Wicky leaks

[j.sabourn]

I see by what I know that the Australian bloke who has been hiding in a foreign embassy for a number of years is going to be handed over to the Americans for trial and possible tribulations. I already can see the bun feast that this is going to supply the media with listening to the various different factions of our society. And sticking their own oar in to keep the cauldron burning . Personally I don’t know anything about Wikileaks and don’t want to, but the small bits of info.I have heard and if correct , that he published top secret US government information he received illegally and caused various American citizens death and imprisonment by foreign governments , I can if true see the necessity of him standing trial and proving his innocence if he has the means of doing so. JS...

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI John.
A lot more to it than that, the girl that served in the US Army that he got all those secrets from was pardoned by Obama a few years ago now. What has cut it with the Americans is that it showed American helicopter pilots laughing as they cut down civilians including women and children. Plus other war crimes. Now for A country that is so strong on war crimes in other countries it was not a good take. I think they are afraid he has more damaging film.
Des

[Louis the fly]

Julian Assange who was born in Townsville has been held in Belmarsh prison for three years although he has not been convicted of any crimes in UK. Belmarsh is a top security prison holding terrorists, murderers and rapists.
The American government want him extradited to US to face charges of publishing top secret files including videos of American servicemen committing war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. If convicted he could be sentenced to 175 years in a super max American prison. Priti Patel UK Home Secretary has signed the documents allowing his extradition to go ahead, he has 14 days to appeal this decision.
The US refuses to extradite American citizens for trial in other countries.

[J Gowers]

"The US refuses to extradite American citizens for trial in other countries."

Even when the drive on the wrong side of the road in the UK and kill someone!!!

[happy daze john in oz]

He has used the journalistic privacy act to justify his actions.
No matter what the films may show there was also according to some classified information of another kind in there.
Des tells of a female involved who was pardoned, there was also a male soldier who if info is correct is still inside in USA.

No matter the contents of his postings doing so will always run the risk of recriminations.

For my mind he sits with the irresponsible group of journalists who will do anything to be noticed.

He deserves what he will get.

Notice the Oz gov have said they will not interfere in this, just offer consulate asistance.

[Rodney Mills]

Julian Assange is charged with 18 acts of violations of the Espionage Act, The US indictments against him stem from the WikiLeaks (he was the founder) publication in 2010-11 of hundreds of thousands of US military reports about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

The leaks were provided by US Army clerk Bradly Manning who later underwent a sex change and became Chelsey Manning, Manning was tried and found guilty in a military court and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Manning served 7 years when Pres. Obama commuted Manning's sentence to 4 months, and he was released. Manning has since refused to give information to the Grand Jury and is currently in jail, and she will stay in jail until she complies with the Grand Jury or the Jury is discharged,

Julian Assange is facing 18 counts relating to violation of the US Espionage Act.

He was facing extradition to Sweden for charges of Sexual Offences when he claimed asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy where he stayed for seven years. Finally, the Ecuadorian government told him to leave, and the British police arrested him, and he served a year in Belmarsh Prison. The Swedish government gave up on him as it will be years before it's their turn at bat to the ball that's Julian Assange.

And now he's off to the States.

Rodney

[Louis the fly]

Not quite correct Rodney. Assange is still held in Belmarsh, he has been confined for three years.
He agreed to return to Sweden if he was given guarantees that he would not be extradited to US. The Swedes did not offer to give such guarantees. Eventually the statute of limitations passed and the case was closed.
While in the Ecuadorian Embassy the US arranged for a security compnpany based in Spain to bug his accommodation with audio and video spy equipment. His conversations with his defence advisers were recorded.
Assange believes the US pressurised Ecuador into revoking his Ecuadorian citizenship which resulted in his forced removal from the Embassy and arrest by British plolice.

[happy daze john in oz]

In my opinion for what it may be worth I hope he is sent to USA to face the charges.
Obama was weak to pardon the other person, male/female.

[Louis the fly]

The price of being a whistleblower revealing war crimes is a life sentence. Hypocrisy, condemning war crimes committed by others but covering up their own. There has been a huge rise in the killing of journalists trying to show truth to the world. The Israel's recently shot and killed a respected journalist in the occupied West Bank, very little publicity here and US on this war crime.

[Rodney Mills]

Louis, I'm not sure where you get your American News from. I have no problems getting the information that you seem to think is hidden from the public. I'm sure the US and ALL of the major country's governments, withhold policy information that would be detrimental to the worlds markets if made public in the planning stages. But crimes whether committed by the military personnel or civilian are punished by the appropriate courts. Three of our presidents have undergone trials of impeachment. It's not the news being hid from you by the powers that be, but the sources you read. For opinion pieces I read from the left and the right and cross reference to clarify. Important news of major impact is in every newspaper and avalable on all major TV stations, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, Headline News, BBC, ad nauseum. I subscribe to news from NY Times, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and sometimes Time magazine, and British Merchant Navy Old Friends. Plus,I can cross check anything on my computer. I watch about 45 mins of TV news (I prefer reading) ABC and a BBC.

Major events in the UK, more than any other country, are part of our news. You see., Americans have a love affair with the "English" (really meaning the British). I've lived here 60 years, I have never had anyone "put me down", on the contrary I get sick and tired of hearing "I just love your accent." I'm just adding this as an explanation as why your country's major events are broadcasted over here, particularly if it involves the Royals, they love them. Strange, as we are a Republic.

I have been on this site about 10 years, I never poke my nose into commenting on British politics or my opinions on things going on over in the UK. I enjoy reading the opinions on "Friends", but I do not participate in the political discussions. Quite frankly I have enough posts to do cleaning up for the USA.

There have been terrible things done by US military personnel, Mee-Lei (Sp?) in Viet Nam to Iraq and Afghanistan, when caught, the perps are tried and if found guilty are punished. A cover up is often treated more serious than the crime in this country. And no one's career is sacred. Remember Richard NIXON, the crime for unsuccessfully breaking into an opponent's office was not what cost him his presidency IT WAS THE COVER UP. In the USA that trumps a minor crime.

A lot of times it seems to me that what is being read and quoted are extracts from opinion pieces written by columnists on either the WEB or from minor papers and not news of actual events written in a major reputable newspaper, or from a blurb on the TV just to fill a spot.

Cheers, Rodney