Reply #38: 2010 - AUSTRALIA: KEY LABOR POWER BROKER ARBIB OUTED AS US INFORMANT

[JackRiddler]

This fellow Arbib in the Australian Senate was a key player last year in toppling the Rudd government to put in the new PM, Gillard.

Note that Rudd has now expressed support for Assange's right as a citizen, after Gillard had called him a criminal without any charges actually having been brought.

Check out the story and as you read it, switch the nationalities and imagine someone -- oh, Joe Lieberman -- informing the Australian embassy of every move in the power machinations of the Democratic caucus, at a time when the caucus is busy secretly negotiating a switch at the White House. How would you be reacting?! Would you be saying, "Hey, it's routine diplomacy, only hippies whine about it, it should be kept secret!"

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/wikileaks/us-e...

FEDERAL Labor powerbroker Mark Arbib has been outed as a key source of intelligence on government and internal party machinations to the US embassy. New embassy cables, released by WikiLeaks to Fairfax newspapers today, reveal the influential right-wing Labor MP has been one of the embassy's best ALP informants, along with former frontbencher Bob McMullan and current MP Michael Danby.

The documents say the Minister for Sport had been secretly offering details of Labor's inner workings even before his election to the Senate in 2007, dating back to his time as general secretary of the party's NSW branch from 2004. Senator Arbib was one of the "faceless men" who was instrumental in the decision to oust Kevin Rudd and install Julia Gillard as Prime Minister in June.

The documents also identify Senator Arbib as a strong backer of the Australia-US alliance. "He understands the importance of supporting a vibrant relationship with the US while not being too deferential. We have found him personable, confident and articulate," an embassy profile on Senator Arbib written in July last year says. "He has met with us repeatedly throughout his political rise."

The embarrassing revelations come as lawyers for whistleblower Julian Assange say the 39-year-old Australian will not be safe if he is sent to Sweden for trial because the "endgame" of US authorities is to move him there to be charged with espionage.

SNIP