The FBI is looking to gather new information about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported on Thursday.
According to a front-page story in the SMH, the FBI may be trying to build its case up against Assange, who was indicted by the US Justice Department in 2019 for exposing US war crimes by publishing classified documents he obtained from a source, a standard journalistic practice.
The report said that last week, the FBI contacted Andrew O’Hagan, a Scottish novelist who worked as a ghostwriter for Assange’s autobiography. O’Hagan rejected the FBI request as he opposes the US’s efforts to imprison Assange for his journalism.
“I would not give a witness statement against a fellow journalist being pursued for telling the truth,” O’Hagan said. “I would happily go to jail before agreeing in any way to support the American security establishment in this cynical effort.”
Assange’s legal team was surprised by the FBI request, which came amid building pressure on the Biden administration to drop the charges against the WikiLeaks founder. A delegation of Australian lawmakers recently met with the US ambassador to Australia and called on Washington to free Assange, who has been held in London’s Belmarsh Prison since the indictment.
“It appears they are continuing to try to investigate, which I find unusual given the amount of time that has passed since the investigation began,” Stephen Kenny, Assange’s Australian lawyer, told SMH.
“I would think it is of some concern because we have been working to try to secure an arrangement that would see Julian come home. It would be very unusual if the FBI was trying to gather evidence that could help clear his name,” Kenny added.
Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton said it appears that the US might be seeking a new indictment against Assange and that it showed an acknowledgment of “how weak the charges” are against him.
The Biden administration has also come under domestic pressure over Assange. A group of House Democrats led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) recently sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to drop the charges.
Correction: This story originally said the FBI”reopened” its investigation into Julian Assange. But the investigation has never been closed, and the story has been updated to reflect that.
Hate to say it, but, it is my believe that he Biden administration is behind this. Under pressure, then turn up the wick. I voted for Biden, but I hate his administration. Really.
Yes, repulsive vindictive punishment of an helpless victim. It’s loathsome.
I voted for Biden but have concluded that he is much worse than Trump.
I am very much inclined to agree.
There is no such thing as much worse than Trump.
He didn’t threaten WWIII.
He wasn’t done. We can only assume we wouldn’t have progressed to this point.
“Democrats and their allies in the press spent the last four years accusing President Donald Trump of being soft on Russia. And worse: some called the president a Russian asset, a traitor, Putin’s patsy and much, much more. It was all nonsense, because behind the rhetoric was the stark reality that Trump, and his administration, have actually been tougher on Russia than many of his predecessors. Now, with the president on the way out, one lone voice in the anti-Trump press – CNN, specifically – has spoken the truth out loud. On CNN’s “New Day” on New Year’s morning, the network’s Fareed Zakaria was asked how U.S. Russia policy under President Joe Biden might differ from policy under President Trump. “I think, in general, there isn’t going to be as much difference as people imagine,” Zakaria said.
“The Biden folks are pretty tough on Russia, Iran, North Korea. You know, the dirty little secret about the Trump administration was that while Donald Trump clearly had a kind of soft spot for Putin, the Trump administration was pretty tough on the Russians. They armed Ukraine. They armed the Poles. They extended NATO operations and exercises in ways that even the Obama administration had not done. They maintained the sanctions. So I don’t think it will be that different.”
The dirty little secret? It was never a secret at all. All of the actions Zakaria listed were well-known public policy during the Trump years. Any of Zakaria’s colleagues, at CNN and in the press as a whole, might have cited them. But many instead chose to contribute to the media’s Russia hysteria that began even before the president was inaugurated and continued through the years of Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.”
https://townhall.com/columnists/byronyork/2021/01/06/now-they-tell-us–trump-was-tough-on-russia-n2582618
The Russiagate scam put pressure on Trump to be tougher on Russia, IMO.
Does president matter?Did Trump matter?
He was blinsided then sandbagged by the bastard Bolton .
He was given a deal by the senate – kill Soulemani or lose senator’s support against impeachment.
He wanted to remove the soldiers from Syria. He received a phone call from Netanyahu.
He wanted to terminate Afghanistan war . Media pounced on him.
“He was given a deal by the senate – kill Soulemani or lose senator’s support against impeachment.”
Any links? My guess is Trump enjoyed killing the Iranian general. Immensely. He promised total belligerence towards Iran long before any impeachment nonsense came about and he delivered.
The Pentagon was not too happy. Apparently Soulemani was an ally against ISIS. It set a dangerous precedent. Suppose Milly were picked off? How could we claim foul (which we would)?
Milley isn’t worth a spitball from the back row much less a drone strike from the other side of the planet.
That’s how Trumptardism works.
Trump is the greatest thing since sliced bread, a bold and fearless leader who is going to do A, B, and C.
Then when he does X, Y, and Z instead, it’s because he’s a helpless weakling who folds like a cheap tent the instant those mean ol’ neocon put “pressure” on him.
Then he’s back to being a bold and fearless leader before his supporters can look back down after falling for the old “the word gullible is written on the ceiling” trick yet again.
Typical politician, but just really good at it.
he’s a helpless weakling who folds like a cheap tent the instant those mean ol’ neocon put “pressure” on him.
But at least he talked the talk. And every now and then showed a bit of spine – like when he tipped off the Russians to a plot to blow up one of their passenger planes, or when he ignored Master’s admonition and congratulated Putin on his reelection.
He was about the only one in Government that wasn’t hog assed wild about going to war with Russia and I for one miss that.
And in one of his Syrian missile strikes he had to be talked into giving a heads up to Russia.
I would say he was conned into attacking Syria ( probably to the surprise of his neocon-artist advisors who probably thought he wouldn’t ) and then had to be talked into the heads up after they realized they had done their job only too well.
Hersh reports:
“The available intelligence made clear that the Syrians had targeted a jihadist meeting site on April 4 using a Russian-supplied guided bomb equipped with conventional explosives. Details of the attack, including information on its so-called high-value targets, had been provided by the Russians days in advance to American and allied military officials in Doha, whose mission is to coordinate all U.S., allied, Syrian and Russian Air Force operations in the region.”
“None of this makes any sense,” one officer reportedly told colleagues upon learning of the decision to bomb Syria, according to Hersh. “We KNOW that there was no chemical attack … the Russians are furious. Claiming we have the real intel and know the truth … I guess it didn’t matter whether we elected Clinton or Trump.”
https://www.mintpressnews.com/seymour-hersh-trump-intelligence-syria-chemical-attack/229257/
Difference being Clinton didn’t have to be hood winked into believing it was a chem attack. Just like the one Obama was sold on but too chicken to make good his threats of retaliation. Russia got him off the hook with their unilateral disarmament deal they brokered.
Hoodwinked? Did you miss this part:
“None of this makes any sense,” one officer reportedly told colleagues upon learning of the decision to bomb Syria, according to Hersh. “We KNOW that there was no chemical attack”
The fucking generals were telling him it wasn’t a chemical attack. Donnie wouldn’t listen.
He bombed, droned and sanctioned just like his predecessor and his successor.
Yeah, just not as much.
Seriously? In 2018 he bombed Afghanistan more than any year since 2006. So, he even outdid Obama. He increased sanctions on damn near everyone. The maximum pressure campaign against Iran. The Ceasar sanctions against Syria. Venezuela. Russia. He lessened the rules of engagement to make those bombings and drone strikes easier to kill people. He did more attacks on Somalia than Bush and Obama combined. Two missile attacks on Syria. He even added the Space Force. Do I have to go on? He was NO different.
Exceptionally not good at following through, except grabbing p..y. Then, it caught up with him, to the tune of $5 million. The irony was one of the men who voted to convict is a Trump fan.
He’s an ahole and a dick. But he was right about Russiagate. That doesn’t make him a good person, but it is an indictment of the corruption of the Democrats, who are getting a free pass.
it was covered by WSJ on its front page 2 or 3 days after the assassination.
Did Trump Kill Soleimani With Impeachment Process on …
Rolling Stone
https://www.rollingstone.com › politics › politics-news
Jan 10, 2020 — According to two separate reports, Trump “was under pressure to deal with Gen. Soleimani from GOP senators.”
Did impeachment weigh on Trump’s Soleimani decision? …
Vox
https://www.vox.com › trump-iran-war-wsj-impeachm…
Jan 10, 2020 — The Wall Street Journal reports Trump weighed impeachment concerns when opting to kill Iran’s Soleimani.
Trump Conducted Iran Strike to Satisfy GOP Senators …
Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com › Politics › News
Jan 10, 2020 — Trump reportedly told associates he killed Qassem Soleimani because he was under pressure from GOP senators before his impeachment trial.
Iran overshadows impeachment as Trump leaves …
Politico
https://www.politico.com › news › 2020/01/06 › iran-i…
Jan 6, 2020 — Trump’s killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani has overshadowed the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history, …
Trump ordered Soleimani attack to appease Republicans …
The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk › … › US politics
Jan 10, 2020 — Reports indicate Mr Trump felt pressured by Senate Republicans to act against Soleimani.
Trump strike on Soleimani came amid pressure from …
The Hill
https://thehill.com › blogs › blog-briefing-room › 477…
Jan 10, 2020 — Qassem Soleimani came amid pressure from Senate Republicans he views as key allies in his upcoming impeachment trial, The Wall Street Journal …
Trump privately admits he killed Soleimani “under pressure …
Salon.com
https://www.salon.com › … › Igor Derysh’s Articles
Jan 10, 2020 — Trump reportedly said that “he was under pressure to deal with Gen. Soleimani from GOP senators” key to his trial.
And he always plays the victim so well. By his comments one would be hard pressed to think he needed much coaxing.
“General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more … but got caught! He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number …. of PROTESTERS killed in Iran itself,” Trump tweeted.
President Donald Trump made the killing of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani a theme of his re-election campaign on Thursday, drawing cheers from thousands at a rally when he said the death saved lives and delivered “American justice”.
At the campaign rally in Toledo, Ohio, Trump spent a lengthy part of his stump speech defending his order to kill Suleimani and rejecting criticism from Democrats who say he overstepped his authority with the US military’s drone strike against the commander of Iran’s military al-Quds force at Baghdad airport a week ago.
“He was a monster. And he’s no longer a monster. He’s dead,” Mr Trump said. “He was planning a big attack and bad attack for us. I don’t think anyone can complain about it.”
Same gang of idiots who foisted Bolton on him.
He also did a massive artillery barrage in Syria, increased troops, did two missile strikes and left office sitting on their oil fields while imposing draconian sanctions on them.
In Afghanistan he did his own surge, lessened the rules of engagement in both airstrikes and drone strikes to make killing a little easier. He also dropped the MOAB and those 10 innocents killed during Bien’s withdrawal were killed because Biden failed to change Trump’s rules of engagement for drone strikes.
Keeping the oil fields was a consolation prize to Israel who wanted him push out the Turks.
Oh, that explains it. Trump was just kissing some ass.
Yeah, like withdrawing from the INF treaty. Boy, he showed them.
How the FBI Lost, Found, and Rewarded the Alleged Russian Spy Pivotal to Surveilling Trump
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/06/01/how_the_fbi_lost_found_rewarded_alleged_russian_spy_for_helping_snoop_on_trump_902334.html
Trump was invested in personally benefitting financially from his position and seeking adoration of the masses. Bolton was a neocon warhawk who was agitating for war with Iran for years. He also didn’t believe that the US was obligated toward any treaties or agreements. Trump could be manipulated from the right or the left depending on how it would land in his favor for prosperity and popularity.
And yet he was still talking shit when he left office:
‘The Fake News Media refuses to report that I was the one who very early and strongly gave the anti-tank busters (Javelins) to Ukraine, while Obama/Biden was giving blankets, to great and open complaints
‘Then Biden came in, and canceled the remaining military equipment that was packed, loaded, and ready to be shipped. Now the Fake News Media is trying to say that Trump gave Ukraine nothing and it was Biden who is their great friend and gave them weaponry. The dishonesty is so unbelievable. All I can do is report it!’
That is what he does. The mark of a sociopath.
He wanted the US to pull out of NATO.
Until he didn’t:
“I hope everyone is able to remember that it was me, as President of the United States, that got delinquent NATO members to start paying their dues, which amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars. There would be no NATO if I didn’t act strongly and swiftly. Also, it was me that got Ukraine the very effective anti-tank busters (Javelins) when the previous Administration was sending blankets. Let History so note!” Trump bragged.
Of course. He went with the way the wind blew.
And that is all I have been trying to say. He bombed. He droned. He sanctioned. He killed indiscriminately just like those before him and what came, and will come, after him. The only thing different about him was he was so god damn irritating.
He’s defending himself there, like see I didn’t kiss Putin’s ass.
But you said the Russiagate scam made him be tougher on Russia. So, when he was no longer president there was no longer a need to do that. And yet there he was claiming to have been tough on Russia again although the Russiagate scam has long passed.
The Russiagate scam will not die. Have you seen vast corrections and apologies or msm completely downplaying Durham’s report and smearing him? Where are the corrections on Hamilton 68? Or that Biden’s campaign got Morrell and ex security state to call Hunter’s laptop a Russian campaign? It is ongoing.
That is true. But it should no longer make Trump want to talk about how tough he was on Russia if he was only doing it because of Russiagate. But he still brags about it exactly like he did back then.
Russiagate never ended.
Then, by golly, let’s have another four years of Drumpf! Another tax gift to him and the 1% with which to add to the deficit! It will be great! He will be free to grab more p….y! What a party it would be! Yahoo! More Iranian generals to assassinate, with perhaps bombing Iran! I can’t wait!!!!
Biden was behind the coup.
That was before Trump. I was talking about what might have happened had Trump followed Trump and whether we would have progressed to the position we are in today. I posted another comment about how tough Trump actually was on Russia. It’s not like Putin was going to give in just because Trump admired him. So, who knows where we’d actually be. But we already know where Biden has taken us, so there is that.
To be clear I’m not a fan of Trump. But he was right about the whole Russiagate crap.
Not quite. We do not know the entire story, because “Sharpie” Barr redacted a bunch of it (I have it and have read it). Twelve Russians were indicted, and Drumpf committed 10 actions of obstruction. It is nice to remember that the man behind the beginning of the investigation is a Republican, Rosenstein, who set the parameters for the investigation, and, Mueller, former Marine, is a long time Republican. It does not take a genius to realize that the Russians would prefer Drumpf than Hillary, miss “we came, we saw, he died” Clinton.
Have you looked at all at the Durham report?
You know all the hoopla about Trump and classified documents? Biden took classified intelligence on Ukraine to a think tank AFTER he left office.
Yes, and Biden should be sitting in a cell with Trump.
Hillary too.
Ditto.
I won’t vote for either, but Biden is the greater evil of the two.
I can’t argue with that.
They dropped the case against the 12 Russians because they didn’t expect a lawyer to show up in court. And they were never tied to Trump to begin with.
The only connection between Drumpf and Putin was the d*mned hotel Drmpf wanted to build in Moscow.
Orchestrated by Victoria Nuland. You know, “F*ck the EU”, “Yats is our guy”, Nuland. Her husband is a war monger from way back.
All he did was withdraw the U.S from the INF treaty, and, the JCPOA. His administration topped the Obama administration in drone attacks. He also sent Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, way before the war began. He was just one of the chain of presidents whose actions led to the current situation in Ukraine. Joe did nothing to prevent it, and has added fuel to the fire. Lloyd Austin is in idiot.
Biden has been behind it going back years.
On the Durham report:
https://www.racket.news/p/damn-thats-thin-i-know-it-sucks-the
https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/russiagates-missing-pieces
On Bolton:
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/9/10/20859357/john-bolton-trump-war-north-korea-iran
https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-national-security-john-bolton-government-and-politics-4552020a58966ac53f501ca4dc39494f
Of course he is.
I voted third party. Voting for the two party scam hasn’t been an option for me since the 70’s.
I’ve been voting third party since 2012 & will continue to do so. Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin.
Amen. I started in 1980. Feels good to waste my vote.
In 2016 I voted third party.. In 2020 I held my nose and voted Biden.
Why?. There were other options even in the fake democracy we live in. And since almost all states are winner take all electoral vote, there are few states that are really in play even if one believes in the two party con job. If one lives in a super blue state or a super red state, those electoral votes are going to go red or blue in an POTUS election. So…… voting for a third party anti war candidate can only show support for ending US interventions and opposition to the murder and mayhem that is US foreign policy.
Same, thought he was going to different from Trump? Other than some cultural wars nonsense about pronouns, what is the difference? We traded one racist warmonger for a more politically correct, but worse warmonger.
Biden is racist too. He is called Jim Crow Joe in the Black community.
Trump isn’t a racist He lets people of color kiss his ass too. Unconditional fealty is all the Don wants.
I didn’t vote for anybody, and I despise the Biden administration.
The choices offered by the major parties in the last few elections represent a reflection of life in a decaying empire.
The minor parties appear to be waiting for a chance to be as bad as the major parties.
Jo Jorgensen had a decent platform.
Free Julian Assange, and buck Fiden.
Don’t be shy. FUCK BIDEN.
“FBI Reopens Probe Into Julian Assange – The move comes as the Biden administration has come under more pressure to drop the charges against the WikiLeaks founder.”
Of course the American KGB/Gestapo want to prosecute Assange and not Hunter Biden.
The American criminal corupt clown show goes on.
No sh#t!! 🙁
I can see Alabanese’s “polite” approach on Assange is working better than his predecessor’s. (Sarcasm)
Free Assange!!!!!!!
As an Australian I hang my head in shame of politically spineless piece of shit nation.
That serves it’s evil masters in DC.
At the expense of its innocent civilians like Assange.
Our nations are full of sheep.
Same here, brother. I don’t disagree with you, but don’t forget to get a second job. Your HUGE payments for the nuclear submarines for your “Darwin” base, which has moved your nation to the top of the list of nuclear targets by both China and Russia, aren’t gonna pay themselves. Don’t forget, China is anti-press freedom. They are using our own FBI to attack us, just like they used the virus we paid for. By the way, “Our nations are full of sheep” is a huge insult to sheep. (Sarcasm alert)
Defund the FBI!
Assange is not and was not a U.S. citizen. Nor, was he working for a U.S. government entity. Ever. They know that. The Espionage Act does not apply to him. He is a journalist.
Arguing over the relative merits of Trump versus Biden is akin to contemplating which venereal disease is right for you: it may say a lot about your personal preferences, but you are going end up being pestilent.