back to article Interpol issues arrest notice for Wikileaks' Julian Assange

Interpol has issued a Red Notice for the arrest of Julian Assange for suspected sex crimes just two days after his Wikileaks website began publishing some 250,000 highly embarrassing diplomatic cables. The worldwide wanted poster, which claims Assange's photo wasn't available, says an arrest warrant has been issued by the …

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  1. Daniel Garcia 2
    Alert

    The smell of bullshit

    is overwhelming!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Black Helicopters

      Clearly, the aim is to get him to Sweden

      so that when this obvious honey-trap is thrown out of court, the Swedish legal system - which seems to be very fond of doing the USA's bidding (see Piratebay) - can extradite him to the US on some trumped up charge.

      The BS is strong in this one...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Smell

      and with luck the folks from Interpol can use it to arrest this one!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Big Brother

      The Mighty is Felled by a Chink in the Armour

      Not to go all Victorian on him, but seems if he had just kept his pants on he wouldn't be in this mess....

      /AC because I'm sure many wouldn't agree to this POV. :P

  2. ElReg!comments!Pierre

    No surprise

    That's what you get for embarassing the powers that be.

    When security researchers get intimate foreplays at the hands of the DHS (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/19/dhs_detains_hacker/), what else would you expect for exposing the Emperor's "diplomatic" underwear? We can only hope that the EU gave the US a run for their money on this one (a level playing field in the sharing of banking info maybe?).

    1. MyHeadIsSpinning
      Unhappy

      Europe shall do what it is told

      See the European Parliament decision re ACTA.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Two Minutes' Hate

    He's going to have to change his name to Emmanuel Goldstein to really get into the spirit.

    1. Dalen
      Stop

      @AC

      Sorry, the username "Emmanuel Goldstein" is already taken.

    2. Frantisek Janak
      Big Brother

      Remember:

      WAR IS PEACE

      FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

      IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

      ....

      ESPIONAGE IS SEX CRIME

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Almost

        I mean he just buttfucked the US government in the international papers!

        It's Christmas, a loose paraphrase of Die Hard is seasonal!

  4. Neal 5

    Hell hath no fury

    and all that baloney. And as well as upsetting the American pussy we find out that her *new* best mate Sweden will do anything for a bit of yankee money,(who's the whore) and re-investigate once dropped charges. Still we all realise, it is a womans perogative to change her mind. Especially if she can smell some extra $$$$$$$$$.

    As for the two real woman and the allegations, who knows. If you've nothing to hide, then there's nothing to be scared of. So Mr Assange, if that really is the case, give yourself up voluntarily , get the matter sorted, continue anally shafting the Americans in exactly the same way as they would you.Afterwards. Simple.

    1. bobbles31

      I find your faith....

      in a free and fair judiciary disturbing.

    2. Mephistro
      Joke

      Neal 5, please...

      I just upvoted your post, but its second paragraph should contain some big, flashy 'Ironic Mode Warning', for the 'comedically challenged' readers. Where it not for that little detail, I'd have upvoted you two times. ;)

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's a pity they can't find a photograph

    According to Interpol, we have a serial sex criminal at large and we don't know what he looks like. Am I the only one who's frightened?

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. json
    Happy

    run forrest! run!

    'nuf said.

    1. hplasm
      Megaphone

      No;

      "No!- I am Julian Assange!

      ...And so am I- and so is my wife!!"

  8. The Fuzzy Wotnot
    Happy

    This the best you can come up with?

    Guy embarrasses lots of highly influential people, next thing he's being charged with some disgusting crime! Well I'll be jiggered, what a surprise! I suppose the politicians are so far up their own fundaments that they really do think we're all stupid enough to believe this at face value!

    Maybe he is, maybe he isn't, I don't know, but come on Interpol, this is very 60's B-movie plot type crap! If you want to frame someone surely you can come up with something better than this second-rate 'serious embarassment to international politics is a paedo/rapist' drivel?

    1. LaeMing
      Stop

      They have been watching too much...

      ...Blakes 7

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Black Helicopters

      Deliberately Amateurish?

      Perhaps the idea is that people will think this is just too obvious, too amateurish to be a genuine conspiracy, and therefore it isn't a conspiracy at all, and the charges are real. Except that would just mean it's a smart enough conspiracy to fool people into thinking it can't be a conspiracy.

      1. Snapper
        Thumb Up

        I Like....

        your way of thinking!

      2. Roger Varley

        Deliberately Amateurish

        If your argument is correct and this is, in fact, a deliberate conspiracy disguised as an amateurish conspiracy to confuse people, then some of the not fooled people will find this an amaterish plot disgused as a deliberate plot disguised as an amateurish plot to look like a deliberate plot that won't fool anyone as it's obviously a deliberate plot disguised as an amateurish plot disguised to fool those who see it as an deliberate plot disguised as #@@~##

        STACK OVERFLOW

        SYSTEM HALTED

    3. Mephistro
      Coat

      Does this count as a title?

      It doesn't matter whether the public believes it or not. At the end of the day the Big Media will be using the official version to present this guy as a piece of scum. It doesn't matter what the sheeple believe now, they'll forget most of the details in a few months and leave room for the USA sponsored propaganda to permeate their brains. This guy will probably spend several years in prison while he waits for judgement, appeals and all that crap. That is, if he is really lucky and doesn't get extradited to the States where he would probably be jailed for many decades on charges that could be resumed in "SHOUTING THE TRUTH TO THE WORLD".

      Mine is the one with the Anarchist Cookbook in the pocket.

  9. Heff
    Grenade

    the guy needs to watch his back

    because at this rate its only a matter of time before the whiners stateside accuse him of 'injuring national security' to the extent he's a terrorist and then he'll be dragged from his bed in the dark and be stuffed into a sack, no matter what country he's in.

    whilst I admire the endeavour, and even applaud the notion of public accountability for himself, I dont think its practical in the long run. get a kevlar vest and a food taster if you're going to go pantsing the US and China in the same week, IMO.

    1. Heff
      Thumb Down

      and here we go

      Im fucking clairvoyant.

      http://www.schnittshow.com/pages/reward.html

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Australian Government

    The Australian government (Mr Assange is an Australian citizen) has announced they have created a "whole of government task force" to look at what criminal charges they can lay against Mr Assange, and have refused to rule out cancelling his passport.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      No they haven't

      You just made that up.

  11. Andrew Taylor 1
    Flame

    Can't find photo?

    Try here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11883567

    Doesn't say much for the quality of policing used in a fit up does it?

  12. bugalugs
    Joke

    What's the hot-line number ?

    They can seek him here and seek him there

    And show us all their underwear

    Right, where's the nearest phone booth ?

    ( stay low, fella )

  13. Alexander 3
    Thumb Down

    Red Notice != Arrest Warrant

    Actually, this isn't an arrest warrant, it's more akin to a request for information.

    http://www.interpol.int/public/wanted/default.asp

    But yeah, looks mighty fishy to me. Still, I reckon when Assange is done with all the leaking, he should probably turn himself in and face the music. If I was being unfairly accused of something, I think Sweden would be one of the best places to receive the trial...

    1. Paul Crawford Silver badge
      Thumb Down

      True, unless...

      Unless the Swedes, for whatever reason, find they must deport him back to Australia for trial there.

      And that flight somehow ends up passing through the USA...

      1. CheesyTheClown
        WTF?

        There's something called google

        A quick google of : extradition from sweden

        brought me to : http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2710/a/15435

        I think you'll find that first of all, sweden is almost definitely the country you want to be in to avoid being extradited. And second of all, the legal system in Sweden, is actually one of the most lenient in the world. The Pirate Bay guys will probably serve out their prison sentence by going to jail on weekends like a hotel stay. Watching some TV or surfing the net. The money punishment will be written off since while they lost the financial settlement, the law prohibits legal settlements from bankrupting individuals. So, it's almost entirely ignorable. It'll just mean they won't be getting any low interest loans from banks anytime real soon.

        Sweden is exactly the place you want to be in this circumstance. That is of course unless the rape charges actually do hold up. And unless they managed to make them hold up thus far, in Sweden, they probably won't hold up again. I mean, it's a country that doesn't even have such a thing as a life sentence.

        Now, if I were him... especially given that he's almost 100% guaranteed to end up in prison (or worse, living in equador). I'd find a way to get imprisoned in Sweden for a year or two, hire a ghost writer, write a book and run a blog from the inside, then laugh my ass all the way to the bank when I got out.

    2. Bilgepipe

      Arrest Warranty

      The screen shot quite clearly states "Arrest Warrant Issued By." And it's red.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        FAIL

        @Bilgepipe

        Yes, and what does it say after "Arrest Warrant Issued By" ?

        Does it say INTERPOL? No it doesn't, you blind troll.

        Interpol have NOT issued an arrest warrant. They have issued a notice asking for information on behalf of the Swedish, who HAVE issued a warrant...

        You really are spouting bilge, aren't you?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      @Alexander 3

      "I think Sweden would be one of the best places to receive the trial..."

      That was a joke, right?

    4. Wayne
      WTF?

      He tried to face the music

      He tried to face the music. Repeatedly. After these charges were brought, then dropped, then modified then brought again, he made several offers to attend interviews in person. When his application for residence was rejected, he asked if he could leave the country and was told he could. So he did.

      After that, he continued to offer to meet with the prosecutor by video conference because he didn't want to schlepp back there, given their habit of not wanting to talk to him before. That's not unreasonable is it ?

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Chip

    Assange and cronies: Very Large Shoulder Chips attached to extremely small brains.

  15. Steve X

    wikinookie

    I'm surprised he hasn't found someone who can leak all the documents about his alleged sex crimes. That would make it tricky to find a jury that couldn't be challenged as biased...

  16. David Lucke

    Nice dodge there

    Bet Ian Huntley wishes he'd thought of this. Very publicly piss of multiple countries, particularly the US, and then you're free to commit any crime you want and you can just claim you're being framed by the CIA / Interpol / etc and everyone will campaign for you to be let off.

    Not saying that's what's happening here necessarily, of course. The key is to keep a close watch on the actualy trial, which you can be sure loads of people will be doing.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      Re: Nice dodge there

      People like you, making up pretend scenarios without a scrap of evidence is why our judiciary is FUBAR and we can't get on a plane without having our gonads etc. felt up.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Interpol

    That Interpol website is pretty shit! Not only don't they have Julian's photo but I did a quick search for Osama bin Laden, Lord Lucan and Martin Bormann but they weren't even in the database.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Why would Martin Bormann be on there?

      He died in 1945

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Troll

    Julian Assange, give up your place in wikileak..

    .. and hand your position to someone else until this mess is over. This is, believe it or not, for your best interest. (although, I don't know if they are going to try to make an example of you for the next wanabe wikileaker).

    Oh and if you have some sort of an admin right to the site, remove that right from yourself, and ask the replacement to change your account setting, also ask him/her to start doing some internal changes so that your information is outdated.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    'Sex crimes' cited

    So the Interpol warrant includes lyrics from a Eurythmics song? Isn't that copyright infringement?

    1. John G Imrie
      Big Brother

      That Eurythmics song

      Was written for the movie 1984.

  20. ShaggyDoggy

    Timing

    Bit of a timing non-surprise here, what ...

  21. Mr Larrington
    Coat

    Dear Interpol

    Assange est dans l'arbre.

    HTH HAND.

  22. Chris Hatfield
    Troll

    Assange is a troll - in a good way

    I love Wikileaks and think what they have done is extremely lulzy. I know what he's doing is very important for democracy and transparency, but the best thing, for me, is the entertainment value.

    He isn't just trolling anyone. He's literally trolling the most powerful people in the world.

    And I get a massive kick when idiot makes a comment on El Reg, saying they think Wikileaks is teh evilz. Then that comment gets a load of red thumbs-downs, because El Reg readers are mostly intelligent.

    Hillary is RAGING, they want blood. Watching her stupid face as she approaches the lectern, gives me no end of joy. "We strongly condemn .. blah blah blah".

    Hearing that Sarkozy say that Wikileaks is a "threat to democracy" also made me really happy. Why? Because it makes him sound like a complete tit and he doesn't even realise it!

    I guess Assange is restricted to the UK, for now. My biggest worry, is that he'll be quite isolated so won't get much female companionship (in hiding). I guess that's something he'll have to live with.

    1. g e

      Ooooh! Just maybe....

      We'll get a Steve Jobs / Heather Mills maniacal foamed-mouth moment out of Hilzy on public TV!

      YouTube has a long memory :oD

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Its all very odd

    I know that there is a lot of hype and BS and conspiracy theories over this but does anyone know when Interpol last released an international arrest notice for someone who has allegedly raped two women, especially when that person would seem to have co-operated with the authorities in the country where the crimes supposedly were committed. If the answer is never then it adds a lot of credence to Assage's claims.

    1. david wilson

      @Ac

      >>"does anyone know when Interpol last released an international arrest notice for someone who has allegedly raped two women"

      Looking on the Interpol site linked to above, in the first 24 listed, there seem to be a lot of red notices for theft and fraud, kidnapping, drugs and 'crimes against life and health, but there was one down for 'sex crimes' (and it wasn't Assange).

      So there are *some* sex offences there, even if they aren't as common as other categories.

      That said, given they don't go into details, 'sex crimes' could cover a whole range of things, of a whole range of seriousnesses.

      Presumably, even leaving aside the relative prevalence of one or other crime, or how seriously any particular government takes particular crimes, some kinds of crimes are more likely than others to be prone to people moving between countries (or being suspected of moving between countries).

      A drug smuggler may be more prone to international movements than a shoplifter.

      A fraudster may well have an idea when a fraud is likely to unravel, and make travel plans accordingly.

      Etc.

      So I think there's a definite limit to what could be inferred from the frequency of sex crimes appearing on the list

      >>"especially when that person would seem to have co-operated with the authorities in the country where the crimes supposedly were committed."

      If it is the case that Assange /has/ suggested various dates/times for being questioned by the Swedish authorities, then if the whole thing is some plot to get him arrested and then sent stateside, why would anyone need to bother with issuing Interpol notices?

      Couldn't the big government conspiracy just turn up where he was being interviewed, and have him arrested there?

  24. deadlockvictim
    Big Brother

    Sex Crimes

    I thought that fiddling with children was the usual crime for those wanted by the U.S. Govt | The Man | <insert repressive authority figure of your choice>.

    That being said, the accusations may very well be genuine, in which case, Mr. Assange may have just earned himself a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      children don't make effective false witnesses

      And few people are interested in kids in that way anyway. Adult pros, however, can be paid to entice and have sex with someone and then to lie about the nature of it and 2 can be paid and trained to do this independently of each other. They can also be trained to lie about it convincingly. Chances are that Assange is very unlikely to be a rapist or paedo, but a well setup and financed honeytrap is going to be a difficult thing for many (especially single) men to avoid. Just ask Mordechai Vanunu.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordechai_Vanunu

      Someone who makes the enemies Assange makes should probably have seen this coming, but which of us can say with all honesty that we could never be honeytrapped ?

  25. dave 81
    FAIL

    Corrupt pigs

    Interpol show themselves to be just as corrupt as any national police force. Sickening.

  26. ratfox
    Paris Hilton

    I bet he's regretting it...

    I can't think of anybody else who must regret so much listening to his lower brain since Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky affair.

    By the way, this is from the Wikipedia entry on Interpol:

    "In order to maintain as politically neutral a role as possible, Interpol's constitution forbids its involvement in crimes that do not overlap several member countries,[3] or in any political, military, religious, or racial crimes.[4] Its work focuses primarily on public safety, terrorism, organized crime, crimes against humanity, environmental crime, genocide, war crimes, piracy, illicit drug production, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, child pornography, white-collar crime, computer crime, intellectual property crime and corruption."

    I don't usually follow what Interpol actually does, but it looks like they are a bit out of their usual tracks, this time.

    ...Oh, Ecuador have apparently rescinded their offer, condemning the leaks. Apparently, diplomatic cables are still going from US to the Ecuador.

    PH for the honey trap, of course

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I bet he's regretting it...

      So they don't deal with political crimes, but they do deal with terrorism? ("One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.") They don't deal with military crimes, but they do deal with war crimes? They don't deal with racial crimes, but they do deal with genocide?

      But then I looked at http://www.interpol.int/Public/ICPO/LegalMaterials/constitution/constitutionGenReg/constitution.asp#art3

      "It is strictly forbidden for the Organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character."

      Looks like Wikipedia's just wrong on that point. It's not that Interpol doesn't deal with "any political, military, religious, or racial crimes." Rather, it's forbidden from undertaking "any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character." It's what Interpol does that mustn't be "of a political, military, religious or racial character", rather than Interpol being forbidden from investigating such crimes.

    2. david wilson

      @ratfox

      >>"Its work focuses primarily on...."

      I'd take that to mean that that's the bulk of what it does, not an exclusive list

      Looking at the list you got from Wikipedia, a lot of the activities are fairly classic cross-border crimes, or crimes where people might be frequently expected to do a runner when things look like getting tricky.

      However, looking at Interpol's own list of Red Notices, there are a lot of cases which seem to be down as theft or fraud. While some of those might actually be corruption related, some may well be more regular crimes not on the 'focuses primarily on' list, but that doesn't mean they don't qualify for a red notice.

      Also, while their work may 'focus on' the areas you listed, what does that actually mean?

      I'd have thought it may well mean that they actively do things in those areas (transnational investigations, co-operation, training, etc)

      But when it comes to a red notice, isn't that really an admin role?

      One would think that as long as a request from a national police force doesn't fail any tests for being an admissible crime, the request gets added to the list on the website, maybe the name gets added to a list for people to check at borders, but that's about all that happens.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    American Bully

    This guy Julian is standing up in front of the world and saying we are sick of your lies and we are sick of the way your run things and we are sick of being your slaves. America in particular does not like it because it is the class bully and is used to getting what it wants through brute force. Suddenly it feels almost powerless to stop the tide of public opinion so it attempts to undermine the source to get its power back. What it has done however (as many of these posts suggest) is to make people realise even more than they did before that their days as a super power are over. No one has any respect for America any more and it is the most hated nation on the planet. Yet if you go there, there are a lot of great people and it is a wonderful country. The american people need to oust their government oligarks and give the nation back to the people so free speech really does mean free speech again. Viva Revolution!

    1. Steve X
      Thumb Down

      No...

      Actually I'd say that Assange is just standing out in the middle of the playground yelling "hey, looky, I got all your documents, aren't I clever, Wheee!" as he throws them all up in the air and runs away.

      I doubt if he's specifically targeting the US, or the UK, or any other country. It's just an ego trip, disguised as public interest.

      1. Intractable Potsherd

        @Steve X

        It doesn't actually matter whether it is altruism or egotism; the result is the same. We, the public, are getting the information we should have in order to hold our representatives to account. Wikileaks is an unalloyed social good.

    2. Josh 15

      Agreed

      As an Englishman, I find ordinary Americans generous to a fault and generally very friendly, intellectually curious and welcoming. Their government, police and secret services do SUCH a disservice to the general US population, internationally. They misrepresent the people on the global stage and with every opportunity they simply compound their oafish behaviour.

      America IS and remains a great country - if you can just take the bullying politics, nationalistic militarism and evangelical religion out of the picture. Shame, really. As things stand, the US really does seem, most of the time, like some kind of global menace to the rest of us. For all the self-important cavorting and posturing before the world's media by it's moronic politicians, it's worth remembering, in the words of a certain Mr Bowie, that 'this is not America'. Not the real one, anyway.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Up

        Accurate

        I find Steve X description of Assange pretty well on the ball.

        1. Steve X
          Thumb Down

          More harm than good

          If Assange, or wikileaks in general, had weeded through those 250k memos, and published a few dozen which really showed criminal misbehaviour, he/they might have more claim to the moral high ground.

          As it is, all they've done is to embarrass and annoy some powerful people, people who tend to react with a knee-jerk. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some sudden tightening of whistleblower laws, demands for more interception of communications, etc. Needless to say this will make anyone considering a leak, even of truly serious information, much more apprehensive in the future. Overall, Assange's childish behaviour really hasn't done anyone any good, least of all in the "public interest".

          1. david wilson

            @Steve X

            Steve, Steve, you're missing the point.

            If being given some information is good, then being given more must obviously be better by definition, however much it is, and of whatever quality.

            If it works for sweets and beer, why not information?

            It's all about *principles*, you see.

            Once you have a *principle* that secrecy is wrong and harmful, you're freed from any need to actually think about whether any particular instance of secrecy is actually harmful or whether it might even be beneficial.

            Once you accept as a *principle* that all politicians are liars, then while you may be allowed to make exceptions when it's convenient for you, if you want to ignore what one of them is saying, you don't actually have to think about whether they may be even partly right, you can just dismiss them out of hand.

            And freedom from thought is such a wonderful thing for some people. Apparently.

            In any case, we clearly need to know *all* this information to be able to hold politicians to account.

            For example, just think about how many people are going to change how they vote after discovering that diplomats file unflattering reports about foreigners.

            Just you *wait* until the mass 'March for Diplomatic Openness' take over London.

            You'll be laughing on the other side of your face then, I can tell you.

      2. g e
        Troll

        Not to play Devils Advocate but...

        How much would be left after you removed all that ?

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Coffee/keyboard

    Insurance

    Don't forget the ~2Gb torrent labelled "insurance", the password for which will be released in the case of something happening to Assange.

    Esc for escape strategy

  29. Doug Glass
    Go

    Love IT

    The freaks come out at night. :+)

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    bb dayorder

    wikileaks doubleplus ungood

    thoughtcrime malquoted rectify

    assange sexcrime unperson

  31. Carrierbag Head
    Big Brother

    title goes here

    It actually surprises me how brazen they are with this BS. First big news Wikileak and a mysterious arrest warrant is issued in Sweden for Assange, that quickly gets withdrawn. New batch of big news leaks, and guess what, he's back being a sex offender again! I'm just waiting for them to photoshop some pictures up of him hanging out with Gary Glitter.

    They just don't seem to care how obviously trumped up it all looks. Are they that arrogant, that they believe the world public are moronic enough to believe this stuff?...Actually, don't answer that.

    1. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

      Re: title goes here

      "They just don't seem to care how obviously trumped up it all looks."

      Yes, I think so. They just want to crush the guy no matter how obvious it will be (in fact, probably the more obvious, the better) so as to scare away any of his aspiring successors.

      But I don't think it is going to be effective. Actually, it will probably make such people more determined (and more careful about how they do it) in the future.

    2. Someone Else Silver badge
      Badgers

      Sorry, I just couldn't help myself...

      "Are they that arrogant, that they believe the world public are moronic enough to believe this stuff?"

      Sorry, but I just had to point out that this is the same country where Sarah fscking Palin is a **serious** contender for POTUS. So, yes...OF COURCE they believe the public (at least, the American public) is at least that moronic.

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Somewhere outside of London?

    Well that narrows it down...

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Coat

      Re: Somewhere outside of London?

      I believe that if you are American, that level of geographic precision is equivalent to a GPS fix....

    2. Graham Marsden
      Coat

      ITYM...

      ... "England? Isn't that in London?"

    3. Someone Else Silver badge
      Alert

      Geez..

      Gdansk is "somewhere outside of London", innit?

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @The Fuzzy Wotnot and @Carrierbag Head

    "I suppose the politicians are so far up their own fundaments that they really do think we're all stupid enough to believe this at face value!"

    "It actually surprises me how brazen they are with this BS"

    No, it seems pretty obvious that it's intentionally *not* meant to be convincing- the underlying and obvious message is "f**k with us and we have the power to do this to you under some transparently bullshit pretext".

  34. gautam
    Coat

    Protect Him

    I Implore our own UK goverment (the paragons, birthplace of Democracy etc etc) to Officially give Assange the protection form these vile headhunters A La Rushdie.

    In the name of Democracy, transparency, Power to the people, freedom of Press, and all that jazz, headline grabbing propoganda, let them show to the USa that we dont trump up charges for short ends and expediency.

    Just take a stand , Cameroon, will you?

    Mines the bulletproof one.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      Extradite him

      to the States if they want for espionage.

  35. bluest.one
    Megaphone

    Just Because You're Paranoid...

    Assange's lawyer is saying (according to the Guardian) that it's unprecedented that an international warrant is issued for someone's arrest when the country where the trouble happened hasn't actually issued an arrest warrant - which is apparently the case. The Swedish puppets of the US .... er .... I mean powers that be, have only said that they want Assange to talk to them as a witness.

    Add to that the fact that Assange and his legal team have been trying to co-operate with the Swedish authorities for some time now, only to have been rebuffed at every occassion and it seems to me that this latest Interpol involvement can mean only one thing: what Wikileaks is exposing is the truth at the heart of the matter - ALL of the 'civilized' Western democracies and institutions are essentially corrupt and corruptable and that those who govern us do so and use OUR power (as a democracy) in their own interests and their own interests alone.

    1. adrianww
      Big Brother

      Er...

      ...if you hadn't already cottoned on to the rather, shall we say, "self-interested" nature of our political leaders and their associated institutions long before the whistleblowing puppet theatre that is Wikileaks ever came along, then you're either very young and still in awe of the world-changing power of the magical intertubes or you have a very trusting nature and probably shouldn't respond to any unsolicited emails.

    2. david wilson

      @bluest.one

      >>"Add to that the fact that Assange and his legal team have been trying to co-operate with the Swedish authorities for some time now..."

      Are there any details about what he's offering in terms of interviews, and what the Swedes are demanding, so people could make any kind of informed judgment about whether one or both parties are being unreasonable?

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    the evolution of english.

    when you've been alive long enough, you can actually see words change meaning.

    Jiggered is an ages old, slang north eastern term for "extremely tired." I never heard it used in any other context until a year ago, when it changed to meaning the same as screwed.

    I wonder if this is how the etymological monstrosity of a corruption changed "billion", as in "We gave Sweden several Billion dollars to get this guy" came to mean 10**9 rather than 10**12.

    I don't see what the big deal is with Assange. If the yanks are pissed with him, because he's screwed them, then they should put a million dollars and a US passport on his head, in return for his head at any US embassy. Let's face it, the Israelis (who american diplomats seem to say nothing whatsoever,) the Russian, the Chinese, the Iranians, all demonstrably just send in wet boys whenever they like. Why shouldn't the yanks? It's not like he's an american citizen is he?

    1. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

      Not so simple

      "then they should put a million dollars and a US passport on his head, in return for his head at any US embassy."

      Why would anyone want a US passport for such peanuts - there are plenty of people willing to pay more than that just to give it back (but they can't). You see, it comes with lifelong worldwide tax attached + complimentary beheading, free kidnapping and general derision in a large part of the world.

    2. david wilson

      @AC

      >>"Jiggered is an ages old, slang north eastern term for "extremely tired." I never heard it used in any other context until a year ago, when it changed to meaning the same as screwed."

      North eastern where?

      In North West England, I thought 'I'll be jiggered' was generally an indication of generally danger-free surprise roughly analogous to "Well, I'll be buggered", but not analogous to buggered in the sense of "I'm buggered if Fred ends up being my boss".

  37. Tom 13

    Oh, there's no question he broke US laws.

    Simply being managerially associated with WikiLeaks makes him an accessory after the fact on the espionage charge.

    The questions are:

    * Can the US capture him?

    * Can the US convict him in the court system?

    * Can the US find an excuse to hold him as an enemy combatant?

    * Will some Middle Eastern country dispatch a wet works team to deal with him for embarrassing their leader? And will they get to him before the US does?

  38. Tom 13

    I do really wish we Americans could leave you clueless Brits

    to die in your own feces on this Wikileaks issue, but we have to save ourselves therefore we'll wind up saving you in the process.

    Without us doing the gritty unpalatable work of actually killing the jihadists who want to enslave everyone else to their corrupt religion you'd already be feeling the sting of their lash. Queen and Parliament would already have been strung up long ago, and el Reg would be a forgotten memory.

    Wikileaks' express purpose is to undermine the relationships that let us hunt them down. In my book that constitutes sufficient reason to hunt down anyone associated with them and dispose of them as hard men will to protect the sheep who curse them.

    1. Goat Jam
      Troll

      Hello

      Did you forget to select the appropriate icon for your post.

      <-- see here.

      Or, do you really believe that load of nationalistic "amerika saves the world" bullcrap you posted?

      Did you watch "Team America" and think it was a DHS recruiting advertisment?

      Here's a hint. Without the constant self interested meddling in the Middle East perpetrated over the last century by amerika there wouldn't be hordes of young "ayrabs" willing to blow themselves up in the name of destroying aptly named "The Great Satan".

      Here's an idea. How about you yanks STOP trying to "save" the world for a while and we'll see what happens eh?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Down

      @ I do really wish we Americans could leave you clueless Brits

      I know! We want that too!!!!1!lOL

      We've been trying to get your military bases, missiles (of varying kinds) and political influence far, far away from us for quite some time now. Maybe though - with some determined lobbying from good folks such as yourself - we'll finally get rid of yo skanky-ass lie-mongers.

      Please be good enough to throw yourselves, weapons and all, into the sea. Thanks awfully.

      Love AC.

    3. Heff
      FAIL

      Ha!

      obvious troll is obvious.

    4. Guido Esperanto

      please don't tar the rest of America with your brush

      You preach as though America is acting as world police, saving our nation from the blight in the Middle East, that your methods are fair and just.

      Only they are not.

      These jihadi's you seem to be eradicating from the world, also appears to be a bunch of innocents, reporters and the like, something you like to term "collateral damage".

      Your government, while delivering its silver tongue to its thronged masses, like yourself absorbing every word that spouts forth from their lips, is also plotting behind closed doors to entrench itself as a super power, using whatever means necessary to achieve that aim, but thats alright, because its done in your name and that of the greater good?

      A lot of Americans are now via the publishing of articles on wikileaks are starting to see contrasting stories, those from the articles and those from the government.

      I'm not going to preach on the validity of the articles, there are few who could do so vehemently, but they are starting to allow sensible Americans to move the spotlight from where it currently is

      "WAR ON TERROR" to the Whitehouse and to start questioning your government on its methods and its strategies.

      That is the positive from this. The people who sense there is some wrongdoing, now potentially have support of their suspicions, they will not blindly tow the governmental line.

      Thats the true power of what wikileaks has released, the governments are now starting to fear reprisals and are now directing their aim direct at Assange and his organisation, to discredit him and the site to allow for uninterrupted brainwashing.

      But the seed in the minds of sensible Americans has been planted and that is enough.

      Wikileaks seeks to undermine the message that past and subsequent governments have and will lie to their subjects to achieve their means.

      you and they seem to forget, THEY WORK FOR YOU. THEY ACT IN YOUR NAME. If you let it continue, blood will be on your hands as well.

  39. cmaurand
    Linux

    I'm shocked

    Shocked, mind you, that after letting the world know what's really going on, that this guy is being charged with something fishy. Question authority...continually.

  40. adrianww
    WTF?

    I just assumed...

    ...that they wanted to arrest him for being a grandstanding, self-aggrandizing arse who uses his whole "Oooh, look at me, I have to move around all the time 'cos THE MAN is trying to get me, yeah?" lifestyle to promote his pet web project - the one that seems to contain a mixture of a small amount of very good and interesting stuff, almost lost in the midst of a load of "meh - we all knew that", "meh - who cares anyway" and "WTF - that's utter bollocks".

    I'm not necessarily a big fan of the ever-popular Mr Orlowski on here, but he's bang on the money when he says that cryptome has long done the whole whistleblowing thing much better than Mr Assange's little self-perpetuating publicity stunt.

    Yeah, yeah, lots of downvotes by the pro-wikileaks sheeple on the way, I know...

  41. Chris Hatfield
    Grenade

    Bill O'Reilly & Sarah Palin have now called for his execution

    To all the dumbass Americans (not the intelligent ones, of which there are many) who agree with this sentiment, I have three words for you:

    - First Amendment, bitches!

    [source: http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/it-business/3251386/sarah-palin-says-target-wikileaks-julian-assange-like-the-taliban/ ]

    Whilst Assange is the figurehead of Wikileaks, it can and will continue without him. Go look up 'bullet-proof hosting'.

    1. Someone Else Silver badge
      WTF?

      Re: Bill O'Reilly & Sarah Palin have now called for his execution

      That darn near qualifies him for Sainthood. All we need is a documented miracle...perhaps staying alive and out of US custody for the next 6 months woiuld qualify?

  42. thecakeis(not)alie

    HEIL! The great Assange hath embarassed US.gov!

    Excepting...

    ...what about those cables was remotely embarrassing? Everything I've read so far makes it fairly routine stuff. Frank appraisals that are no shock to anyone and the sort of routine spy vs. spy that has been going on in international politics since forever.

    Exactly what in those cables was irritating enough to try setting the man up for something like this? Isn’t it just as likely that the lad’s two mistresses either feel they have a legitimate grievance? Honestly, given the absolute STORM of derision the world over being directed at these two ladies (and the Swedish government,) do you honestly think they’d continue with this if they didn’t have a damned good reason?

    And do you all honestly think they were “teh spais ell oh ell” send by US.gov to bed him and then complain publicly? Really? Seems a little farfetched to me. I say that as “the guy” on these forums with the least faith in governments and mega corporations. Still, there’s just so much here. He’s pissed off some powerful people…but he’s also a walking egobomb. He did sleep with these ladies...and I still refuse to believe the Swedish government would be so transparent as to simply take orders from US.gov on this.

    I don’t know if you know many Swedes…but “taking orders” is not a trait I would ever have associated with their culture.

    1. david wilson

      @thecakeis(not)alie

      But surely, it's well known that every country keeps a whole load of Femmes Fatale just waiting to sleep with people who dare to criticise a government?

      There are so many of them, they could afford to use two on Assange.

      Though, of course, *most* of the time, after a night of passion, they only threaten to make accusations of assault in order to force people to toe the line, rather than having anything get as far as actually filing police reports.

      That's why you don't seem to hear of actual cases happening very often, despite it obviously going on all the time.

      And on that note, may I be the first to say I have *all* the recordings of President Mmmmph steamy sex romps with Mmmmpph and her daughters, Daisy and Ermintrude.

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Nearly 80 years later - nothing has changed.

    Corporation USA gets a well deserved black eye for it's greed and corruption.

    http://www.fas.org/man/smedley.htm

    "Smedley Butler on Interventionism

    -- Excerpt from a speech delivered in 1933, by Major General Smedley Butler, USMC.

    War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.

    I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.

    I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.

    There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.

    It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.

    I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service.

    I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.

    During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."

  44. tom 24
    Stop

    I don't understand!

    Wait. Did he have nonconsensual sex with both of them at once? How did he overpower them both if there were... but... I'm confused. That doesn't seem physically possible.

    I must be missing an important piece of information here, because at face value the charge sounds like complete BS.

  45. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If arrested in the UK

    Can the UK police force him to give up all his passwords & crypto keys else go to prison until he does?

  46. PhoXx
    Go

    A True Delight

    When you tread on the toes of those in power, this is what happens.

    As the vast majority of most populations ignore the actions of their goveernments they can get away with anything.

    Assange has done a great thing by exposing EVERYONE for what they are.

    Our own politicians are vindictive liars whilst other country's politicians/rulers are shit-stirrers, pardon the language.

    I think Assange's mistake was not mitigating his position well in advance, he seems shellshocked at government's reactions.

    Though I am glad he wasn't scared by their threats and kept publishing, keep it up.

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Chris Hatfield

    Yes, definitely some megalulz being had as a result of these megaleaks.

    And love how wikileaks are dragging it out, releasing a few dozen new 'cablegate' leaks each day. Been on the lookout for a new soap opera since The Bill finished. An here it is, Wikileaks laying new cable each day. Shitting good stuff!

  48. Deadly_NZ
    Go

    Hey Julian

    Ill run wikileaks for you and would take the greatest pleasure in taking it to the people from the land of the Paranoid and Insane...

    I live in NZ Close to AUS

    I never been to sweden

    never the US of insanity

    never been convicted of a serious crime but they will make my pot smoking a national outrage

    All just because you asked a question

    how decent and honest are you???

    and that Assholes slammed shut , the hands flew to cover said assholes and the mouths did open in a terrible scream

    FUCK THEY CAUGHT US!!!!

  49. Zolko Silver badge
    Go

    Dear Interpol

    Julian Assange is with Osama Ben Laden, hiding in the same cave in Afghanistan.

    Hope this helps.

  50. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Nice article - Tool of Lucifer

    I mean Smedley Butler. Couldnt have put it more succinctly. What an epiphany hes had !

    Surely USA didnt invade iraq for its dates or strawberries. It was oil and Bush was eating out of the oilmen's palms.

    Afhganistan has no oil but Osama gave them a great excuse to pile on the agony, for the benefit of the Arms industry to try and experiment new weapons. And also surround Iran from both sides. Motivation being ... oil of course. How long before they destabilize it ? ( The Islam/extremism/nuclear power plants is just a media hype excue - They havent attacked anyone and Im not Iranian!)

    They need to support the arms manufacturers. How else can they of there are no wars?

    C'mon guys. ITS A RACKET ALL RIGHT.

    Assange just needled them for this and hes condemned now.

    Russia is our only hope to counter this racket by standing up to USa in the Arms race.

    Mines the bulletproof one.

    1. Heff
      WTF?

      Wait, what?

      "Russia is our only hope to counter this racket by standing up to USa in the Arms race."

      I think you confused your derp and your wharrgarbl there.

  51. marc bolan
    Grenade

    So your sister's THAT good eh?

    The Ozzytake on things.

    http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/12/02/when-it-comes-to-assange-r-pe-case-the-swedes-are-making-it-up-as-they-go-along/

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