Bond & Feinstein urge prosecution of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange

[Hissyspit]

Source: Politico

Categories: Leaks

Bond & Feinstein urge prosecution of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange

The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) are prodding Attorney General Eric Holder to file criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in connection with the huge troves of classified military reports and diplomatic cables his group has obtained and made public.

"We respectfully urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take action to bring criminal charges against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and any and all of his possible accomplices involved in the unauthorized possession and distribution of vast quantities of classified and unclassified material from the U.S. government," Feinstein and Bond wrote in a letter sent to Holder on Thursday and later released to reporters.

Feinstein and Bond, the chair and vice chair of the intelligence panel, were adding their voices to a pro-prosecution drumbeat which grew considerably louder Thursday, despite warnings that a prosecution faces a series of daunting and perhaps fatal obstacles.

The pair of senators alluded to those concerns as they closed their letter. "If Mr. Assange and his possible accomplices cannot be charged under the Espionage Act (or any other applicable statute), please know that we stand ready and willing to support your efforts to 'close those gaps' in the law," they wrote.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department would review the letter.

Full text of the letter after the jump.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/1210/Bond__Feinstein_urge_prosecution_of_WikiLeaks_Julian_Assange.html

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Sorry for the Politico link. Only coverage so far, after announcement on Twitter by Attackerman of FDL.

[derby378]

1. Feinstein doesn't speak for most grassroots Democrats

Which is a damn good thing. Seems like I remember she wouldn't even commit to labelling waterboarding as torture.

[Freddie Stubbs]

30. CA voters seem to like her, as they keep reelecting her by wide margins

[RedSock]

2. yeah arrest assange, let bush, cheney, obama, etc. go free; perfect (eom)

[ixion]

3. Liars, Thugs and Grifters hate it when they get caught

hence the 'outcry'.

[Taverner]

4. Fuck them

DiFi should have been primaried long ago


Why we still put up with her GOP lite shit is beyond me

[Duer 157099]

19. Well said n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

29. Because the CDP Party Bosses LOVE her.

She does what she's paid to do so they "discourage" (translate: starve) challengers. She's up in 2012 and will be 79. I'm hoping like hell she won't try and run again. PERFECT time to try and get a progressive in (with or without the CDP Party Bosses).

[glinda]

5. tsk tsk tsk Diane.

[Solly Mack]

6. And prosecuting war crimes? How do they feel about that?

Snort

[RufusTFirefly]

7. Classic DiFi (Condi's sponsor)

Bad for hubby's bidness, I guess.

[abelenkpe]

8. Bite me Diane

Ill work for anyone who goes up against your stinking republican ass if your challenged in the primaries. Yeah it makes so much sense to go after Wikileaks for publishing information that was leaked by a washington insider. I see it's treason to publish leaked information but it isn't treason to send billions of us taxpayer dollars to bailout foreign banks and then claim austerity measures (slashing social security and raising the retirement age) are needed to appease same banks.
Yes lets be mad at the person who published the cables not the idiotic, treasonous, schemeing shit within the cables. Kill the messenger and drown the message.

[Ruperto31]

9. Well, well. Dianne shows her true colors.

An over-the-top defender for US imperialism.

[fascisthunter]

10. lol

Funny... the worst elements of our party are the ones leading this charge.

[Jefferson23]

11. Yea, let's get Assange and not focus on who is actually leaking

to him and WHY.

Keep Bush/Cheney, Rove and the gang free from prosecution and get Assange..the real villain.

Pathetic.

[aggiesal]

12. Here's what I don't understand ...

Jane's can produce yearly books about the Navy Ships, AF Aircraft,
Army equipment that prints more classified information, but because
everyone at Jane's has never signed or received a clearance from any
country, they're never prosecuted for printing classified information.

At the same time Tom Clancy produces fictional novels based on actual
classified intelligence data, and because he's hadn't signed or received
a clearance from any country, he's never prosecuted for printing
classified information.

Am I missing something here?

[Stuckinthebush]

13. Yes, you are missing the political angle

Yelling and screaming about Jane's and Tom Clancy gives no one a political edge. Screaming about an Australian who posts leaked information gives US politicians a lot of political points.

It truly is amazing. These leaks shake up the power structure and let the public know what really goes on behind closed doors. In any other context that would be a good thing. But Team USA doesn't like it so it must be destroyed. What is also interesting is that some in the media and talking head establishment seem to also think that it is bad. Strange days.

[sudopod]

15. Also he's funny looking and has an exotic name.

Feel the hate flow!

[Stuckinthebush]

16. Right. Also, he is running around the world hiding

He MUST be a bad guy!

[sudopod]

17. It's what Serious People think, after all. :) nt

[Duer 157099]

20. You're not missing anything. That's how the law works.

Only those cleared for classified info can be prosecuted for passing said info on. That's why the press CANNOT EVER be held liable for printing classified info, they have no security clearance to violate.

There's a reason the law is the way it is. This stupid grandstanding by those yelling for Assange's head just show their ignorance or their assumption of our ignorance.

[Odin2005]

14. Look how TPTB closes ranks when they are threatened. UGH!

[earcandle]

18. How embarrssing it would be to prosecute someone for airing our dirty laundry... we ought to make

him a hero!

We got some cleaning up to do.

The pimple has burst and pus is all over the place. 
But like any pimple, the burst is the first step in the
healing,
painful as it may be. 

[flyarm]

21. hey Bond & Feinstein First arrest the war criminals and get them charged and prosecuted..Otherwise.

STFU!

Arresting the messenger just doesn't cut the shit anymore.

Today I was getting my nails done..MSNBC was on and the nail place was crowded..every woman there started speaking out..and I will tell you this, between the pat downs and radiating people at the airport..women are god damned pissed..

It was unanimous among at least 50 women in my nail place...just today...Arrest Bush and Cheney and Rummy..Not Julian!

And stop radiating people at the airport and frisking people's genitalia.

The anger is definitely pointed at Dems and Obama.

Take heed Dems...women are angry...if you think Nov 2010 was a slaughter..you ain't seen nothing yet!

[cascadiance]

22. Feinstein is the kind of senator that fuels the ammunition for Rethugs complaints on big gubmint!

She's always wanting to defend the government's right to come down on little people in most of the legislation she passes, even if at times she votes with the Dems on social issue. On things like the Communications Decency Act, and other stuff that take our rights away, she's always been on the "statist" side of things (as the Libertarian's would describe people like her).

She needs to believe more in democracy with the little d, not power of the DLC with the big D!

I'm glad I have Merkley and Wyden instead of Boxer and Feinstein. Boxer is great, but Feinstein drags down the California delegation.

[avaistheone1]

24. Yes indeed. That is who Di is.

I wish we could dump her as our Senator. She is so republican it makes me sick.

[NuttyFluffers]

23. well, DiFi is back to usual form...

my surprised respect for her last week was quite brief. and yet this disappointment is unsurprising. hmm... i'll be glad to have a real flaming liberal senator as an option in the next election.

[ProudDad]

25. GAWD...

Everytime I see that awful feinstein's name, it makes me puke! :puke:

GAWD, I loath that execrable waste of skin...

[armodem08]

26. Ex post facto

"The pair of senators alluded to those concerns as they closed their letter. "If Mr. Assange and his possible accomplices cannot be charged under the Espionage Act (or any other applicable statute), please know that we stand ready and willing to support your efforts to 'close those gaps' in the law," they wrote."

Just like the food safety bill constitutional order flub.... These people have no idea what is actually in the Constitution. Most changes applying retroactively (ex post facto), and/or specifically targeting one person or organization (bills of attainder) are forbidden under the Constitution.

[truthisfreedom]

27. It's spelled "persecution." And another thing these people need to know... the moment he's arrested

The key will be released.

[border_town]

28. If the United States had any charges

against him they would have filed them already. This is the reason for the so called rape charges. Keep it coming Wikileaks. If my government is breaking the law we need to know.

[No Elephants]

31. I suspect many Democrats will make this request of "D of J." Pubs, too.

There will be a groundswell. He may get convicted in absentia because he will not willingly come to the U.S. to deend himself,