US officials have repeatedly vilified WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over the past several years, and intermittently called for his assassination, but just now appear to be nearing a decision to file charges against him, accusing him of crimes for involvement in the whistleblower organization.
What the charges might be remain a matter of speculation, as Assange’s lawyer says they’ve heard nothing from the Justice Department. CIA chief Mike Pompeo, however, suggested the charges could be speech related, insisting Assange doesn’t get “First Amendment freedoms” because he isn’t American.
This sudden interest in going after Assange is seen at least in part to be fueled by the Trump Administration’s effort to distance itself from WikiLeaks’ release of information harmful to the Clinton campaign in the 2016 election. Pompeo angrily attacked WikiLeaks just last week as a “non-state hostile intelligence service.”
Attorney General Jefferson Sessions insists that even though there haven’t been charges laid against Assange yet that arresting him is “a priority” for the Justice Department, citing the number of “quite serious” leaks WikiLeaks has been responsible for.
Even if the charges are filed, arresting Assange is likely to be a tricky matter, as he’s presently in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, and Ecuador provided him asylum specifically because of fears he’d be sent to the United States and subjected to torture.
The British government has so far not allowed Assange to leave the embassy to travel to Ecuador, citing Sweden’s interest in extraditing him for “questioning” related to a rape allegation. The concern has long been that if Assange was sent to Sweden he’d be quickly forwarded on to the US government, and would probably never be seen or heard from again.
Interestingly, President Trump publicly praised WikiLeaks during the campaign for releasing information about Hillary Clinton, even joking that WikiLeaks might be able to find Clinton’s “lost” emails. Having since turned against Russia in large part as a political effort to distance himself from allegations of election manipulation, Trump’s cabinet is also turning against WikiLeaks.
Perfect.
Pompeo’s assertion is ridiculous on its face, and he should know it. The First Amendment restricts the government from criminalizing speech, regardless who says it.
Anyone who goes along with the war agenda is a coward in my book. This would include just about every politician in DC!!! As far as the messengers and truth tellers go, it is another indication to the world just how tyrannical the USA has become! The USA has a “government” that is only for the wealthy and powerful. Anyone who threatens this setup is a target.
Kill the messenger.
Reactionary c*ntservatives come and go. Anarchists are in it for the long run. We stood by our comrade Julian before Trump found his services convenient and we stand by him now. His attackers should remember that Mr. Assange has some very talented friends. I wont list any names but lets just say they may be considered anonymous. So if Sessions wants to keep his stash of German scat porn under wraps than maybe he should make like a good soldier and shut the f**k up.
So govt gives us our freedoms. Thomas Jefferson would disagree.
Pompeo and Sessions have been drinking too much diet soda.
Nothing like aspertame in the brain.
Mr. Assange deserves a pardon.
Yeah, but he’s not guilty in the first place. Snowden deserves a pardon.
Snowden deserves a parade.
They keep up the not-very-new status quo and certain U.S. governing elitists might get a torchlight and pitchforks parade, in their honor.
Looks like Jared Kushner really helped turn the tides on the white hats in the system.
Thing is, Assange and Wikileaks are just doing what any real news reporter/editor and news outlet would and should be doing, and has said has much in his defense in the Washington Post, “Julian Assange: WikiLeaks has the same mission as The Post and the Times”. That is, the mission of the fourth/fifth estate, before the establishment learned how to tame the traditional model.
Wikileak’s thing was just to be more info tech savvy, cutting down on overhead while maximizing information access. This made them a very nimble and prolific direct news outlet compared to the older bricks-and-mortar news services.
If anything, this is a trial balloon against all independent media.
” . . . trial balloon against all independent media”
Right on.
Please contribute to Julian Assange’s defense fund at https://fundrazr.com/campaign/45DZ1. This donation does not contribute to the operation of WikiLeaks. Does anyone else feel the noose of fascism tightening?
That is great! The masks are down.The USA is a fascist state and it is just a matter of time(short) till all those who disagree with its fascist practices will be “guantnamosized”
Every secret a government keeps diminishes democracy.
Freedom of speech, as all constitutional freedoms, are not conditional upon citizenship. Human freedom is universal
Its the US that is the hostile intelligence service, not Wikileaks
If this, doesn’t prove to the world that Donald Trump is a paid off workman for the worst of humanity, then, what can prove anything, ever again?
When you only have State-run mainstream media, you need an independent news source.
Pompeo “SAID” no such thing!! He NEVER mentioned Assange or Wikileaks as the priority!!! “LEAKS” were the priority and it seems it is INTERNAL leaks that is FREAKING THEM OUT!!! Read or listen to his address before you spread CNN’S FAKE NEWS supported by 4 UNNAMED SOURCES AS USUAL!!!!
Pompeo “SAID” no such thing!! He NEVER mentioned Assange or Wikileaks as the priority!!! “LEAKS” were the priority and it seems it is INTERNAL leaks that is FREAKING THEM OUT!!! Read or listen to his address before you spread CNN’S FAKE NEWS supported by 4 UNNAMED SOURCES AS USUAL!!!!
The 1st amendment protects not only the those who wish to and/or do disclose information; it also protects our right to receive and to digest the information. Rights belong to us-not to the government. They are inherent in our humanity. They are not privileges conditioned on the whims of those who stole power. They cannot be legislated away by officious intermeddlers in our lives. Those who wish to continue trampling on our rights are the traitors, not merely to the country, but also to humanity. Those who publish and/or speak out are the heroes.
Trump’s craven cowering to the neocons can surely not be winning him many friends among real humans.
Sickening on so many different levels.