions without the nanny state wiping their rears.
However if the cop is out with radar, and catches one speeding, he's well within his rights to issue a speeding ticket. Most people just pay the ticket and avoid going to court.... They don't always enforce it (espeically if it's like 5 mph over), but how many really cry foul if they were actually speeding, and got a ticket for it?
@ Marchant
First of all, spell my name right. That's the common courtesy and you seem to lack of.
Secondly, sometimes when you like something, you want to point out the bad things so that it will change for the better. People like you who cover theirs ears and pretend nothing bad happened, they are the reason why US is in the state it is right now.
Thirdly, I have every rights to be here as you do, I have been in the US more than half of my life. I don't need to pretend since what do I get? I worked hard, I got a degree and going to get another one later.
Like I said in the second point, I love this country, that is why I want it to change, get it? You have to take an active stands for what you love. You have to spend times, research and educate yourself on why we are the way we are. You need to broaden your mind, see beyond the border, see above the manipulation and find out the reason of things. That's how you protect the things you love.
Humanity needs him. Go WikiLeaks, Go!!!!
I agree with Marchant. And proindividual, why are you talking about America? Is that guy American? Is he wanted in America. You don't make sense.
Debi. You must be stuck on stupid. Have you served you country? You are probably one who enjoys everthing this country has to offer with no idea of the price other people pay. If you don't like it here move somewhere else.
@ fred-3471414
So, you are ok with serving in military and have no idea what is going with this country?
You should keep up with the news, lots of veteran who served this country realize that we are fighting pointless wars and for what? For corporations to get rich, is that how you serve your country?
You seem to misinformation on what serving a country mean. It means to serve the people, not corporations, to create a better lifestyle and future for the people living in it. How are we so far? Government are bought and paid by corporation, all the secrecy, all the dealing behind closed curtain.
Let's me ask you, how are you liking the way this country turn into? Sometimes, it takes a certain wake up call for people to realize that there is something wrong with the way things are. That's how we did in the past and that is how we will do it in the future.
Unbelievable:
Exactly re: Cuong!--He/she is a Fake---look and read the comments he/or she makes.
One minute it is of a foreigner, who has bad language skills here in the US; and then in some other comments, he/she does not use that fake, broken English.
One never knows if there are 2 different names under the same ruse of a person. Who can tell; it is easy to hide behind a computer and be another one in disguise.
Weird. Good observation!
Hey dummies, he exposed what your government is about ! Ugly, criminal and corrupt !
For years, the only thing your government has been telling you is YOU LIVE IN THE GREASTEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD ! WORK, PLAY, SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP AND DO NOT QUESTION, especially what we do, around the world.
With this brainwashing most of you lost all critical thinking !
What this man did was exposed the true nature of your government ! Criminals than do not give a @!$%# about human life including yours !
I don't like this guy, but I suspect he is being setup on the Swedish charges. If so, I hope he gets away.
All the man did was publish things that in an true open society would have been public knowledge. However, in the dystopia that the US has become, he is treated as if he were a Terrorist, and mostly by the Reich-Wingers, who claim to want transparency (at least as long as a half-Black man is President). What he published showed crimes by the US government - for that he should be hailed as a hero. I don't want my tax money paying for torture, war, the sending wounded, often with artificial limbs, soldiers back into battle. This is the US and it is the 21st Century dammit! Time we act far more evolved than we currently are doing. We should not be vilifying truth tellers and making heroes of liars and those who do foul deeds in our name in secret.
It is also way past time we keep our tax money here in the US and rebuild our infrastructure, feed our hungry, clothe our poor, give healthcare to the sick, and make the US a real "Shining beacon atop a hill". No more sending $Billions to other countries, no more bloated Pentagon budgets, no more tax breaks for Corporations or the top 2%. When we finally treat "the least of our brothers" as we would want to be treated, then we can worry about the rest of the damn world.
I hope he continues to expose the dirty deeds of the global power elites.
@Marchant
LOL, my grammar is based entirely on my mental state and whether I use MS Word for spell check or not. Sometimes I have more times to do spell check and some times like now I am either about to go to work or just wake up.
You are really paranoid, here is something I learn from lots of post.
"When the laws are with you, argue with the laws. When reason is with you, argue with reason. However, when you have neither, attack the person directly." It seems you use the latter one, nice try, lol.
But he picked the wrong villain,
he should of hacked of the oil company emails and we would know about the secret deals to inflate the price at the pump.
He should of hacked Wall Street and we could of seen all the emails on how Wall Street screws over the average investor.
He should of hacked church emails and we could of seen how they are only out to line their bank accounts.
Having said that - Assange will get asylum and then end up being terminated er I mean some get some tropical illness
@ AL-1735815
You seem to miss the point, he didn't hack anything, he merely publish things unedited.
Imagine if we can get data from all those super rich, who will publish them? I know the media won't do it because they are bought and paid for by big corporation.
How about government? The same thing. Wiki Leak may do it, but that may brand them as *gasp* criminal charges by those politician who are protecting the corporations.
He should visit Lago Agrio
The Guy allegly rapes women, he should not asylum from anyone anywhere---
Send him to Sweden to sow what he oats!
Shows how much you know, he was accused of not using a condom during a consensual encounter not rape. Sweden has odd laws so he was accused of sexual misconduct. And the saying is "Reap what he has sown".
Yes allegedly raped a women after "investigators" approached them and after a briedf talk with them after dropping the charges years ago they spontaneously decide to pursue the charges. conspiracy much?
sillyshrinks...you are an ignorant, misinformed moron..and, you couldn't tell a metaphor from a steaming pile of crap. I know that people like you think that reading is dangerous and that facts need to be avoided at all costs...but at least try to sound sane and coherent as you are spreading your bull$hit...
um you do know that the instant a woman says no and you dont stop, that constitutes rape. while yes these women had consensual sex with condom, they told him to stop when he didnt want to use a condom, that is rape. there is no grey area and for him to flee from justice is very telling of his guilt. would you people say the same if he was an just an american facing rape charges? because you people sure like to throw the book at even accusations of rape (duke case).
assange is the worst type of human, a self-serving narcissist.
"Swag"- How in the Hell do you know if they told him to stop or not because he apparently didn't have a condom? You either have a really good citation for that statement, or you're making stuff up in order to further your persecution of a man you believe has somehow broken the law (which he hasn't).
Get a clue, or give a reference.
maybe do a little reading on your part and you might have an understanding, this is not new news over there, you do understand that we have different countries in this big world we live in and not everything happens in your little spec of land nor do you get to read what happens in very single other little spec of land. you obviously dont want to know the story, you are just blindly trusting a known criminal.
i never said i think he raped anyone, im merely pointing out the case for the alleged rape and why would assange seek political asylum to escape the truth. he is being accused of breaking the law and he is fleeing from justice, makes him look guilty of the allegation, he is already guilty of espionage against the US during wartime.
when someone is telling you who they are and you still make excuses for them, who do you fault?
There was no rape. The accusation is that he didn't use a condom in CONSENTUAL sex. The accusers are tied to the CIA. There is absolute proof one of the accusers is a CIA agent.
ProIndividual-3906907
Been drinking? CIA agent? Really? How do you know there was no rape? Were you there? When you are able to provide us with credible proof let us know. In the mean time why don't you go get another Twinkie and a beer while you read the latest edition of "Conspiracy Theorist"
Poodlefan
Hey dummies, he exposed what your government is about ! Ugly and corrupt !
For years, the only thing your government has been telling you is YOU LIVE IN THE GREASTEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD ! WORK, PLAY, SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP AND DO NOT QUESTION !!
With this brainwashing most of you lost all critical thinking !
What this man did was exposed the true nature of your government ! Criminals than do not give a @!$%# about human life including yours !
#201 - Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:24 AM CEST
YOU LIVE IN THE GREASTEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD !
They have repeated these words so often and you heard those words since you were born, this is why you believe it !! But people you do not live in the greatest country in the world!!! Not when 50 000 of your working citizens die every year and millions more suffer misery because they cannot afford your outrageous and corrupt health care system !!!
Just like you believe that the rest of the world is socialist !!
You are a bunch of fools and believe me, it has not served you well ! Look where you are at, now !
#201.1 - Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:33 AM CEST
msteel
US Army Ranger here. And if good people expose the ugly, traitorious secrets of the US Government and all the ugly elites who pretend to support us he becomes an enemy of the good people he cares about.....
Whats the point of a Government of the people, by the people and for the people?
IT NO LONGER EXISTS!
#202 - Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:28 AM CEST
Do you know how we call america now ?? the country of medical misery ! So much for the greatest country in the world ! Ha ! sound more like a 3rd world country, to me !
I also think it's very odd that these sex charges came up when they did. Good luck proving he didn't use a condom years after the fact with no DNA and nothing but hearsay. If they can get a conviction from that in Sweden, then every man there must be scared $hitless!
Do people not understand why he doesn't want to go to Sweden? It has nothing to do with the charges there. It's because the Swedes have already agreed to extradite him immediately to the US for espionage charges (which constitute the death penalty over here). The charges are just a bull@!$%# way to get him out of the UK and into Sweden.
Politcal- to say the very least.
We will find you in Ecuador too you slimy traitor. You can run but you can't hide.
He is not an American citizen so he cant be a traitor...
Then he's guilty of espionage.
Nope, hes not guilty of espionage either. He didnt steal anything. PVT Manning is the so called spy, or atleast thats the allegation. The NYTimes also published these leaks. Assange just did the same thing, he published them on his news website. He didnt do anything the NYT didnt do, I dont hear anyone calling for their heads. Because the NYT left out the embarassing bits, thats why. Assange published everything, thats why hes targeted. Non the less, the NYT also published these stolen documents, if the bust him, they must bust the NYT's. Along with a bunch of other news sites that have since published the leaks.
off with the NYT's heads!! There...feel better? Where is the Time's heads anyway? On a ship it's the toilet...makes sense.
Ignorant swine. You deserve to live under the boot of the corporate greed and government lies which perpetuate war after war. If you don't want to know the truth, don't read about it, stupid.
Things are kept secret for only one reason, they are being done for immoral reasons, anything done for good reasons can be completly transparent. Nothing has ever put anyone in danger and thats a game being played to justify secret proceedings.
"Nope, hes not guilty of espionage either. He didnt steal anything. PVT Manning is the so called spy, or atleast thats the allegation."
No , he is a conspired to steal secret data with a soldier that will rot in jail forever . Sorry, but you obviously don't know much about what happens to spys when one does the dirty work and other the planning. This guy is a scumbag and your moral compass is broken.
He didnt conspire to do anything. He recieved the information the same time the NYT's did, and both reported the info. Assange simply reported more of it. Including the stuff that exposed corruption and warcrimes.
My moral compass tells me murderers and war-criminals need to be exposed, no matter who they are, or who they work for. I dont care if the entire planet is at stake.
The NY Times is an actual news organization, protected (in the US) under the 1st Amendment.
If Mr. Assange wants to claim the same protection, let him come to the US and litigate his standing as protected as a journalist.
He's not a traitor, he's a patriot...and an anarchist at that. You should learn the meaning of "nationalism" and patriotism"...the former supports the state, the latter supports the people (the country).
Maybe when the government lies and commits crimes it isn't worth supporting? Just maybe?!?
Some people are zombie nationalists just 2 steps from Nazi Gestapo.
Every person with a cell phone is a hournalist these days (cell phone cameras). We're all protected by that Amendment. That right is an individual natural right, and therefore not granted by our government, and not exclusive to Americans. If you don't know why, review the Enlightenment and Age of Reason. "Inalienable rights" or "unalienable rights" mean "rights not subject to border or statutory law", hence the "in-" or un-" are negation prefixes fixed to "alien" (which means "foreign, subject to statute or border").
Rights of the individual are not granted by government and are nbot exclusive to Americans. He has the same rights by virtue of his exitence as a human.
Sorry, dude, when a soldier and his outside conspirator steal sensitive data from a government military computer, that is just plain wrong.
You need to recalibrate your moral compass, it no longer points north.
You seem desperate to pin something -- anything -- on Assange.
To have been a spy against the USA, he'd have to have recon'd while posing as a US citizen or US military. He did neither. He stole nothing. He was instead provided it.
Patriotism is defending your country. It's not defending your government, particularly when it carries out and condones war crimes.
right....this soldier just called Assange up out of the blue and said "hey, i've got about 10,000 documents here, dunno what to do with them, would you like them?" are you seriously that naive???
I don't like this guy for my own reasons. However, for those saying that everything should be transparent if you are on the up and up. How transparent are you? If you are on the up and up then why don't you publish your SSN, DOB, mother's maiden name, your login info and passwords for everything you do? By the way, can we also have all your credit card numbers and their security codes? Some things need to be protected at different levels. Should we publish the specs for nuclear weapons since we need to be on the up and up? Should we publish our troop movements and the discussions that go on behind closed doors (for certain reasons)? There are things that should be protected. I was in the military and was a classified custodian for a nuclear storage area. The transportation of nuclear weapons is classified. The where, when, and how was not released. This was protected information so as to protect the weapon and crew from interception or attack. As for the diplomatic communications, we could compare them to job interview notes. Would you like the notes regarding an interview you completed to be published. "Appears conceited, does not communicate well, a review of the internet reveals a 'party' lifestyle, might be a libability if hired." If that was you would you want those opinions of you published? Shouldn't there be the ability to communicate to do your job (diplomatic or not)? Yes, I know a little off topic, but just a response to all the "everything must be open" comments already on here.
I hope they give him asylum. Hes a hero in my eyes. One of the few honest journalists in the world. They rest all suck government wang when requested.
HE MAY BE A RAPIST FREEDOM----wonder would you like your daughter to be raped by him?????
Assange is wanted for not wearing a condom during consentual sex. For some ridiculous reason that's consider sexual assault in Sweden... He is neither a rapist or a terrorist.
He exposed government corruption and wrong doing. He exposed the US and its dirty laundry. He exposed the lies behind these wars. He exposed cover ups of murders by our troops. The man should be hailed as a hero.
I hope they shoot him while you are standing in front of him!
Well said Freedom.
Nothing is going to happen to Assange. It will only advertise the dirty laundry for all to see. The government just wants him to go away, and maybe get him back some other way. Thats what the charges in Sweden are all about.
I can see you are a strong supporter of the rule of law and due process.
freedom is a myth
Your hero is a sex criminal who ran away. Progressives have such strange ideals.
You better actually read what he was accused of before you spout the sex criminal party line Jeff. What he did is only a crime in sweden, not rape or molesting anyone... no condom use. Clearly a ploy to get him silenced in a jail the US can pressure to deport him.
If he's a hero, why is he trying to hide? He should be proud of what he did and stand up for himself! He's nothing but a coward!
@Jeff-1570172
You really need some reading comprehension. His only crime was not using condom, the charges were dropped years ago and now they suddenly decide to press charges again. Conspiracy much?
@razman10
By what you are saying, if leaders are leaders, there is nothing to hide, they should stand by and let's people judge them. Not hiding behind securities and such.
Look at China, crimes appears out of nowhere if you talk bad about the government. How are US different? Not so much and the same for every countries out there.
can't believe some of what i've read..."It's only a crime in Sweden...". Are you kidding me? So, if we don't like another country's laws, we can just pretend they don't exist either??? I really wonder about a lot of you.....
Assange is wanted on jumping two less than willing ladies in Sweden. sounds like a pretty common request, and not grounds for asylum in another country. the Ecuadorian ambassador should take him in the embassy limousine to the Swedish embassy and put an end to this character's charades.
should the US, Britain, Iraq, & Co. later decide they've got him to rights on official documents legislation, they can petition Sweden to extradite him again to stand trial on the Wikileaks business.
for now, he's trying to run from his funny business. dude, if you're doing high-stakes spycraft, you need to keep it zipped.
Assange is wanted for not wearing a condom during consentual sex. For some ridiculous reason that's consider sexual assault in Sweden...
Guess he should have done a little bit of 'research' before trying to diddle with the locals.
He was setup, that should be obvious. I suppose you approve of setting people up?
These women threw themselves at him for a one night stand, then immediately went to police and claimed he didnt wear a condom without their knowledge. Yeah right, sure he did...
Freedom, what you said is one case. Where he would not wear a condom during consensual sex. The second case he was having sex, without a condom, with a woman, in the morning, before she was awake to give consent. He did have sex with her the night before that was consensual. But to 'nail' a sleeping woman without using a condom or waking her to get her consent is pretty stupid. Being that he was an international figure he should have known the sexual laws of the land before he proceeded to 'dip his wick' in foreign territory.
Thats her story. Im sorry, but I dont believe her. Its just too convenient. I smell set-up.
Its nothing but he said, she said anyway. Which means its not going to fly in court, since they cant prove whos lying.
Its a smear campaign.
Its so very obvious, Blak, that those who mindlessly follow A$$ange, will never believe he can do anything wrong. A$$ange acts as if he is invincible, and he certainly is not.
Ignore the man behind the curtain.....put your head in the sand.....I do hope that all you *supporters* make sure you turn off the lights in the basement.
Its so very obvious, Blak, that those who mindlessly hate A$$ange, will never believe he was innocent, even though it's clear he did'nt do anything wrong. The US government acts like he is a dangerous criminal mastermind, and he certainly is not.
Ignore the man behind the curtain.....put your head in the sand.....I do hope that all you kool aide drinkers make sure you turn off the lights in your mom's basement before bed time.
No, Assange just doesnt kow tow to Americans. Neither do I.
Pretty fearsome, hiding behind that keyboard, Freedom4Everyone.
Unless you live on a desert island, you 'kowtow' to someone...you are just too naive to see it - or admit it.
Just a note, I am in Sweden. They say that there was no consentual sex at the time the sex happened, that he had condomless sex while they were asleep ... Since the act if sex was insitgated without permission, and without protection of their health or rights in Sweden. In Sweden that means rape.
In Sweden "Concensual" means both people have to be aware of the event at the start, not ½ way through. That covers things like have sex with someone passed out at a party etc... (if you look up the word Concensual you will see that is pretty much what it actually means.)
So he could easilly have broken the law in Sweden. However, I think it is not the Sweden case he fears, it's that while he is there the USA would file a warrant for trafficking in Secret US Military Tactical Information against him. At the moment there is no case declared by the USA against him.
With his most recent event however, it then becomes a "escaped from custody" in 2 major countries... making his case massively more dangerous to him.
The problem is, its their word against his. No witness, no conviction. The fact they happened to pop-up with the charges within weeks of his publishing the documents, smells mighty fishy to me. Excusing the pun...
While those who hate him will never believe he can do anything good.
Works both ways, doesn't it?
Actually, its not about what I (or you) believe....it IS about what the authorities in Sweden believe.
The difference between you and I is that I don't see huge conspiracies around every corner, I don't see the 'power' of the US government extending so far as to control a foreign country's judicial system; I DO see someone who believes that he is not required to answer questions, who feels he is somehow ABOVE the law (and NO, just saying one doesn't believe the law doesn't give one the right to disregard that law...this is NOT about civil disobedience).
I would just like for A$$ange to man up and answer questions. Will Sweden deny him counsel? Of course not. What is he afraid of? Could it be that he knows he did something wrong, and does not wish to admit it? Isn't he all about transparency, and the truth? Does he not believe that he is required to tell the truth - or is this the real reason why he does not want to appear before authorities.
If he truly believes that the truth 'will set you free'....then let him stand up and tell the truth. If he is found blameless, then I'd be the first to support him walking free. All he has to do is answer questions, pure and simple.
Isn't that what Wikileaks is all about....transparency and truth? Justice?
Or is it that they wish to pick and choose who falls under that mantle? Is everyone required BUT A$$ange to tell the truth?
His mouth says one thing, but his actions sure say another...he acts guilty of something.
So that pretty blond boy likes leaks. i think he'll be leaking a lot once he's in prison
How convenient that these allegations are. Shortly there after these accusations pop up after the criminals are exposed for what they are liars & thieves.
Ecuador is already under numerous boycotts and U.N. penalties. I don't think one more fugitive is gonna matter much to them.
Still, there is a time and place for release of information. Active combat operations, is not one of them.
Then they should do a better job at keeping secret documents secret. Or maybe, certain public officials should learn to keep thier comments to themselves unless it becomes relevant. Something most of you posting here today should learn as well.
What a coward.
Big time coward. If he is innocent, then he should go back to Sweden and fight to "clear his name." Methinks he doth protest too much.
Methinks your a moron. no matter what he does he'll never "clear his name". He's going to get shafted if he ever goes to court becuase he made powerful political enemies. it's an obvious smear campaign and anyone with a modicum of intelligence can see it.
coward? give him the same amount of troops and weapons and see if he runs, then call him a coward oh brave one lol
Not a coward? How about "stupid". He knew he was stirring up a pot of crap and then decided not to enjoy the consequences...kind of like not using a rubber in rubber-required land.
Anything to stop the exposure of corruption.
Ask yourselves...who are the actual "terrorists" in the world?
Go walk around Arab land and see how long you can keep your head - you F'ing moron.
You mean all of the 10's of thousands of Americans and Europeans who work for various oil companies in Arabia have been beheaded?
Yes, they don't like us. You don't suppose there might be a reason? Or are we to believe that they entire 1 billion of them are irrational actors; after all, they should love us for bombing them, we are liberating them, right?
Seems odd to me that all he is wanted for is questioning , not for any actual criminal charges and they want to extradite him for that . If all they want is some questions answered couldn't they do it over video from anywhere in the world ? This whole thing seems bogus to me and maybe he is right that the US just wants to get him here so they can try to charge him with something . Of course the way our justice system has been lately I doubt anything would come of it other than the government getting sued and losing a few million dollars , but we seem to like wasting money these days anyway .
They do that all the time even here in the US. If someone is wanted for questioning about a murder in California, you better believe they will arrest you in New york and ship your butt back to California. Although the crimes he is wanted for in Sweden are bit outragious.
They didn't actually accuse him of rape.
With his most recent event however, it then becomes a "escaped from custody" in 2 major countries... making his case massively more dangerous to him.
This guy blows the lid off US and Western powers secert communications in the name of freedom of information and now he wants to go to a country run by a Dictator with no freedoms other than what the dictator allows to live and hide from justice for a crime he claims he did not do?? I do not think this guy was ever interested in freedom of information all he wanted was Power, Money and Fame same old story do we not call him one of hte 1%?? I prefer the work elite than a percentage, power elites, money elites, political elites It puts a face on the issues. Peoplw without much money can have just as big an impact on the direction of the world just look at the 99% that followed this guy.
And who do you think put that dictator into power in Ecuador??
I live in Equador and your assumption of a dictatorship and bad mouthing the people here is wrong. The president was elected by the people in a democracy. Get your head out of your a333
Hey Tommy,
Here is a short bio of the "dictator". Next time, educate yourself before you spew:
It's called whistleblowing. It's when you obtain evidence of crimes against humanity, such as the Apache helicopter gunning down of the Reuter's journalist and many other guys because they were standing around in Bagdad, and again shooting a man and his children when they stopped to render aid. Were it not for Wikileaks, the world would likely not know of that event. The US government needs a watchdog to ensure it adheres to the law or is held accountable for it. That was Assange's mission with WL. Nothing more.
Just because you and other flagwavers think the US can do no wrong doesn't make it true.
No place is perfect, but Ecuador does have, in sum, more freedom than the USA does.
bull. His mission, which he accomplished, was to embarrass the USA, and he did so. Tell me, how many thousands of pages of secret conversations from China came out from him? Russia? Yeah, that's what I thought.
If you're so innocent, go to Sweden and prove it.
Sounds like a guilty man to me! I want to see him hang for his crimes NOW!!!!
What crime has he done that deserves hanging? Failure to use a condom? Being unpopular with the US government? oh wait, your one of the people who know jack-@!$%# about what the issue is but felt the need to post anyway. You know, a moron.
no more a moron than a person who blindly refuses to see anything wrong with their hero. Pot, meet very large kettle.
Ecuador was a favorite hiding place for Nazis, so there's precedence for Assange's choice.
The favorite hiding place for Nazis is actually the US - they didn't even need to hide.
Yes, Assange is a Nazi for telling us the truth. He is a Nazi as much as you are a genius.
Oh I see, guilty by association'ish is that it? Guess we know where that leaves the Bush/Cheney families eh?
Quite true. After World War II we begged Nazi scientists to come to the United States and help in the arms race against the Soviets.
Also, isn't making secret information public the opposite of what a fascist would do? In what way are you comparing Assange to Nazis, Jeff?
Ryan, no, a fascist wouldn't mind letting all of America's secrets become public. Because fascists saw America as evil...you know, just like liberals and far lefties do.
You have that in common with Nazis. Good is bad and bad is good.
Not much on history are you chesty?
Ahem, some here have had a point in mentioning where many of the Nazi scientiests ended up, as operation paper clip is now a matter of historical record... Whatever the argument wrt the cold war, or wanting the technology, it's all history now....
Also, I hate to have to bring some perspective here, but morally repugnant acts are not unique to either one country or one group, though no this doesn't mean all CITIZENS are necessarily a part of it. As much evil as can be found with what the Nazis had done, it's a regrettable matter that the eugenics programs were a part of our own history, going back to 1910. It's also such, that one of our own eugenecists got an honorary degree from the University of Handleberg in the 1930s for his "ground breaking research" in such field. It's a matter of conscience, which is not over-looked by all modern day geneticists, though they to have a few moral issues in their own closet (like breeding mice with a human ear on it, etc)
Oh Neko, you thought Hitler praised America and was a big fan? Did the "history books" you claim to have read include sections to color in with your crayon set?
Chesty,
The mere fact that you have assumed, from my simple request to qualify an outlandish statement, that
1. I am a liberal
2. I hate America
3. I support Nazism
is rather interesting. Do you have some personal insecurities that prompt you to accuse anyone who disagrees with you on any given topic of being evil? I actually feel sad that someone's world-view could be so one-sided. Whether it's from a lack of education or that your simply having a rough life right now, I apologize and hope you get better soon.
Ryan, the way the political discourse has become so utterly polarized of late, I'm on the one hand little surprised by much of this anymore (which perhaps is a sad commentary in itself), and 2 am not entirely convinced that reason alone will see us, as a nation through it all. I just hope I don't live to see the day, where history might repeat, and the era of Joe McCarthy and the House Unamerican's committee might be at our doorstep once again. At both ends of the political spectrum, things have taken a certain ugly element, and people are so busy hurling invectives back and forth... Probably the political advisors/commentators are also laughing their own collective arses off, as they feed another sound bite, and watch the people fight their own battles for them :o
In the meantime, there only seems to be so much that can be done, as we all watch Congress hurl their own invectives back and forth, get nothing done while playing to their partisan bases, and further heat things up into a partisan frenzy while they try to turn the voters against all of their own opponents. Except perhaps get a bit of a laugh while watching something like
(meh, they block links, but look for the this land political cartoon from the 2004 election)
which is as true today, as when someone made it...
Jeff:
"Ecuador was a favorite hiding place for Nazis,..."
So was the U.S.
Then G W Bush has a place to go.
Do you know what really makes this a tough issue, geo-politically? Not dem vs repub, lib vs conservative, etc... Business... Guess who one of Ecuador's gets a lot of it's trade from? The US, and after they expelled the US ambassador following, surprise, surprise in all of this, leaks that had come out from wiki leaks (probably detailing what a US diplomat had to say wrt an Ecuadorian official), they have since gone to rebuild relations, but it's tenuous and touchy atm.... And yet there's the whole matter of trade, their customers sell to those in the US, and hence there's politics, and there's also business....
So now comes Assange, with all of this going on, and meanwhile Ecuador has not been without it's own internal strife over the past decade plus.... Strife as in revolution, first when Ecuador dropped it's national currency and picked up USD as legal tender, but then the officials behind that then got thrown out also (except the US dollar remained their currency of exchange). Things have been tenuous. Assange didn't pick a country without it's own issues, including business (aside from the foreign aid) considerations of it's own....
On NPR as I was driving home, they mentioned Assange didn't just pull this out of the hat, some officials in Ecuador mentioned this a year ago, but the president there said no, and he's also not without his own popularity.... He stepped into a bit of a mine field arguably, even requesting this, from them, with a lot of other considerations on their minds also.... It's really not all about Obama vs Romney, or even the US's own political parties. In some ways, business can trump that, where international trade (and hence business and money) and the like is a consideration.... We in the US really are a top importer from them (such as in oil for instance....)
I would definitely take off his head with my bayonet at the slightest opportunity, but I categorically rebuke anyone who actually thinks he raped any of these women.
I can respect that. You personally may want him dead, but you at least realize this swedish thing is just bull@!$%#.
I don't think it's some kind of government conspiracy though, I think these are just women being women. The definition of rape is so loose nowadays that any woman you had sex with can retroactively accuse you of raping her if she later feels differently about the sex after it already happened.
Sounds like a CIA operation is needed.
I happen to agree that he should be granted asylum.......in hell !!
In exchange for 13 million illegals!
This guy is a worthless coward, traitor, rat. He should get a proper death sentence.
He is not a traitor. lol He's not a citizen of the US.
US Army Ranger here. And if good people expose the ugly, traitorious secrets of the US Government and all the ugly elites who pretend to support us he becomes an enemy of the good people he cares about.....
Whats the point of a Government of the people, by the people and for the people?
IT NO LONGER EXISTS!
what is it with south america? why do europeans all try to hide down there. nazis moved down there in droves. now we have this clown. i dont know what he is upset about i hear swede jails are tha taj mahal of living.
carl6352, I don't think Assange will be able to hide in Ecuador. That would be like playing Where's Waldo with a white polar bear in a room full of black seals.
You do realize alot of south americans are white, with blond hair and blue eyes right? Not everyone from south of the border are mexicans
This is true....all those Nazis that ran there in the 40's were busy as little beavers....there's blond, blue-eyed people sprinkled all over South America.
I guess A$$ange would like to enjoy the same kind of life there....wonder if they have condom laws in South America...hmmm?
European, including German, migration to South America far preceded the second world war. What is it sith SA? The land is beautiful, the lifestyle is laid back, the people are delightful, domestic help is cheap, and there are a lot of very attractive ladies.
I hope its granted..
I agree, let the US's dirty laundry be found, cleaned then aired out. We need it.
Expose all greed and corruption first and foremost.
I just feel [pardon, but I pause here to sob and dab tears from my cheeks] sooooo sad for the poor guy.
It's called karma, a$$hole.