[sigrekatonov]

She's pretty big on the whole "enemies list" way of governing, isn't she?

Salon: http://www.salon.com/news/politics/w...t_down_assange

Potential GOP presidential contender Sarah Palin wins the prize for most feverish reaction to the WikiLeaks release with this new Facebook post: [T]he latest round of publications of leaked classified U.S. documents through the shady organization called Wikileaks raises serious questions about the Obama administration’s incompetent handling of this whole fiasco.

First and foremost, what steps were taken to stop Wikileaks director Julian Assange from distributing this highly sensitive classified material especially after he had already published material not once but twice in the previous months? Assange is not a "journalist," any more than the "editor" of al Qaeda’s new English-language magazine Inspire is a "journalist." He is an anti-American operative with blood on his hands. His past posting of classified documents revealed the identity of more than 100 Afghan sources to the Taliban. Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al Qaeda and Taliban leaders?It's first worth noting that there is no evidence that Assange has "blood on his hands." In a review of a previous round of leaks on Afghanistan, the Pentagon found no evidence that anyone had been endangered.

But more important: Palin is advocating that Assange be pursued like an al-Qaida operative. In the current context, it's not unreasonable to interpret that to mean he should be assassinated.

This is rather like Palin's recent stance against the 16th Amendment and the federal income tax: If she's going to be a serious political figure, she should be required to publicly explain and defend her positions. A serious media interview would be the perfect forum, one we're not likely to get any time soon.

[dosugxxx]

A revision of my fb status right now: Palin is two letters away from Putin. Heck, crop off the top of the a and put a line across the l and they are the same. Plus she can see Russia from her house. By Tea Party logic, doesn't that make her related to Putin? I want to see her Russian birth certificate!!! [/sarcasm]

[warrgazur]

palin is really SCARY! Cannot believe anyone in U.S. would be swayed by here crazy-making diatribes.

Also... what is WITH rigid Repubs demanding tax breaks for all the lucky millionaires & billionaires out there continue or Repubs will shut our government down?

Our World is getting too crazy to believe.

[Hftqdxpm]

A revision of my fb status right now: Palin is two letters away from Putin. Heck, crop off the top of the a and put a line across the l and they are the same. Plus she can see Russia from her house. By Tea Party logic, doesn't that make her related to Putin? I want to see her Russian birth certificate!!! [/sarcasm]

Carefuly, Dave, you sound an awful lot like Glenn Beck. Hahahha!

[carfAball]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...ge-a-terrorist

Gingrich: Leaks show Obama administration 'shallow,' 'amateurish'

By Shane D'Aprile - 12/05/10 10:59 AM ET

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday that President Obama and the White House deserve a large share of the blame for the massive amounts of classified information revealed through WikiLeaks.

Gingrich said the leaks are "a scandal of the first order" and that they demonstrate the Obama administration is "shallow" and "amateurish" when it comes to national security.

"You have a private first class who downloads a quarter million documents, and the system doesn't say, 'Oh, you may be over extended?' I mean, this is a system so stupid that it ought to be a scandal of the first order," Gingrich said. "This administration is so shallow and so amateurish about national security that it is painful and dangerous."

He also said the U.S needs to act fast in shutting down WikiLeaks and finding Julian Assange.

"Information warfare is warfare, and Julian Assange is engaged in warfare. Information terrorism, which leads to people getting killed, is terrorism, and Julian Assange is engaged in terrorism," said Gingrich. "He should be treated as an enemy combatant."

[LasTins]

Didn't we establish that Gingrich was shallow and amateurish 20 years ago when he got drummed out of Congress for shutting down the government as revenge for not getting the seat he wanted on Air Force One?

Assange is not a US citizen. Wikileaks is not a US-based website. And nothing being leaked is more than an annoyance to any serious person.

[casinobonusfrees]

Not only is he a terrorist and and sabateur(sp?), he's apparently also a pervert/pedophile as well. I hope they catch the little bugger. Call John Walsh of AMW.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4448169/t...julian-assange

[freddystone]

Fareed Zakaria, writing in Time Magazine:

First, there is little deception. These leaks have been compared to the Pentagon papers. Which they are not. The Pentagon papers revealed that the U.S. engaged in a systematic campaign to deceive the world and the American people and that its private actions were often the opposite of its stated public policy. The WikiLeaks documents, by contrast, show Washington pursuing privately pretty much the policies it has articulated publicly. Whether on Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan or North Korea, the cables confirm what we know to be U.S. foreign policy. And often this foreign policy is concerned with broader regional security, not narrow American interests. Ambassadors are not caught pushing other countries in order to make deals secretly to strengthen the U.S., but rather to solve festering problems. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/artic...#ixzz17LHBpRzo

[slarceSelia]

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested Tuesday on a Swedish warrant, London's Metropolitan Police said.

Assange was arrested at a London police station at 9:30 a.m. and will appear at the City of Westminster Magistrate's Court at 2 p.m., police said.

Swedish authorities had issued the warrant for Assange so they can talk to him about sex-crime allegations unrelated to WikiLeaks' recent disclosure of secret U.S. documents.

At court, Assange will be able to respond to the arrest warrant, and the court will then have roughly 21 days to decide whether to extradite him, said Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association.

Even though the Swedish warrant is a European arrest warrant designed for easy transfer of suspects among European states, Assange may still choose to fight it -- something his London lawyer has promised to do, according to the Press Association.

If the court does decide to allow his extradition, Assange will be allowed to appeal that decision, too, elongating the legal process, Ellis said.

Assange, a 39-year-old Australian, has said he has long feared retribution for his website's disclosures and has called the rape allegations against him a smear campaign.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe...ex.html?hpt=T1

[Wahwlsnt]

Yesterday, a Swiss bank froze Assange's account, claiming he provided "false information regarding his place of residence" when he opened the account. The account held approximated $40,000 eruos. Last week, PayPal froze another $60,000 euros which were donations targeted for Wikileaks. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11929034

Something tells me these decisions were not made independently of one another, but part of a concerted effort by the U.S. government to shut this man down.

I have a few questions:

1. Why isn't Congress jumping up and down, screaming for hearings to discover how and why this information got out? So far, Sen. McCain is the lone voice in calling for accountability.

2. Why is the U.S. trying to kill the messenger? If disseminating these cables is such a huge deal, what about all the American news outlets that published them?

3. When did our country turn so blatantly and publicly heavy fisted? Isn't that what the NSA and CIA are for?

4. AG Holder threatened "significant actions" against Assange. The man isn't a U.S. citizen, he's not a foreign agent or the agent of a foreign government, so what exactly does Mr. Holder have in mind?

[Oriesssedleli419]

Update: Visa has now suspended all payments to Wikileaks pending an investigation, according to the AP.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...T&SECTION=HOME

[Yarmark]

I think people want to fight so fervently for freedom of speech that they are blindly supporting a man they know nothing about.

Reportedly Julian Assange wanted wikileaks to make "the U.S. defenseless against it's enemies"

I don't agree with anyone being unfairly persecuted but I'm not rushing to protests in support of him either.

[DeilMikina]

Reportedly Julian Assange wanted wikileaks to make "the U.S. defenseless against it's enemies"

Who is reporting this?

[omaculer]

It was on the 7pm project, a news show here in Australia. http://7pmproject.com.au/video.htm?m...ovideo_m=82952

I said reportedly as I haven't heard a direct quote myself.

The mere fact that the Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said Assange should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize is a red flag for me.

[BinasiDombrs]

In 2009, Wikileaks and Assange also won Amnesty International's UK Media Award for an expose on kilings in Kenya. Link

Assange is a controversial man, no doubt, but before you accept what an Australian news show may have opined, might I suggest you read what the man himself has written and said. There is quite a lot of material. Wikipedia has links to many of his writings and interviews, if you're interested. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange

[EliteFranceska]

I think there's a legitimate role for muckrakers in today's world. And frankly, had Internet technologies existed a hundred years ago, it's likely that muckraking would have altered the course of history by now with revelations about a whole lot of things.

it's convenient for people to try and conflate his current legal situation with Wikileaks, but I think there's a legitimate role for Wikileaks or something like it to play in today's information flow.

[DexOnenlyCymn]

Anyone who hates the U.S. gets Big Mike's sympathy...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_1...37-503544.html

December 14, 2010 2:55 PM

Michael Moore Pledges $20,000 Towards Julian Assange's Bail

Posted by Mary Dooe

Filmmaker Michael Moore is among many notable supporters of Julian Assange; the outspoken activist pledged $20,000 towards Assange's bail on Tuesday.

Julian Assange, the controversial founder of WikiLeaks, could have Michael Moore to thank if he makes bail - at least in part.

After his first request was denied last week, Assange was granted bail in a London court Tuesday, though he will remain in custody pending an appeal of the ruling by Swedish prosecutors.

The court set bail at 240,000 British pounds, or $378,840, but included strict monitoring conditions to go along with it, including wearing an electronic monitoring device, staying at a registered address, checking in with London police daily and observing curfews.

A portion of this, $20,000, was promised on Tuesday by filmmaker and activist Michael Moore, known for directing movies like Fahrenheit 9/11 and his outspoken liberal beliefs.

On Tuesday morning, Moore posted information on his website as to why he chose to support Assange and contribute to his bail.

[meteeratymn]

I thought Big Mike would prefer one of those top-notch state-run 'spas' in Cuba.

Why is he checking into a Capitalist American spa for 'the rich'?

A source told the Daily Caller that Moore did not look well during this latest visit. I got a great idea: Why doesn't Big Mike donate $100,000 for every pound he loses to the poor?

http://www.politico.com/click/storie...tloss_spa.html

Moore Spotted at Weight-Loss Spa

By PATRICK GAVIN | 12/9/10 11:50 AM EST Updated: 12/9/10 4:06 PM EST

It seems that Michael Moore is trying to drop some weight: The filmmaker has reportedly checked into a Miami weight-loss spa.

"Moore visited the Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa in mid-November," reports the Daily Caller. "The resort’s campus features '650 acres of lush tropical gardens, fountains, water features and other amenities,' its website boasts."

It's not the first time that Moore has visited Pritkin: In previous visits, he's lost up to 30 pounds.

"I eat at least 35 grams of fiber every day," Moore told the Sun-Times in 2007. "Eat foods that are heavy in weight but low in calories. I got this idea from Roger Ebert; he was the one who turned me on to the Pritikin Longevity Center in Florida. (Eating heavy foods) naturally creates the same thing as gastric bypass; it gives you a full feeling so you don’t want any more food. Just eat things that have some weight to them."

A source told the Daily Caller that Moore did not look well during this latest visit.

“He didn’t look like he wanted to talk. And neither did I. But he sure was fat, even fatter than he looks on TV, like he’d gained a hundred pounds.”

[StitsVobsaith]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...est=latestnews

Biden Slams WikiLeaks Document Hand-Off as Close to Terrorism

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...est=latestnews

[ErnestTU]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-girl-19.html



Exposed: The 'creepy, lovesick' emails WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange sent to 19-year-old girl student

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 3:45 PM on 19th December 2010

In 2004, Julian Assange, then 33, sent 'stalkery' messages to 19-year-old student after kissing her

WikiLeaks boss currently free on conditional bail as he fights extradition to Sweden over alleged sexual assault of two women

Australian said yesterday he fears the U.S. will begin proceedings to arrest him for espionage within the next 24 hours

He's the whistleblower who has exposed the secrets of governments across the world.
But WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange has some embarrassing documents in his own past he would rather the world didn't know about.

A series of emails detailing his 'stalkery courtship' of a teenager are revealed - two years before he founded his notorious website.

The Gawker website which revealed the series of emails Assange sent to the Melbourne University student Under the headline 'The creepy, lovesick emails of Julian Assange' the gossip website Gawker reproduces emails to the teenager in his pre-WikiLeaks days.

On the day Assange was freed on conditional bail at the High Court pending moves to extradite him to Sweden on allegations of sexually assaulting two women, Gawker details his 'secrets'.