Julian Assange seeks consular assistance while he weighs up suing Julia Gillard

[maddezmom]

Source: Herald Sun

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Mr Assange's lawyers last night revealed they were considering defamation action against Julia Gillard after she accused the embattled Australian of "illegal" conduct over his mass leak of secret US documents.

Mr Assange's British solicitor, Mark Stephens, told The Australian his client would today seek formal consular assistance from Australian authorities in Britain and Sweden.

¬snip¬

Mr Stephens criticised the Prime Minister, who last week accused Mr Assange of acting illegally, without specifying precisely what he had done.

Those comments, made outside parliament and hence not subject to parliamentary privilege, were now being examined by Mr Assange's legal team, Mr Stephens said.

The comments came as WikiLeaks yesterday released a list of critical assets around the world that if attacked would directly hurt US interests.



Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/julian-assange-seeks-consular-assistance-while-he-weighs-up-suing-julia-gillard/story-e6frf7l6-1225966708311

[rbixby]

1. It seems to me like the only country he may have committed a crime in

is the United States, since that's where the information leaked from. It seems to me that as long as he doesn't set foot in the states, he'll be okay as far as crime goes. Whether he might mysteriously disappear though, that's another thing altogether.

[Bragi]

2. Or be extradited to the lawless U.S

If Assange went to Sweden to clear things up, he could end up extradited, and before he even knew it, packed onto a CIA plane and sent to the U.S, where everyone (at least everyone outside the U.S police state) knows that there is no longer much by legal protections for people who are charged under the Patriot Act.

Hopefully, he will stay in countries that still have something resembling civil rights, and which aren't totally under the U.S thumb, so the U.K isn't a totally bad choice.

[Mimosa]

13. In custody things could be done to him. Bad things.

In custody things could be done to him. Bad things.

Imprisoned people (the types governments have deemed threatening to national security) have been injected with drugs, diseases. Waterboarded, deprived of sleep. The Patriot Act is still in effect, right?

It's not safe to be in the custody of people who want to shut you up.

[NeoConsSuck]

18. That could backfire

There could be payback, directed at any of the US or Swiss embassies throughout the world.

[nxylas]

3. Can you say "extraordinary rendition"?

If I was Charles Krauthammer, I'd have to type those words one-handed.

I hope Mr. Assange manages to disappear before he is disappeared.

[earcandle]

4. What crime did he commit here?

[Bragi]

5. None, but's what's it matter?

That's why they have the "Patriot Act." They can arrest anyone for being a terrist with zero evidence needed, and there's not much anyone can do about it.

[Ruperto31]

14. The crime? Conspiring to run top secret docs through US servers.

That's something they could get him on. And yes, this would qualify as providing "material support" to the enemy under the Patriot Act. The latest dump of vulnerable US terrorism targets would be an especially good one to get him on.

US Atty General Eric Holder has a hard-on for this guy. Julian needs to stay out of the hands of US, UK and Swedish authorities.

[sudopod]

17. Passing gas is providing material support to the enemy under the Patriot Act. nt

[ixion]

6. so it's a crime to expose government crime?

interesting times, indeed.

[JackInGreen]

7. Why of course it is

didn't you know? It's no longer indecent exposure when the emperor is without clothes, it's illegal to POINT IT OUT.

[snagglepuss]

15. BINGO. nt

[Bodhi BloodWave]

8. a lot of the diplomatic cables didn't expose government crime, they only revealed classified info nt

[rbixby]

9. Exactly!

That's kind of why I have a problem with it. The overwhelming majority of these things are just the type of things diplomats send back and forth amongst themselves. If the cables contained evidence of corruption or crime, I can see how letting them see the light of day is a good thing, but most of these are the kind of things that would only serve to damage diplomacy.
I think his ideals are good, I just think he needs to use a better filter on what gets released and what doesn't.

[ProudDad]

11. And you're missing the essential point

WikiLeaks turns the 'conspiracy' against itself

The individual leaks are not as important as the response to the volume of material

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/WikiLeaks+turns+conspiracy+against+itself/3928284/story.html

[Bodhi BloodWave]

20. And was that news article supposed to strengthen ones view of Assange or hurt?

Because to me that article made him seem a bigger loony then before.

Ofcourse, since he has now threatened to release the unredacted US files he has in the insurance file if he is ever arrested et al, he already lost the little respect i had for him from the good his releases in the past have done.

[ProudDad]

12. And you're missing the essential point

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4644434#4645037

[ProudDad]

10. What Wikileaks has accomplished

is NOT a crime in USAmerica either...

Or have you not heard of the Daniel Ellsberg/New York Times case?

[Bodhi BloodWave]

19. You might want to look a bit closer on the ruling methinks

[sudopod]

16. "I will sue you in England!"

Heh. Glad to see that works for the good guys too.