Am I misunderstanding this:
Interpol, at the request of a Swedish court looking into alleged sex crimes from earlier this year, has put WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on its most-wanted listed.
The Stockholm Criminal Court two weeks ago issued an international arrest warrant for Assange on probable cause, saying he is suspected of rape, sexual molestation and illegal use of force in August incidents.
Sweden asked Interpol, the international police organization, to post a “Red Notice” after a judge approved a motion to bring him into custody.
The “Red Notice” is not an international arrest warrant. It is an advisory and request, issued to 188 member countries “to assist the national police forces in identifying or locating those persons with a view to their arrest and extradition,” according to Interpol.
Seriously? We’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars here in the US, and who much the world is spending together to combat terrorism, and JULIAN ASSANGE is on Interpol’s Most Wanted List?
And before the trolls assert I am downplaying charges of rape and sexual crimes, I am not. He should be arrested and allowed to face his accusers and go through the judicial process. But the most wanted list? There aren’t any serial murderers, terrorists, drug smugglers, sex slave traffickers, gun runners, or other violent predators who belong on the most wanted list and deserve a little more attention? Christ, you want to catch Julian Assange, just stand near a live news camera for any of the major networks. He’ll show up eventually.
S. cerevisiae
But he has embarrassed some Very Serious People, so he must pay. I agree he should face his charges in court but yeah, the most wanted list seems a bit over the top.
Southern Beale
I thought this was old news. I remember hearing about this during the LAST WikiLeaks episode. Assange claims it’s a witch hunt.
I thought the rape charges were dropped … maybe I misunderstood …
Maude
It’s a if you see him, give us a call.
You know, like the knock and announce in Waco.
BGinCHI
I’d quote Foucault from Power/Knowledge, but this just seems like it’s straight out of a Robert Ludlum novel.
It also reads like a soft parody of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series (without the girl, as far as we know). But maybe Assange has some awesome ink we haven’t seen.
MattF
Y’know, I’m unhappy about this enormous leak of classified material… But when the armchair generals on Fox all call for execution and assassination (torture, I suppose, is taken for granted), I’m even more unhappy. Rational behavior just doesn’t seem to be an option.
Resident Firebagger
Greenwald had a good take on this today, noting the previous examples of Scott Ritter and Elliot Spitzer. People who expose the lies of Our Betters tend to commit sex crimes for some reason. Strange.
Judas Escargot
@Southern Beale:
I thought the rape charges were dropped … maybe I misunderstood …
No, you remember correctly: I read the same thing back in August.
But the case was re-opened in early September.
JC
Could be wrong, but seems more like a setup. Who knows though.
The fact that he’s ‘most wanted?’. Yeah, that is political.
Michael
Wingnuts are going apeshit. My wingnut mother was wishing for the guys assassination, and had the same attitude that I remember her having over Ellsberg.
Conservative white Christian men never make mistakes in their mythology, and pointing that they do fart is the biggest treason of all.
jacy
Have to admit, I heard it on the radio this morning and the first word that popped into my head was “overkill.”
I mean, if you wrote this up as a political intrigue novel an editor would send you back a nasty letter asking you to avoid every hackneyed cliche in the book.
Going on Interpol’s most wanted list shortly after it’s widely publicized that your next target is the financial industry? It’s like the world is turning into a grade-B Steven Seagal movie.
WyldPirate
But, but, he may have committed a crime with his pee-pee. And he embarrassed important people.
He must be made to pay because his alleged sin is much more heinous than crashing the entire economy or committing war crimes that we “must put behind us”.
The Moar You Know
@Southern Beale: You did not misunderstand. Julian Assange is not, at this moment, facing charges or wanted for any crimes whatsoever in Sweden.
Why Interpol is doing this…well, I’m sure you can figure out why.
fasteddie9318
@Resident Firebagger:
Obviously because such people are all deviated preverts trying to sap and impurify our precious bodily fluids.
WyldPirate
@jacy:
It’s not even that good. The “masters of the universe” aren’t going to waste the dinero to get those sort of production values.
Southern Beale
@Judas Escargot:
OH. Okay thanks. At least I’m not losing my memory!
BeccaM
Assange committed an unforgivable crime: He embarrassed and exposed powerful people.
Frankly I’m surprised the Powers That Be didn’t just jump to the archtypical strategy in fiction and media, and accuse him of possessing and distributing child porn.
Alex S.
Julian Assange is a modern version of Che Guevara. He has got to be discredited until the next leak occurs. And if they can’t catch him, they will take actions against the newspapers that publish the leaks. And “they” means governments under capitalism. I’ll be very surprised if the Guardian gets to publish the upcoming leaks. Der Spiegel might still do it though.
Socraticsilence
I think it has more to do with the whole European Cooperation thing- I think that by doing this Sweden is essentially allowing local law enforcement in any EU nation to pick up Mr. Assange whereas before they would have had no real authority to do so without a direct request. But I could be wrong.
Lupin
FWIW Counterpunch has a different take:
http://www.counterpunch.org/shamir09142010.html
Frank
I understand that he is not facing arrest. They just want to question him. So it is not an arrest warrant, which means it will be difficult to extradite him. That’s why they say they want help locating him. I do not think he is facing arrest on this. It’s just a smear campaign.
Poopyman
No one should be surprised by this, particularly after he let it be known that he – or rather Wikileaks – will be exposing the internal shenanigans of one of the largest US banks come 2011.
These are crimes that will not go unpunished.
The Dangerman
Meanwhile, we have our own terrorist organization (also known as the Republican Party) holding everything hostage until we pass the tax cut that we know blows up the budget, all while Bank of America feels like it’s about to go “pop goes the weasel” on the already sour economy.
Someone tell me how this ends well or I’m going to go stock up on firearms and ammunition.
The Republic of Stupidity
@BeccaM:
Relax…
If the current ‘charges’ don’t do the job…
That’ll be next…
Socraticsilence
@Michael:
The Ellsberg comparison just pisses me off- Ellsberg was essentially a patriot, who only leaked specific classified material when all of his other options to effect change were blocked (including the cancelling of congressional hearings) Manning and his proxy Assange essentially leaked everything he could get his hands on because he was a disgruntled employee. Its like comparing William Calley and Daniel Choi because they both disobeyed military orders.
Maude
@Socraticsilence:
You’re right.
spudvol
Wikileaks efforts could lead to the death of some innocent people on our side which in turn will negatively affect our ability to kill thousands of innocent people on the other side.
Southern Beale
@Resident Firebagger:
Ah yes, remember Al Gore’s massage therapist crying rape?
Of course, as David Vitter, John Ensign, Larry Craig, Mark Sanford and plenty of other GOPers prove, sex scandals are not just for those who expose the lies of Our Betters. However, there do appear to be consequences for those pointing out inconvenient truths that are not visited upon Establishment Types for the most part.
donr
Interpol released over 5000 red notices in 2009. I’m not sure that makes for a very selective “most-wanted” list. Mostly just a standard-issue interpol red notice, which some countries respect and which some countries (like the US) do not.
Villago Delenda Est
Assange is threatening the Inner Party.
He, like all Goldsteinian scum, must be hunted down and destroyed.
Villago Delenda Est
@spudvol:
I do believe you’ve captured the seriousness of the situation quite nicely here.
Citizen Alan
@Resident Firebagger:
Sex sells newspapers. If Elliot Spitzer had been charged with tax evasion or drunk driving, it would have been a three day story at most. Since he was charged with something related to sex, his name will be a punchline for the rest of his life.
Michael
@Socraticsilence:
Don’t lump Assange and Manning together.
Allowing a 19 year old PFC access to that much lowly sensitive diplomatic material exposes a colossal security mistake. Assange doesn’t owe western governments anything from any notion of racial or cultural solidarity (is he somehow a “race traitor”), and is simply a left libertarian open government advocate who exposes info. Once provided, why shouldn’t he publish it?
Crust
I think it’s pretty clear that the “most-wanted” bit is CNN’s invention. Red notices are analogous to arrest warrants not most-wanted posters.
sukabi
it’s pretty telling that the only thing he’s been accused of is a “sex crime” which may or may not have happened… there are serial rapists, murders, thieves, arms dealers, drug smugglers, sex slave traders and the like that don’t rate that kind of attention…. not to mention that Assange hasn’t even been accused, let alone charged with ANYTHING related to the release of the documents… under the new international “terrorism” laws, if he’d done ANYTHING remotely illegal, he’d have been charged with cyber terrorism, copyright infringement or some other all encompassing “terror related” crime, but he hasn’t been… because all the information that’s been released in the documents has been floating in public for quite some time… you also have to wonder about the truly illegal cyber crime (denial of service attacks are crimes) that’s being waged AGAINST Wikileaks… who or who’s government(s) is behind THAT??
matoko_chan
but what good will capturing Assange do?
he has made it clear that he is just the lightening rod for WL.
so what if they take him down?
if they cant whack him because of whatev is in the Insurance file, could he just make some hand signal in custody and have the file contents dissimated on youtube?
is this…..just an attempt to show we arent powerless?
we are powerless.
the game so far.
WL- 4 (collateral murder, A-stan, Iraq, diplo cables)
US- 0
the us gov knew Assange had the diplo cables in july.
but they are powerless to stop the releases.
i guess it is just throwing radar chaff as a distraction.
so people wont see stuff like this in the diplo cables.
WARNING: eemom and sooner and burn dont want you to read this.
because Assange is a Very Bad Man and there is nothing in the diplo cables.
MikeF
Yes. Anyone who is wanted by Interpol gets a red notice; it’s nothing special and certainly not a “most wanted” designation.
Corner Stone
@jacy:
Ah, if only we had his steely eyed grim visage and whisper soft voice to guide us knowledgeably through this dark times.
There’s no doubt he’d know how to deal with gridlock on anything related to “cuts” or “cutting” things.
Southern Beale
I liked Gin And Tacos’ take on the WikiLeaks thing:
It’s a brave new world. Of course Interpol is going after Assange. One of the docs in the latest dump shows the Bush Administration pressuring the German government to NOT take action against those involved in extraordinary rendition and torture. So yeah, everyones’ hands are dirty. And when he starts going after the bankers — the next promised doc-dump — all hell will break loose.
I’m sure Glenn Beck will use his magic blackboard to link Assange to a demonic cult engraving “666” symbols on aborted fetuses. In 5… 4… 3… 2 ….
ChrisZ
I agree that it looks like CNN just decided to conflate the “Red Notice” with a “Most Wanted List.” Confusing reporting, but nothing more than issuing something that’s a bit less than an arrest warrant.
giltay
@Socraticsilence: Here’s what Ellsberg actually had to say about Wikileaks (a month ago, regarding the Iraq war logs): Like my Pentagon papers, these Iraq war logs can’t be buried.
tamied
@Frank: If I were he, I wouldn’t want to be held for questioning. People have a tendancy to commit suicide in their jail cells.
matoko_chan
@Socraticsilence: ellsberg made the comparison himself cudlip.
just chew your cud and lap up whatev the warpimps wanna feed you.
saying stuff like this makes you look very, very stupid.
learn something, moron.
do you wanna know why i call so many of u cudlips?
because you are.
you lick the jackboot on your throat, retards.
Brachiator
Here’s a fun tidbit about Wikileaks:
Ireland. Go figure.
BGinCHI
Can’t wait till WL dumps on BofA.
Watch the pivot by the media after that happens.
Poutrage!
p.a.
“Most Wanted’, eh? yes, ‘someone’ has hit a nerve. i could never hope to say this as well as Greenwald, although i will use far fewer words, but the sight of people who supported/caused an unnecessary war that killed tens of thousands (at least) of innocents and instituted a world wide American torture regime complaining about how this will hurt America diplomatically makes me want to puke.
Jamie
was it the government folk he has embarrassed, or the banker’s he’s threatening to embarrass that pushed this through?
JAHILL10
Supposedly the new document dump dealing with a major U.S. bank concerns Bank of America and anyone who has been paying attention to business news, or reading bobswern’s diaries over at GOS, will probably already know most everything that is going to be in this much anticipated dump. BoA is going down swiftly and spectacularly because it didn’t actually hold the Countrywide mortgages it was securitizing. So again we are going to be treated to a big time build up and then a “oh, yeah, we knew that already.”
You know, I’d have an easier time accepting Mr. Assange as a free speech folk hero being crushed by the oppressive, secretive powers that be if he ever actually released any information that people who have been paying attention didn’t already know.
Those wingnuts calling for his head on a pike are whacked, but let’s not make him out for more than he is or has been so far.
Zifnab
He did an interview with Forbes. How soon before we get to arrest the editor as an accomplice?
Zifnab
@JAHILL10:
Ah, but you see when Julian Assange releases it from his secret underground James Bond Villain fortress in Sweden, it actually makes the front page of the NYT.
If all he’s doing is making shit we should already know more widely known, then god bless him.
The Republic of Stupidity
And the DC Mamdam, rumored to have had Dick Cheney as a client, ‘committed suicide’… does anyone even remember this mess?
soonergrunt
“Am I misunderstanding this?”
Yes. Interpol doesn’t have arrest powers. It’s a data-sharing and communications service. If Interpol didn’t exist, Sweden would’ve sent the warrant to a bunch of countries in Europe. Interpol doesn’t have a most wanted list, either.
www (dot) interpol.int/Public/Wanted/Default.asp
“Seriously? We’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars here in the US, and who much the world is spending together to combat terrorism, and JULIAN ASSANGE is on Interpol’s Most Wanted List?”
Most governments and organizations are capable of doing more than one thing at a time. The fucking email CC function. How does it work?
“And before the trolls assert I am downplaying charges of rape and sexual crimes, I am not. He should be arrested and allowed to face his accusers and go through the judicial process. ”
Which you then follow up by downplaying charges of rape and sexual crimes, and imply that no effort should be expended to ensure that he is arrested and allowed to face his accusers and go through the judicial process:
“There aren’t any serial murderers, terrorists, drug smugglers, sex slave traffickers, gun runners, or other violent predators who belong on the most wanted list and deserve a little more attention?”
You do understand that the guy is in hiding, right? I mean, with all your postings on this guy and these events in the last few days, you must have been reading some stuff. Did you miss all of the several articles wherein it is stated that he’s in hiding? Here, let me google that for you.
BobS
@Socraticsilence: Daniel Ellsberg has been quite vocal in his support of Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, and Wikileaks. However, if I run into him, I’ll point out your distinction.
JAHILL10
@Zifnab: That’s the best argument I’ve heard so far: forcing news organizations to actually deal in news. The only problem is that the dumps are so huge and disorganized that it gives NYT too much leeway in what they can choose to report on and again reinforce the narratives in their already prejudiced coverage.
Tractarian
You’re right, John, you’d think an Interpol Most Wanted List would contain just the worst of the worst, the Bin Ladens of the world.
But what if this list (dubbed “most-wanted listed [sic]” by CNN) is really, really long?
Lucky for us, we can do a search on Interpol’s site to find out how many outstanding Red Notices have been issued.
The answer:
7586
Is it that hard to believe that a suspected rapist is one of the seven thousand most wanted people in the world? (Not counting, of course, the many non-cosmopolitan criminals that governments need no Interpol help in tracking down.)
John Bird
The motives and timing behind this are so suspect that I question the commitment to liberty and free speech of anyone who claims to take this at face value.
It’s rare that I’d “side” with a defense attorney who is, after all, just doing his job, but the facts about this Interpol business are so heavily on Assange’s side that all Stephens has had to do is point them out.
Joseph Nobles
Sidebar on Wikileaks: I 100% forgot that Wikileaks published Sarah Palin’s hacked emails back in 2008. Did she ever sue and get those taken down? I’m almost in awe of the brass balls it takes to slam Obama over Wikileaks when her own state business emails are on their servers because some idiot kid knew how to Google.
soonergrunt
The time to gin up a false accusation against Assange or kill him, if that was ever going to happen, is long, long, long past. The proper time to do that would’ve been in 2006/2007 when he leaked a couple of operating manuals for the Abu Ghraib facility, and very few people were paying attention, and most people hadn’t heard of him.
Because doing so now would just be so fucking effective at shutting him down, wouldn’t it?
Fucking morons.
patrick II
Nice thought. However, once arrested, Mr. Assange will be unlikely to step free ever again. The alleged sexual crimes are being used to capture him. There will be more once they have him.
soonergrunt
@Tractarian: Of course, when you consider that Interpol doesn’t HAVE a most wanted list, just a list of all the current red notices, called simply “the wanted list” and found, conveniently enough, at http://www.interpol.int/Public/Wanted/Default.asp one can see how somebody with an arrest warrant would be on that list. Cause, you know, that’s one of Interpol’s core functions.
matoko_chan
@JAHILL10: did you read my post above?
i dont think you knew this.
that is the sooner/eemom line the warpimps want you to swallow. nothing to see here.
the critical mass of data is what you need to see.
we have spent nearly a decade killing muslims to save them in expensive, meaningless, unwinnable wars.
wake up.
switch on and see the world as it is.
matoko_chan
@soonergrunt: wow you are right for once.
the interpol thing is radar chaff so people wont see what is in the diplo cables.
the “unipolar power” cant stop wikileaks.
they have tried everything they could on Oct 24 and again this last week.
wikileaks is unstoppable once they have the data.
we need to stop it at the source– Drum.
ruemara
They should step up that dump. Leave BofA a big nice christmas present of disclosure.
cyntax
Digby linked to an interesting article on Assange and Wikileaks yesterday. Essentially the article took Assange’s mission statement and did an exegesis of it. The broad-band nature of the dumps is a feature not a bug, since Assange believes that making as much secretive information available will interfere with the communication and decision making processes of the people using the secretive information.
Obviously one can argue the merits of that approach, but Assange’s GIGO approach to increasing the noise to signal ratio of the communications of the people in charge is more coherent than many of the speculative motivations I’ve seen attributed to him.
Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac
Assange: /cast DiploCable
Crit! (x2)
Rep. King: /cast espionagecharge
Invalid target
Rep. King: /cast terrorismcharge
Invalid target
Sec. Clinton: /cast publichumliation
Assange reflected the spell!
Assange: /cast BankSecrets
(Countdown timer started – 1 month)
Interpol: /cast RedWarning
Polanski is immune.
Assange is dazed.
John Q. Public is confused!
P.S. Manning didn’t leak the diplomatic cables. There is an investigation into who did, and I think I heard yesterday they think they’ve found someone.
John W.
Ironically … and sadly … this proves that American diplomacy is far from dead.
On the bright side, this means one day Assange will be able to release a cable about himself. So he’s got that going for him, which is nice.
Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac
@Joseph Nobles: Wikileaks has been remarkably good about publishing a lot of information they get their hands on, and have been doing it for years now. This US counteroffensive has just gotten to a fever pitch thanks to the last couple large leaks.
Once, they accidentally sent out an email with all of their secret donor’s email addresses, and then went on to put that list on wikileaks.
matoko_chan
@Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac: wow, they said in july that Manning leaked them.
linkage?
after collateral murder was released, Assange said that had opened up new leak sources.
matoko_chan
attn: juicers.
it does ABSOLUTELY no good to hate on Assange.
once Wikileaks has the data it is unstoppable, the data will be released.
the US has tried everything it could the last two releases to stop the data dump and FAILED.
you are wasting your spacetime and dark energy.
the data flow must be stopped at the source, and that means preventing dumbass shit like collateral murder from happening.
CAN WE GO HOME NAOW?
bjacques
Not too much mystery or conspiracy here. The rape charges started out as an inquiry that one or both of the accusers filed with the police, who are obligated to report the inquiry as a charge. A junior prosecutor hastily put out an arrest warrant that was withdrawn the next day by the attorney general. Meanwhile, speculation flew as the Swedish prosecution service tried to work out whether there were grounds for rape charges or not.
The story I heard is that at least one of the charges resulted from sex that was consensual until Julian took off his condom (or it fell off), at which point it ceased to be consensual. If that or something similar appears to be true, then I can see why the Swedish prosecution would have reinstated charges but only after taking time to get its ducks in a row.
This doesn’t mean that the investigation had been dropped Throughout this time, they certainly would have appreciated Julian stopping by to answer questions. He didn’t. When they formally pressed charges, he stayed away. Finally the Swedish government logged the arrest warrant with Interpol. That’s basically it.
A lot has been said about one of the accusers. What matters is whether her charge holds up in court.
I think he should face the charges, making sure to be well-guarded. I’m not aware that Sweden has any extradition agreements with the US, but if it’s not too late, Assange could ask for a promise that Sweden will not hand him over, win or lose, to the US. Certainly if the UK cops find him they’ll happily hand him over; special relationship, old boy.
By showing up in court, Assange shows he has a sense of justice similar to that he’s imposing on some governments. If he is acquitted, then he’s cleared his name in a court that doesn’t screw around. If not, well, Wikileaks has a chance prove it’s not a single-point failure. And apparently there’s a dead-man switch arrangement for further, unredacted releases should misfortune befall our hero.
If he pisses off the Russians, I can’t say whether he’s safer in a Swedish jail than hiding out in suburban London, especially if they follow him like the dead guy’s friends in Shallow Grave and then go all Keyser Söze on him.
Peter J
Problem is that not every suspected rapist is on that list. Nor is every suspect for a major crime who has fled Sweden.
The reason Assange is on the list isn’t because of him being accused of rape, it’s because of the other things he has done, pissing off some major governments…
Consider the facts.
The sexual molestation charge is about him ripping the condom. The rape charge isn’t about a full blown assault and rape (not to diminish what happened). He contacted the prosecution so that they could question him, they weren’t interested. He didn’t leave the country until the prosecution told him it was ok for him to do so.
I wonder how many cases there are every year in Sweden where there’s a rape and the perpetrator flees the country. Without any red notices getting posted.
This is political.
burnspbesq
@matoko_chan:
This is me laughing at you.
Think of this red thing from Interpol as the international criminal law equivalent of a Wells notice. It’s his last chance to come in voluntarily, tell his side of the story, and maybe avoid prosecution. If he doesn’t come in, he’s certain to be charged. Once that happens, he can’t show his face anywhere in the EU or in any other country that has an extradition treaty with Sweden.
Calouste
@JAHILL10:
A lot of people weren’t paying attention. They are now.
matoko_chan
@burnspbesq: so fucking what?
even if you put Assange in prison the djinni has left the bottle.
once the data is out of the tank, it is out loose on the interwebs…
Assange has clone sites, he has distributed his responibilities. wikileaks goes on as usual.
dont you see what a moron you are?
its over.
the US just looks like keystone cops trying to take him down.
why don’t u write another Sternly Worded Letter to someone that gives a shit?
i have never pied any one here….but your comments are anti-factual and perfectly data-free….
you might be the first.
if i want random crazypants i can read at HotAir or SarahPac.
Southern Beale
This is funny/sad. Conservative Michael Dougherty suddenly discovers that there IS no Santa Claus and that the U.S. actually “worked with Mideast autocracies despite lofty rhetoric about freedom.”
Oh nooooooes!
burnspbesq
@bjacques:
“I’m not aware that Sweden has any extradition agreements with the US”
There is an extradition treaty in force. If Assange is getting good legal advice, and if he is not actually guilty, his ass will be in Sweden ten minutes from now. He does not want to be in Swedish custody when he gets indicted by a federal grand jury, because Sweden will absolutely hand him over.
burnspbesq
@matoko_chan:
“i have never pied any one here”
Pretty please! Nothing could make me happier, you worthless piece of shit.
marie
Understand that Assange has not been formally charged with a crime; he is sought for questioning by a Swedish prosecutor. Clearly, this is a political witch hunt. How often does someone appear on Interpol’s “Most Wanted” list in the absence of an arrest warrant or formal criminal charges? Never. Moreover, Assange’s attorney issued a statement today asserting that Swedish authorities have not responded to his client’s numerous offers to cooperate, nor have they issued a subpoena — something unheard of in a modern European judicial system.
It is likely that the U.S. is employing the same bullying tactics used with the Spanish judiciary a few years ago (as revealed in the latest Wikileaks disclosures) to coerce Swedish prosecutors into conducting a smear campaign against an embarrassing whistle-blower.
Omnes Omnibus
@burnspbesq: Unless you are fighting with her for the entertainment value of troll-taunting, I would advise treating her to your scroll wheel. YMMV
matoko_chan
@burnspbesq: hahaha
but im trolling you, just like Assange is trolling the feds.
your reaction is delicious.
im right! im rightimrightimright!
admit i r moar desu.
lllphd
it’s simply not the case that we are discovering “nothing new” in these cables.
just one specific example: tho we all knew that el-masri was kidnapped and beaten, drugged, and tortured while an innocent german, and many of those other details from the suits filed against rummy et al., what we did not know prior to this dump is that the US pressured the german government to not go after the guilty agents. similarly, the US pressured Spain to back down on their investigation of the young cameraman courso gunned down at the palestine hotel during our attack on baghdad. evidently the US went so far as to accept and reject the judges who would hear the case. beyond compiling coverup on top of hideous crimes, these situations also make the US guilty of interfering with the judicial processes of at least these two sovereign governments. big bad international no-no.
i for one find those somewhat related facts worth the price of all the other cables put together, but there’s more, and they’ll keep comin.
i was also mighty impressed with the heroic attempts on the part of anne patterson to beat some sense into the heads of the bush administration. were any of you out there aware of this?
and whoever here said the sheer volume of material serves to throw all those puppetmasters off their game, absolutely; whatever shakes up the status quo that perpetuates so much insanity.
more generally, despite jon stewart’s beseeching assange to stop being so dramatic, i can see why he is playing these release events in just this dramatic way, of course to get attention. not only will these cables be exposed raw, but the hyperbolic reactions from the far right authoritarians – replete with pearl clutching and smelling salts sniffing – will also be out there for everyone to see.
on that note, i’m disappointed to see the administration’s official position to be right up that over-reaction alley. were obama playing his cards right, he’d state simply that these releases are unfortunate and expose a lot of the sausage making mess that is diplomacy, but perhaps at least two good things can come of it. one, we need to be more careful about how these communications are handled, and two, we need to be more up front with our neighbors and our citizens. much of what is exposed here did not occur under his administration (which could help us pinpoint on a timetable when the info gatherings occurred), so he could easily assert that he suspected the sausages were pretty nasty, but now that he knows how bad it is, he can be the hero and call for corrections.
but then, of course, that entails another lawnmower sale, does it not?
as for the comments about ellsberg and any comparisons with assange, anyone confused on those distinctions between classified and top secret (assange and ellsberg’s docs, respectively) would be well-advised to check out the round table on DN! monday:
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/29/us_facing_global_diplomatic_crisis_following
that link also has a quote from manning that is pretty damn edifying, in my professional mental health mind. it’s pretty grandiose, smacking of 22 yo wimpass shots at heroics. there is nothing measured or careful or considered about his perspective; he just wanted to diss everybody, consequences be damned. mind you, have not reviewed anything else he’s had to say, but that single tidbit was pretty revealing.
any clues out there on where these docs will go from amazon?
J sub D
Is Roman Polanski on the Interpol list? Assuming the answer is no, this becomes politically orchestrated bullshit.
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As an AG, Eliot Spitzer got in front of TV cameras and bragged about busting prostitution rings.
Fuck him and his political career.
burnspbesq
@Omnes Omnibus:
Point taken. I shouldn’t be doing this for fun. I’ll stop now.
burnspbesq
@J sub D:
“Assuming the answer is no”
Why assume? The list of outstanding red notices is online. Go look. Or are you afraid that the actual facts would blow a hole in your argument?
soonergrunt
@J sub D:
Here, let me help you with that.
This is Roman Polanski’s outstanding Red Notice.
It was rather easy to find. I went to the Interpol site (which I linked in an earlier comment) and clicked the button that was really well hidden behind the word ‘SEARCH’ and typed in the word string {POLANSKI} into the LAST NAME field.
It was really hard. But then a page came up with a picture and a name: POLANSKI, Roman Raymond that was a hyperlink. Having done the internet thing before I clicked on the hyperlink and was taken to the page I linked at the word ‘This’.
It took longer to describe what I did than it took to do it.
A google search for the string {interpol Polanski} delivers as the first link, the page from the Interpol site with the heading “INTERPOL Red Notice for Roman Polanski remains valid”.
J sub D
Yeah, sometimes I’m TLTG. Sue me.
So maybe fleeing questioning about rape accusations in Sweden is not politically orchestrated bullshit. Maybe there is enough credibility to the accusations that Swedish authorities are legitimately asking for his presence.
And, given Polanski’s continued freedom,
maybebeing on Interpol’s list is ignored by many European nations if you know the right folks.Peter J
He didn’t flee. He was present. They weren’t interested in questioning him. They said he was free to leave. He left.
He did cooperate, but considering what has happened since, how the Swedish authorities have acted, I would stay away too.
soonergrunt
@J sub D: Your lack of self respect is no reason for me to sue you. If I’m going to put something out there, I at least try to spend a minute or two making sure I don’t come off as a fool. YMMV though.
soonergrunt
@Peter J: Yeah, those damn Swedes. There’s something dastardly about a prosecutor following the evidence and making decisions based upon the results of an investigation. Who the fuck do they think they are, trying to enforce their laws?
This is one of the three dumbest things I read all day. Conveniently they’re all in the same thread.
WyldPirate
888
DPirate
This isn’t what you think it is. “most wanted list” is hyperbole from the hack writer.
EDIT: I was going to say it’s like saying everyone issued a bench warrant is on our “most wanted list”, but the article even states it isn’t even an arrest warrant.
Peter J
@soonergrunt:
Perhaps you should read a bit more about it. Then, maybe, you would change your mind.