Assange speaks from embassy balcony, urges US to end 'witch hunt' and release Bradley Manning - Polidicks

There's a video in the source, I can't find any decent copies on Youtube right now [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19310335[/url] [quote=BBC News][B]Julian Assange has urged the US to end its "witch-hunt" against Wikileaks, in his first public statement since entering Ecuador's London embassy.[/B] He also called for the release of Bradley Manning, who is awaiting trial in the US accused of leaking classified documents to the Wikileaks site. Mr Assange spoke from a balcony at the embassy and thanked Ecuador's president, who has granted him asylum. He faces extradition to Sweden over sexual assault claims, which he denies. Mr Assange said: "As Wikileaks stands under threat, so does the freedom of expression and the health of all our societies. "We must use this moment to articulate the choice that is before the government of the United States of America. "Will it return to and re-affirm the revolutionary values it was founded on? [B]Legal battle[/B] "Or will it lurch off the precipice, dragging us all into a dangerous and oppressive world in which journalists fall silent under the fear of prosecution and citizens must whisper in the dark?" Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has suggested Mr Assange could co-operate with Sweden if assurances are given that there would be no extradition to a third country. The 41-year-old Australian's Wikileaks website has published a mass of leaked diplomatic cables that have embarrassed several countries, including the US. Mr Assange entered the embassy in the Knightsbridge area after the UK's Supreme Court dismissed his bid to reopen his appeal against extradition and gave him a two-week grace period before extradition proceedings could start. It is an established international convention that local police and security forces are not permitted to enter an embassy, unless they have the express permission of the ambassador.[/quote]

But isn't it Sweden that wants him to come over, not the US? I may not be fully updated but AFAIK it's Sweden that wants him to come over. Or is the other guy being held in the US? I'm probably just mixing things up with all the other 10 threads about assange and the embassy, this one was more about the other guy.

[QUOTE=jiggu;37312565]But isn't it Sweden that wants him to come over, not the US? I may not be fully updated but AFAIK it's Sweden that wants him to come over. Or is the other guy being held in the US?[/QUOTE] The US controls the Swedish goverment with money etc illegaly so no.

[QUOTE=Civil;37312594]The US controls the Swedish goverment with money etc illegaly so no.[/QUOTE] I think that's a bit far fetched to say.

[QUOTE=jiggu;37312565]But isn't it Sweden that wants him to come over, not the US? I may not be fully updated but AFAIK it's Sweden that wants him to come over. Or is the other guy being held in the US?[/QUOTE] Sweden is the USA's bitch. USA wants him extradited so he can be trialled for treason. Assange fled to the UK over charges that are trumped up since he had sex with them over 2 years ago. Not to mention that one of the girls even opened and closed her case against him a couple times.

from what I understand, they're going through all this trouble to get him extradited over a bs rape claim and defiantly not the fact that he contributed with all that negative government information leaking.

As much as the case might be stupid, why doesn't he just come over to Sweden and get the case solved out? I doubt the case would hold up in court if it's all bullshit, and if the US wanted him charged they would have already, he's not going to be given to the US when he's in Sweden.

or maybe he's just a rapist you know what would sort this out? a trial!

[QUOTE=BoysLightUp;37312634]or maybe he's just a rapist you know what would sort this out? a trial![/QUOTE] Which is exactly why I think he should just come over to Sweden. Oh and now Civil is going to rate me dumb in every post I make in this thread.

[QUOTE=jiggu;37312627]As much as the case might be stupid, why doesn't he just come over to Sweden and get the case solved out? I doubt the case would hold up in court if it's all bullshit, and if the US wanted him charged they would have already, he's not going to be given to the US when he's in Sweden.[/QUOTE] That's why Assange/Ecuador want assurances that they don't extradite him when he is extradited to Sweden. So far he's just wanted for 'questioning' in Sweden, not for official charges. And Assange offered Swedish authorities come over and ask him their questions in the embassy or at his former home in the UK, and they always refused to. Not trying to be a paranoid conspiracy nut but I have a hard time believing that the case is unrelated to the fact that the US wants this guy for 'espionage'/'treason'. It's been said outright that many officials in the US want to give this guy the death sentence so I can understand his paranoia.

I wouldn't be surprised if US has a hand in this, but I don't see why Sweden would ever give Assange over to the US. We only ever surrender people to their own countries, and he's australian?

[QUOTE=jiggu;37312685]I wouldn't be surprised if US has a hand in this, but I don't see why Sweden would ever give Assange over to the US. We only ever surrender people to their own countries, and he's australian?[/QUOTE] I believe that there are international laws that say that the UK should extradite him; these are probably also in effect in Sweden.

[QUOTE=jiggu;37312685]I wouldn't be surprised if US has a hand in this, but I don't see why Sweden would ever give Assange over to the US. We only ever surrender people to their own countries, and he's australian?[/QUOTE] Sweden has an extradition treaty with the US. And since our government wants to be best friends with the USA, any reason they give will be enough for an extradition.

I guess he's fucked then.

Maybe the media storm that would begin if Assange got crossed and sent to the US wouldn't be in the countries best interests? And on Bradley Manning, him getting tortured the way he is in no way ok, but he does deserve prison for leaking documents that are OPSEC, and could even put people in danger.

No matter what happens this man wont have any kind of decent future to look forward to.

They'll only let him out if he doesn't float.

If he was just being arrested for rape, then fine, but it's so pathetically obvious that it's not about that.

This is like a plot to a crazy government-themed story. [IMG]http://www.anime-pulse.com/forum/images/avatars/16666581904cfb0f4b51f46.jpg[/IMG] A revolutionist that is hunted throughout several countries, hmm

[QUOTE=jiggu;37312685]I wouldn't be surprised if US has a hand in this, but I don't see why Sweden would ever give Assange over to the US. We only ever surrender people to their own countries, and he's australian?[/QUOTE] I can easily see Australia handing him over to the US as much as Sweden doing doing so.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;37313335]I can easily see Australia handing him over to the US as much as Sweden doing doing so.[/QUOTE] I can't. I'd need to see the laws: I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Australia doesn't, as a rule, extradite for political offences (which is what any US charge would be).

[QUOTE=BoysLightUp;37313358]I can't. I'd need to see the laws: I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Australia doesn't, as a rule, extradite for political offences (which is what any US charge would be).[/QUOTE] the offense he's charged with isn't normally extraditable either so i don't know why you're bringing law into this now

[QUOTE=jiggu;37312627]As much as the case might be stupid, why doesn't he just come over to Sweden and get the case solved out? I doubt the case would hold up in court if it's all bullshit, and if the US wanted him charged they would have already, he's not going to be given to the US when he's in Sweden.[/QUOTE] Because the Sweded case is a sham. As soon as he gets there, he ill be extradited to the US.

[QUOTE=Mr. Scorpio;37313396]the offense he's charged with isn't normally extraditable either so i don't know why you're bringing law into this now[/QUOTE] Because extradition goes along laws. If Assange is going to be extradited from Australia to the US, it'll be for political reasons - it won't be for the alleged rape. Hence, if Assange is to be extradited from Aus to the US (and if I recall correctly), it would be illegal and wouldn't happen. So, unless Assange commits a non-political crime in the US and then flees to Australia, I can't see Australia extraditing him to the US.

[QUOTE=redBadger;37313006]No matter what happens this man wont have any kind of decent future to look forward to.[/QUOTE] Unless his trip to Ecuador comes through.

[QUOTE=Selek;37312668]That's why Assange/Ecuador want assurances that they don't extradite him when he is extradited to Sweden. So far he's just wanted for 'questioning' in Sweden, not for official charges. And Assange offered Swedish authorities come over and ask him their questions in the embassy or at his former home in the UK, and they always refused to. Not trying to be a paranoid conspiracy nut but I have a hard time believing that the case is unrelated to the fact that the US wants this guy for 'espionage'/'treason'. It's been said outright that many officials in the US want to give this guy the death sentence so I can understand his paranoia.[/QUOTE] Could they really execute him? A foreigner? It's something i'd expect from the 1500's Oh yeah, America :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=Charybdis;37313478] Oh yeah, America :rolleyes:[/QUOTE] Let's talk about things that we don't know about and are only speculation!!!!!!

We are not going to release PFC (now probably PVT) Manning. He clearly violated the UCMJ and is getting dealt with accordingly.

[QUOTE=Ereunity;37312606]Sweden is the USA's bitch. USA wants him extradited so he can be trialled for treason. Assange fled to the UK over charges that are trumped up since he had sex with them over 2 years ago.[/QUOTE]How can he be tried for treason if he's not a citizen of the US? Hell, I don't think he can even be held as an accessory to treason as you need to be a citizen for that, too (I think).

[QUOTE=SKEEA;37313537]We are not going to release PFC (now probably PVT) Manning. He clearly violated the UCMJ and is getting dealt with accordingly.[/QUOTE] Serve your country and you get arrested, kill a bunch of people and you get a promotion. I fucking love the military.