Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty in a US court under a deal allowing him to walk free following a 14-year legal battle....Assange arrived at court on Wednesday morning local time in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Marian Islands, alongside a team that included Australia's ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd....He told the court that when he published the classified files leaked to him in 2010, he was a journalist and believed he would be protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which covers freedom of the press.
After the sentencing, Assange's lawyer, Barry Pollack, said: "Wikileaks's work will continue and Mr Assange, I have no doubt, will be a continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government.
"He is a powerful voice and a voice that cannot and should not be silenced."
In the US, Assange was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information, following the massive Wikileaks disclosure in 2010.
Wikileaks had released a video from a US military helicopter which showed civilians being killed in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
It also published thousands of confidential documents suggesting that the US military had killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents during the war in Afghanistan.
The revelations became a huge story, prompting reaction from all corners of the globe, and led to intense scrutiny of American involvement in foreign conflicts.
So which is he. A traitor who harmed america, or a fighter for freedom of speech?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgggyvp0j9o
A US citizen who harms the USA may be a traitor to that state. A foreigner such as Assange most certainly is not. So the suggested dichotomy is false.So which is he. A traitor who harmed america, or a fighter for freedom of speech?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgggyvp0j9o
A US citizen who harms the USA may be a traitor to that state. A foreigner such as Assange most certainly is not. So the suggested dichotomy is false.
In general principle, they're not mutually exclusive. Nobody is entirely hero or entirely villain. Obviously the Australian Assange can't be a traitor to the USA, though he encouraged and supported people who could be accused of that and his actions could be called criminal (indeed, technically now are).So which is he. A traitor who harmed america, or a fighter for freedom of speech?
I think you are mistaken. Only the USA is so arrogant as to think that its laws apply to everyone in the world.I'm not happy with the implication that AUSTRALIA is responsible for Assange's espionage. Individuals acting without authorization (or even effective jurisdiction) are subject to extradition and trial of ANY country which thinks they've broken the law.
Assange is a kind of hero to me, precisely because he knew he could be punished, and published anyway.
The first obligation of a government is to protect its citizens from harm and, certainly, conquest and destruction. Assange violated the safety and national security of the people of the United States, its own state sovereignty, its institutions, values and so on. Assange violated US law in these respects. He therefore is subject to US laws, Constitutional due processes which were promised to the UK courts during their multiple extradition hearings over several years, and for the consequences of his crimes against the United States and its people. If the USG does not protect its people then who will or would. The USG worked for a dozen years and more beforehand to get its hands on Assange the America Hater and the USG made his daily life miserable for the past dozen years at the least. Now this is the outcome initiated by the USG, ie, Assange plead guilty to espionage in violation of US laws and its peoples' safety and security -- and to the great risk of US security operatives abroad -- and was released to his native country which is a major US ally of long standing, Australia, at the request of its prime minister and parliament. Moreover, Assange was supported and hosted by Putin who is hellbent to destroy the West and the United States in particular. The USG did its duty and pursued its responsibility and obligation to the people of the United States and its allies who are negatively affected by Assange and his hate of the West and the US in particular.I think you are mistaken. Only the USA is so arrogant as to think that its laws apply to everyone in the world.
Assange targeted the United States principally and almost exclusively.I also thing Assange's journalism defence is somewhat flawed. The underlying principle of Wikileaks (certainly when it was first established) is that pretty much nothing should be secret an their methods were to simple dump out whatever raw data they received, with limited or no redactions. You can certainly argue for that to be legitimate, but you can't claim it as journalism. Actual journalism involves analysis and interpretation of information to provide the public with relevant knowledge and information. Like many roles, it comes with rights but also responsibilities. While Assange had worked alongside journalists and occasionally did his own, he would also circumvent that role to try to avoid those journalistic responsibilities.
Assange is a kind of hero to me, precisely because he knew he could be punished, and published anyway.
Former CIA Director Mike Pompeoonce described WikiLeaks as “a nonstate hostile intelligence service,” and the label fits. When the U.S. indicted Mr. Assange under the Espionage Act in 2019, Assistant Attorney General John Demers cited the totality of his conduct, soliciting and dumping online classified information that could put the lives of American allies in jeopardy: “No responsible actor—journalist or otherwise—would purposely publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in war zones.”
A year later, in unveiling a superseding indictment alleging a broader conspiracy on computer intrusion, the Justice Department said Mr. Assange “communicated directly with a leader of the hacking group LulzSec (who by then was cooperating with the FBI), and provided a list of targets for LulzSec to hack.”
…
WikiLeaks “very likely knew it was assisting a Russian intelligence influence effort,” said a 2020 report by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Its investigation found “significant indications that Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have benefited from Russian government support.” Mr. Assange denied that Russia was the source of the Democratic emails, but it’s hard to see why anyone should believe him.
So why did he collude with Russian agents, and why didnt he publish the incriminating stuff he had on Putin?I'm not happy with the implication that AUSTRALIA is responsible for Assange's espionage. Individuals acting without authorization (or even effective jurisdiction) are subject to extradition and trial of ANY country which thinks they've broken the law.
Assange is a kind of hero to me, precisely because he knew he could be punished, and published anyway.
Traitor. National secret should STAY secrets when it comes to our defense as a nation.So which is he. A traitor who harmed america, or a fighter for freedom of speech?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgggyvp0j9o
It is about ****in' time this is resoulved. It's also time to allow Edward Snowden a Plea deal that will allow him to return to the U.S. with a short sentence, (shorter that Steve Bannon). No one is above the law barring a 1st Amendment constitutional challenge.So which is he. A traitor who harmed america, or a fighter for freedom of speech?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgggyvp0j9o
You are just another American who believe the USA has the right to rule the world. Insular and ignorant in equal measure. As it happens I am not an "America hater" but comments such as yours can only encourage such sentiments.The first obligation of a government is to protect its citizens from harm and, certainly, conquest and destruction. Assange violated the safety and national security of the people of the United States, its own state sovereignty, its institutions, values and so on. Assange violated US law in these respects. He therefore is subject to US laws, Constitutional due processes which were promised to the UK courts during their multiple extradition hearings over several years, and for the consequences of his crimes against the United States and its people. If the USG does not protect its people then who will or would. The USG worked for a dozen years and more beforehand to get its hands on Assange the America Hater and the USG made his daily life miserable for the past dozen years at the least. Now this is the outcome initiated by the USG, ie, Assange plead guilty to espionage in violation of US laws and its peoples' safety and security -- and to the great risk of US security operatives abroad -- and was released to his native country which is a major US ally of long standing, Australia, at the request of its prime minister and parliament. Moreover, Assange was supported and hosted by Putin who is hellbent to destroy the West and the United States in particular. The USG did its duty and pursued its responsibility and obligation to the people of the United States and its allies who are negatively affected by Assange and his hate of the West and the US in particular.
So which is he. A traitor who harmed america, or a fighter for freedom of speech?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgggyvp0j9o
The holdup on the settlement was Assange refused to set foot on U.S. soil, the Northern Mariana Islands are affiliated to the U.S. while nearer his native Australia.This sort of reminds me of that Pentagon Papers stuff so many years ago. Or whatever that was called. Not sure I even remember what happened in that case.
But who doesn't have secrets? People, companies, nations, and more. I suppose security is an issue in some cases. National security. But I haven't studied this one. He has been holed up someplace for a fair bit of time, yes? I saw an article maybe yesterday, my time, and he was handled by law enforcement in Saipan, yes? That seemed mighty interesting. Did I spell that name correctly? Anyway, he's finally going to put down on that super big island close to your islands, yes?
EDIT: Uh oh, I see that name "Saipan" is in that quote box up there. Didn't see that just before I started posting.
Not only the U.S., "Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their legal advisers Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, William Haynes, Jay Bybee and John Yoo were tried (& found Guilty) in absentia in Malaysia."I think you are mistaken. Only the USA is so arrogant as to think that its laws apply to everyone in the world.
You miss the point. The people listed are (I think) all US citizens. What I am saying is that US law does not impose any obligation upon foreigners, other those who are visiting the USA:The holdup on the settlement was Assange refused to set foot on U.S. soil, the Northern Mariana Islands are affiliated to the U.S. while nearer his native Australia.
Not only the U.S., "Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their legal advisers Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, William Haynes, Jay Bybee and John Yoo were tried (& found Guilty) in absentia in Malaysia."
"The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt)[2] is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. The ICC is distinct from the International Court of Justice, an organ of the United Nations that hears disputes between states.
Established in 2002 pursuant to the multilateral Rome Statute, the ICC is considered by its proponents to be a major step toward justice,[3] and an innovation in international law and human rights.[4] However, it has faced a number of criticisms. Some governments have refused to recognise the court's assertion of jurisdiction, with other civil groups also accusing the court of bias, Eurocentrism and racism.[5] Others have also questioned the effectiveness of the court as a means of upholding international law."
Does not cover espionage.
It is amusing that you think that someone who "is signing his own death warrant" is also a "coward".Assange knew that if he exposed Russian and Chinese information he was signing his own death warrant. The man is also a coward. His claiming that his release to the U.S. would subject him to the death penalty was a red herring. He used that to get sympathy and keep his name in the spotlight.
I guess someone missed the point. Seems other countries are also so arrogant,You miss the point. The people listed are (I think) all US citizens. What I am saying is that US law does not impose any obligation upon foreigners, other those who are visiting the USA:
So cyber criminals sitting in Russia or China and who have extorted US businesses and citizens have not broken US law?You miss the point. The people listed are (I think) all US citizens. What I am saying is that US law does not impose any obligation upon foreigners, other those who are visiting the USA:
For sure and Assange consciously, willfully and malevolently worked to cost American lives that were operating in the defense of the United States, its people and The American Way of Life. Assange was hosted and supported by Putin in Russia. Donald Trump proclaimed during his campaign for Potus in 2016, "I love Wikileaks." So the USG by its rights, responsibilities and obligations to defend the American people shut him down. Now that the US has released the convicted felon to his native government of Australia, it is incumbent on Canberra to assure Assange never again strikes against America. I share the confidence the Australian government will fulfill its responsibility and obligations in this respect.Assage recklessly put lives in danger.
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