Julian Assange has been ordered to return to Sweden by a British court to face rape charges.
Judge Howard Riddle, the bane of Julian Assange’s existence for the past three months, has granted Sweden’s extradition request. The WikiLeaks founder has already repealed the ruling, but his worst fears have been cemented: the rape charges are going to follow him for the rest of his life, perhaps even after years of repeals.
Assange fears the extradition. He predicts there will be a rendition effort by the United States that will take him to Cuba or Gitmo where he’ll be tortured or executed. Assange has been criticized for this extreme belief—it supports his penchant for self-aggrandizement— but a) prominent American figures have called for his execution and b) he knows as much about the dark arts of the United States as those who practice them. That’s why he is the founder of WikiLeaks.
The rape charges fit conspicuously into the Assange timeline. Assange was thrust onto the world stage in July after the White House condemned WikiLeaks for releasing over 90,000 pages of classified material on the disastrous war in Afghanistan. A CIA Task Force was set up to contain WikiLeaks. Eric Holder sought to bring him to justice even though he hadn’t broken any laws. By November 18, Assange was officially a wanted man in Sweden after having consensual-turned-non-consensual sex—a real mind-bender—with two women.
Judge Howard Riddle’s ruling is shameful. He is implicit in the first great character assassination of the 21st century and has already resigned himself to the fact his ruling will be challenged in perpetuity. Worse, he has attempted to fog the looking glass for a new generation of hyper-connected, clear-thinking young adults. This tactic will not work, so long as we don’t tire of Julian Assange, who is ripe to become a Guevara figure if killed or arrested.
Julian Assange should be freed and allowed to continue with his work as a major source for the free press that supports and defends democracy. Via the Tea Party, our founding fathers are constantly referenced in mass media. Their beliefs are divergent, but they did share one: without an informed public, there is nothing. Why kill the messenger?
February 24, 2011 at 5:21 pm, Four said:
Do you hate the USA?
February 24, 2011 at 5:44 pm, Anonymous said:
By the contrary, I want to read the cables.
February 24, 2011 at 5:45 pm, Anonymous said:
Are you a fascist?
February 28, 2011 at 10:34 am, Steven Augustine said:
Do you “hate” a great white shark in a wading pool?
February 28, 2011 at 5:22 pm, The Obvious said:
Lots of people hate the USA and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.
February 25, 2011 at 12:11 am, Allan said:
The whole episode is tainted by media coverage with details of the womens names and private information which is to be condemned .Any future trial is compromised beyond imagination and such abuse of basic human rights for all participants is corruption by so called legal process .
February 25, 2011 at 7:57 pm, American Patriot said:
This case is not merely about Julian Assange’s freedom of speech. Julian Assange and Wiki Leaks broke USA law on USA soil when Wiki Leaks paid a traitor to upload classified information to Wiki Leaks. Assange is in trouble for espionage, just like any other spy who commits the same crime. The press does not have unlimited authority to hack into private databases and display the contents to whomever they like. Imagine if one’s private medical history were hacked and placed on line for all the world to see. Imagine if someone placed a video camera in people’s bedrooms, recorded their marital relations, and posted the videos on YouTube. Assange violated other people’s rights by recording their private conversations without their knowledge or permission. Sometimes politicians have to have privacy in order to do their jobs properly. Assange jeopardized many human lives as well as breaking anti-espionage law. Freedom of speech does not give one the right to shout “fire” in a crowded theater or incite deadly riots. Free press does not give anyone the right to hack databases without permission and publish the contents.
February 26, 2011 at 12:17 am, The Obvious said:
Julian Assange isn’t bound by American law.
March 13, 2011 at 4:46 pm, Anonymous said:
To The Obvious: True but Obama DOJ and Hillary and others want him dead – Wikileaks Task Force outside wash dc is trying very hard to make “Espionage Act” fit…… can’t legally but they will do it anyway. It’s the LIES OF WAR they don’t want told. Assange offered USG to redact any names out of cables and they REFUSED AND REFUSED TO LOOK AT THEM. Just like LBJ didn’t want Pentagon Papers told – which proved that Vietnam was based on LIE of attacked ship they called Battle of Tonkin – all LIES. [LBJ didn't run for 2nd term after that] – 50K American soldiers killed and >one million of Vietnam men women children. Now they don’t want Iraq lies of war told – Over 5K American died and over 1 1/2 million Iraq men women children dead and country demolished in 90 days – over OIL and USA LIES OF WAR.
If USG can assassinate JFK in broad daylight with The Magic Bullet they can kill anyone. Now USG is very fearful of the disclosure of Swiss Bank 2000 accounts.
Hillary got DOJ to arrange law firm to discredit Assange legally or illegally.
February 27, 2011 at 1:47 am, Non Imus said:
Oh dear, you do make a lot of false assumptions. Whoever uploaded these secrets into the Wikileaks servers did so anonymously, for no money. It may have been Manning, as he had access to the data, but so did thousands of others (it just wasn’t very secure). Nobody “hacked” anything. The leaked information (of which we’ve only seen a tiny fraction so far) has been carefully vetted before release. Even the Pentagon has admitted that the published documents have put no one in danger. Assange has only done what Sheehan, Bernstein and Woodward did in the past: Upset the US Establishment.
March 01, 2011 at 10:13 pm, Larissa said:
your name says it all…. American Patriot.
So typical, so naive, so ignorant, so blind.
March 13, 2011 at 4:05 pm, Anonymous said:
Larissa – Don’t get down on American Patriot – he only knows what Obama TV MEDIA tells the American public. No one in US Media can hear anything good about Assange, b/c USG wants him dead.
ONE example: YPO [young professional organization, international] had Global CEO Professional Conference in Denver. Bush was invited & accepted and Assange was invited and accepted. Bush got angry about Assange invite but YPO would not tell Assange to not appear. USG gave penalties to YPO.
YPO said: “Assange appeared by video on Friday at the YPO conference, but the news media were not allowed to view his appearance.” [think this was originally in Denver Post but lots of papers after] That was Bush who refused to attend when he heard that Assange was attending. So the YPO punishment was “news media were not allowed to view his appearance”. AND you cannot find it anywhere on net.
So Larissa – American Patriot just doesn’t know any better – does NO RESEARCH.
No doubt Assange speech was good – i tried all over to view it – didn’t exist on internet……… not found……. USG does a good job – no doubt USG thought it was good enough to not allow on net.
February 25, 2011 at 8:27 pm, Adam White said:
Unless, of course, he raped (or “sexually molested”) two women and should be brought to justice. I personally doubt that is the case, but I have to acknowledge that having a strong opinion one way or the other about what the “truth” actually is might be a bit dishonest of me. And of everyone else. We really don’t know what happened. Or is happening.
February 25, 2011 at 9:29 pm, Adam White said:
Oh, and he wasn’t ordered to return to Sweden by a British court. It was an English court.
March 02, 2011 at 12:56 am, 123 said:
Please research your claims.
March 01, 2011 at 9:02 pm, Wordb said:
Long live Assange. The sad thing is the masses falling under the ever continuing spell of politicians’ taglines usually involving something about protecting freedom and security. My question is to why the masses seem to always stand up for the corrupt leaders that keep them in the ditches. It is a false assumption that one must give up their freedom in order to maintain national security. And no I am in no way anti-American. I am anti-corruption, anti-power mongering, and anti-lynch mob mentallity.
March 09, 2011 at 3:34 pm, Anonymous said:
“One must give up their freedom in order to maintain national security.” Has nothing to do with whether or not Assange should be extradited to Sweden.
March 09, 2011 at 3:41 pm, Wordb said:
Ya, thanks for that. Did I say it did? Everyone knows the “rape” charges are bogus so there’s no reason for me to comment on that.
March 09, 2011 at 4:00 pm, Anonymous said:
Only those who believe every word that Assange utters thinks that the changes are bogus. Other believe that only in a court of law can that be determined.
March 09, 2011 at 4:23 pm, Wordb said:
That’s not true. I don’t believe every word he says but I do think he is innocent.
March 11, 2011 at 11:14 pm, Anonymous said:
Let me correct something. There are many who can’t believe that Assange could have committed a crime because of the work he does. It is a person’s every right to believe that Assange is innocent. However, that doesn’t make the rape charges “bogus.” No one was in the room when Assange committed the alleged acts. The issue is whether or not the act was consensual.
“I don’t believe every word he says but I do think he is innocent. ” deserves two thumbs up.
March 13, 2011 at 4:25 pm, Anonymous said:
Yeah Wordb – why did the Senate of USA protect and let Clinton off hook?
He raped molested so many women. “Bill Clinton, President of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice on December 19, 1998, but acquitted by the Senate on February 12, 1999.” Big deal he lost his license to practice law in Arkansas for 5 years. Assange charges are bogus [even one of 2 women said so and the other has quite a history] AND the first prosecutor said there is not evidence of rape THEN USG [united states government] got a Sweden politician to get another prosecutor to call it rape. Sweden has treaty w/USG re Extradition – USG does NOT have to give a REASON, just has to REQUEST it. THAT is way Sweden wants Assange on Sweden soil for questioning – Sweden could have gone to UK for its “questioning”.
March 02, 2011 at 12:54 am, 123 said:
Gitmo is in Cuba
March 07, 2011 at 6:21 am, Anonymous said:
OUR PERVERSE CORRUPT GOVT BE DAMMED!! JULIAN WE HAIL!!
March 09, 2011 at 3:46 pm, Anonymous said:
Assange can’t repeal the charges. However, he decided to appeal it.
Assange had decided on his own to have sex with two women in Sweden while he was releasing the leaked documents. That is the irony of any real coincidence. Instead to further damaging his own character Assange should be in Sweden viciously defending himself against the changes.
March 09, 2011 at 4:24 pm, Wordb said:
I know, geeze, everyone knows that you can’t have sex when you’re leaking documents. That’s Leaking Documents 101
March 09, 2011 at 9:48 pm, Steven Augustine said:
Well, it was kind of bizarrely stupid to fcuk two women he didn’t know… immediately after being warned to expect “dirty tricks” from the Pentagram (erm, “gon”). He could have fcuked fellow asset Natalie Portman instead. WWHT?
March 13, 2011 at 9:46 am, Anonymous said:
The nature of my original comment is that there is no relationship between the obtaining of leaded documents by Wikileaks and the charges against Assange. It is just isn’t fair for all those involved extradition and other legal proceedings related to the extradition, including Assange, to conflate the two.
March 09, 2011 at 4:24 pm, Wordb said:
I know, geeze, everyone knows that you can’t have sex when you’re leaking documents. That’s Leaking Documents 101