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Matilda

(6,384 posts)
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 11:57 PM Oct 2012

Revealed: Canberra Shared Intel on Assange with Washington

Source: The Age, Melbourne, Australia

WikiLeaks and Julian Assange have been the subject of intelligence exchanges between Australia and the United States for more than two years, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has revealed.

The WikiLeaks publisher was also the subject of Australian intelligence reporting from Washington shortly before he sought political asylum in Ecuador's London embassy.

In a freedom of information decision yesterday, Foreign Affairs confirmed to Fairfax Media the existence of an intelligence report concerning WikiLeaks and Mr Assange cabled to Canberra from Australia's Washington embassy on June 1.

(snip)

In another document released by Foreign Affairs, former Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd wrote on November 15, 2011, to seek former Attorney-General Robert McClelland's view on reports that "the most likely route to a successful prosecution would be to show that Mr Assange had acted as a co-conspirator – soliciting, encouraging or assisting [US Army private] Bradley Manning, to obtain and provide the documents".





Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/revealed-canberra-shared-intel-on-assange-with-washington-20121017-27qo6.html



I'm sure that if the boot were on the other foot, the U.S. would not be sharing its secrets with Australia. They would defend one of their own citizens against any foreign power, right or wrong.

That's what's really wrong about Australia's crawling attitude, especially in view of the fact that to date, the U.S. has NOTHING ON ASSANGE.
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Swagman

(1,934 posts)
1. and some will still say this "narcissist" is just seeking attention
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 12:07 AM
Oct 2012

and his fear of being sent to the US from Sweden is an excuse to avoid non-existent rape charges.

cprise

(8,445 posts)
3. Both Sweden and the US have a history of facilitating torture and indefinite detention
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 03:30 AM
Oct 2012

OTOH, Assange's history with women seems to belie the claims against him.

This sex scandal was introduced to the media by advance government leak to a neoconservative tabloid. As such, it has important similarities to the persecution of Dan Siegelman at the hands of Karl Rove. That would be the same Rove who went to work for the Swedish Prime Minister when Bush-2 left office.

The main difference is that the US doesn't yet have Julian Assange within reach. Leaks have indicated that the US is secretly preparing a trumped-up case against Assange, and it appears that case will remain under wraps until the US has a way to nab him.

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
10. Rove went to work for the Swedish prime minister?
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 03:38 PM
Oct 2012

I read somewhere where Ham Loaf is perhaps the only individual on the planet who is bigoted against Swedes. He is of Norwegian descent, you see, and apparently still holds a grudge against Sweden for colonizing Norawy in the 19th century.

struggle4progress

(118,282 posts)
2. "We haven't seen the reports, so we'll just pretend to know what's in them"
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 12:27 AM
Oct 2012

Actually this story is at least a year old by now

But the last time it was reported, it was reported slightly differently, as an intelligence investigation into the question of whether the Wikileaks release of US military and diplomatic materials had damaged Australian intelligence capabilities

That would have been a reasonable question for the Australians to ask themselves, and the US might have been interested in the question as well, since compromising the abilities of an ally would have been an unfortunate extra problem

The reports back then said that the Australian investigations concluded Australian intelligence capabilities had not been affected

ronnie624

(5,764 posts)
6. Yeah, there's probably nothing of interest in them, anyway.
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 01:40 PM
Oct 2012

Governments share intelligence on Jane Q and Joe Blow, all the time.

struggle4progress

(118,282 posts)
12. I have no precise idea what's in them, since they have been withheld -- but the story
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 04:07 PM
Oct 2012

looks very much like a story from last year, so I'm guessing it's really the same story and therefore:

(1) It may have very little to do with Assange personally, and
(2) It may instead deal mostly with continuing questions about possible intelligence fall-outs from Wikileaks

AntiFascist

(12,792 posts)
11. Not true...
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 03:42 PM
Oct 2012

the previous report indicated that Australian diplomats were passing intelligence via the Australian embassy in order to aid the US investigation. This report indicates a flow of information in the opposite direction, and seems to indicate that Bob Carr hasn't been entirely honest about what they know of the US' intentions.

struggle4progress

(118,282 posts)
13. That was Assange's claim, provided as usual without evidence:
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 04:13 PM
Oct 2012
Australia helping US investigate Wikileaks: founder
Posted 14 February 2011, 7:57 AEST

The founder of whistleblowing-website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has accused the Australian Government of helping the United States to investigate Australians involved in the website.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2011-02-14/australia-helping-us-investigate-wikileaks-founder/225986

AntiFascist

(12,792 posts)
14. It seems to be the Sydney Morning Herald's claim as well...
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 04:35 PM
Oct 2012


WikiLeaks and Julian Assange have been the subject of intelligence exchanges between Australia and the United States for more than two years, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has revealed.

The WikiLeaks publisher was also the subject of Australian intelligence reporting from Washington shortly before he sought political asylum in Ecuador's London embassy.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/revealed-canberra-shared-intel-on-assange-with-washington-20121017-27qo6.html#ixzz29ag2oc7B
 

Demeter

(85,373 posts)
4. Well, I'M not sure
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 06:38 AM
Oct 2012

At this point, unless you have the government by the balls, ala Lloyd Blankfein or Jamie Dimon, you can kiss your "protection" goodbye.

Remember, Predator Drones wiping out US citizens without trial? It's so Queen of Hearts:

The King turned pale, and shut his note-book hastily. 'Consider your verdict,' he said to the jury, in a low, trembling voice.

'There's more evidence to come yet, please your Majesty,' said the White Rabbit, jumping up in a great hurry; 'this paper has just been picked up.'

'What's in it?' said the Queen.

'I haven't opened it yet, said the White Rabbit, 'but it seems to be a letter, written by the prisoner to—to somebody.'

'It must have been that,' said the King, 'unless it was written to nobody, which isn't usual, you know.'

'Who is it directed to?' said one of the jurymen.

'It isn't directed at all,' said the White Rabbit; 'in fact, there's nothing written on the outside.' He unfolded the paper as he spoke, and added 'It isn't a letter, after all: it's a set of verses.'

'Are they in the prisoner's handwriting?' asked another of they jurymen.

'No, they're not,' said the White Rabbit, 'and that's the queerest thing about it.' (The jury all looked puzzled.)

'He must have imitated somebody else's hand,' said the King. (The jury all brightened up again.)

'Please your Majesty,' said the Knave, 'I didn't write it, and they can't prove I did: there's no name signed at the end.'

'If you didn't sign it,' said the King, 'that only makes the matter worse. You MUST have meant some mischief, or else you'd have signed your name like an honest man.'

There was a general clapping of hands at this: it was the first really clever thing the King had said that day.

'That PROVES his guilt,' said the Queen.

'It proves nothing of the sort!' said Alice. 'Why, you don't even know what they're about!'

'Read them,' said the King.

The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. 'Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?' he asked.

'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

These were the verses the White Rabbit read:—

'They told me you had been to her,
And mentioned me to him:
She gave me a good character,
But said I could not swim.

He sent them word I had not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the matter on,
What would become of you?

I gave her one, they gave him two,
You gave us three or more;
They all returned from him to you,
Though they were mine before.

If I or she should chance to be
Involved in this affair,
He trusts to you to set them free,
Exactly as we were.

My notion was that you had been
(Before she had this fit)
An obstacle that came between
Him, and ourselves, and it.

Don't let him know she liked them best,
For this must ever be
A secret, kept from all the rest,
Between yourself and me.'

'That's the most important piece of evidence we've heard yet,' said the King, rubbing his hands; 'so now let the jury—'

'If any one of them can explain it,' said Alice, (she had grown so large in the last few minutes that she wasn't a bit afraid of interrupting him,) 'I'll give him sixpence. _I_ don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.'

The jury all wrote down on their slates, 'She doesn't believe there's an atom of meaning in it,' but none of them attempted to explain the paper.

'If there's no meaning in it,' said the King, 'that saves a world of trouble, you know, as we needn't try to find any. And yet I don't know,' he went on, spreading out the verses on his knee, and looking at them with one eye; 'I seem to see some meaning in them, after all. "—said I could not swim—" you can't swim, can you?' he added, turning to the Knave.

The Knave shook his head sadly. 'Do I look like it?' he said. (Which he certainly did not, being made entirely of cardboard.)

'All right, so far,' said the King, and he went on muttering over the verses to himself: '"We know it to be true—" that's the jury, of course— "I gave her one, they gave him two—" why, that must be what he did with the tarts, you know—'

'But, it goes on "They all returned from him to you,"' said Alice.

'Why, there they are!' said the King triumphantly, pointing to the tarts on the table. 'Nothing can be clearer than that. Then again—"before she had this fit—" you never had fits, my dear, I think?' he said to the Queen.

Never!' said the Queen furiously, throwing an inkstand at the Lizard as she spoke. (The unfortunate little Bill had left off writing on his slate with one finger, as he found it made no mark; but he now hastily began again, using the ink, that was trickling down his face, as long as it lasted.)

'Then the words don't fit you,' said the King, looking round the court with a smile. There was a dead silence.

'It's a pun!' the King added in an offended tone, and everybody laughed, 'Let the jury consider their verdict,' the King said, for about the twentieth time that day.

'No, no!' said the Queen. 'Sentence first—verdict afterwards.'

'Stuff and nonsense!' said Alice loudly. 'The idea of having the sentence first!'

---Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll


That's Glory for you!

Humpty Dumpty: ...There's glory for you!'

'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't — till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master — that's all.'

Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Carroll

ronnie624

(5,764 posts)
7. Yep, just like Through the Looking Glass.
Wed Oct 17, 2012, 01:46 PM
Oct 2012

Anyone who takes this Julian Assange/Wikileaks nonsense seriously, has got to be a conspiracy theorist.

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