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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsConspiracy theories from Assange supporters do his case no favours (Irish Examiner)
By Colette Browne
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
... They spin a convoluted tale the details of which, it has to be said, would make an excellent summer blockbuster. Hang onto your tin-foil hats, the story goes something like this.
Assange, in Sweden in 2010 to deliver a lecture, had the misfortune to sleep with two vindictive harpies who later filed complaints against him with the police, alleging a number of serious offences, including sexual molestation and rape.
Absolutely no credence should be given to these fanciful claims as the women are clearly nothing more than scorned groupies and the allegations, even if true, amount to, in the words of noted feminist George Galloway, "bad sexual etiquette" on the part of suave ladykiller Assange.
Enter stage right, in incontrovertible evidence of a high-level conspiracy, none other than Karl Rove, George Bushs former chief of staff and evil empire spin doctor, who is now acting as an advisor to Swedens governing Moderate Party and demanding that country deliver Assanges head on a plate to the Obama administration ...
http://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/colette-browne/conspiracy-theories-from-assange-supporters-do-his-case-no-favours-205632.html
WillYourVoteBCounted
(14,622 posts)video at the link
Sex, Lies and Julian Assange
By Andrew Fowler and Wayne Harley
Updated July 26, 2012 When Julian Assange arrived in Sweden in August 2010 he was greeted like a conquering hero. But within weeks there was a warrant out for his arrest and he was being investigated for rape and sexual molestation. Today he is taking sanctuary in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, arguing he won't receive justice if he's taken to Sweden and that US authorities are building a case for his extradition.
Next, Four Corners reporter Andrew Fowler examines in detail what happened in those crucial weeks while Julian Assange was in Sweden. What was the nature of his relationship with the two women who claim he assaulted them? And what did they tell police that led the authorities to seek his arrest?
....
Four Corners looks at claims the United States is working hard to unearth evidence that would lead to a charge of "conspiracy to commit espionage" being made against Assange - which in turn would be used in his extradition from Sweden. The program also documents the harassment experienced by Assange's supporters across the globe - including his Australian lawyer - and the FBI's attempts to convince some to give evidence against him.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/07/19/3549280.htm
struggle4progress
(117,949 posts)That was certainly a basic tenet of feminist theory about rape cases when I was younger, and I'm frankly shocked to see it abandoned nowadays
We should hold no opinion on the Swedish allegations, except that they are best dealt with by the Swedish criminal justice system, who are capable of assessing the various witnesses and whether the evidence does (or does not) support the allegations
Trial by public opinion is always erratic: the popular skate scot-free and the unpopular swing from lampposts, regardless of the merits of the cases
Assange may be innocent for all I know, though his own behavior seems erratic and peculiar. Assange left Sweden while authorities were negotiating with his lawyer to schedule a second interview. The authorities later believed they had negotiated his return the following month but he didn't show for that. An arrest order for Assange was issued by a Swedish court, and it was upheld by a higher Swedish court when Assange's lawyers appealed; finally the Swedes took out a European warrant which Assange contested in the UK, with an appeal to the High Court and two appeals to the Supreme Court. He lost at every level. In the end, he jumped bail to hide in the Ecuadorian embassy
WillYourVoteBCounted
(14,622 posts)From DN.SE via google translation:
"Therefore, the United States secretly make tough demands on Sweden"
Updated 2010-12-09 09:23.
There are no foreign policy reason for Sweden's double game with the U.S. and the necessity that the Justice Department experience to go behind people's backs. The only reason is the domestic foreign policy as social democracy conducted throughout the postwar period with the hypocrisy surrounding the neutrality policy. It is degrading to Sweden, writes Peter Bratt.
http://www.dn.se/debatt/darfor-kan-usa-i-hemlighet-stalla-harda-krav-pa-sverige
struggle4progress
(117,949 posts)must have been "Michael Wood" rather than "Michael Woods," a sloppy mistake which might call into question other details
Still, it's an interesting article, and seems to me quite plausible, though it is unclear what matters are allegedly known from the cables and what from other sources
It's not the kind of article one would find in a US paper, and it speaks well of the level of discourse in Sweden
But I'm not sure that it shows anything particularly surprising
And it's completely unclear to me why you think it might have any relationship to the sexual assault allegation, since those predate (by some months) the release of the alleged telegrams
WillYourVoteBCounted
(14,622 posts)WikiLeaks: Swedish government 'hid' anti-terror operations with America from Parliament
The Swedish government asked American officials to keep intelligence-gathering informal to help avoid Parliamentary scrutiny, American diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks show.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8202745/WikiLeaks-Swedish-government-hid-anti-terror-operations-with-America-from-Parliament.html
I could keep going, but you get the picture.
Sometimes it isn't conspiracy, the truth is really that awful.
AntiFascist
(12,792 posts)Not only can the Swedish government (including its judicial branch) preemptively provide certain assurances to Assange and his legal team, officials from the Justice Ministry already have done so in an interview:
http://rt.com/news/sweden-us-assange-extradition-209/
We will never surrender a person to the death penalty, the deputy director of the Service for Criminal Cases and International Cooperation of Swedens Justice Ministry said in an interview with the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper on Tuesday.
This means there should be strict guarantees from the US government that the prisoner will not be executed in any case,
This is actually the beginning of a diplomatic solution. All they have to do is extend this promise to cover prosecution for political or military crimes, as dictated by Swedish law, and this might be satisfactory to the Assange team.
Also, the editorial in the OP refers to anyone supporting Assange as misogynistic and believing that he is "an honorable and innocent patsy". This has been proven wrong in numerous posts on DU. Now, who is the conspiracy theorist?
struggle4progress
(117,949 posts)on your summary
treestar
(82,383 posts)IMO indicates an unfamiliarity with legal procedures anywhere in the modern world.
randome
(34,845 posts)If you're told by Support anything that starts with, "All you have to do..." then you already know the software is shit.
AntiFascist
(12,792 posts)Ecuador is confident that Britain (together with Sweden) can provide the assurances they will need to release Assange to Sweden. Britain is interested in continuing negotiations. It doesn't sound like there any major legal stumbling blocks, just that diplomacy takes time.
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)Who knew Irish Examiner reads DU?
treestar
(82,383 posts)Right down to the helicopters lifting him out of the Embassy and the British army giving chase.
No kidding.