WikiLeaks - Is this a threat

Livio Ciaralli wrote:As stated earlier, I'd be all for this guy if he picked his battles and surgically selected the most damaging docs on coverups re the war,


Thats not his job. That is Media's responsibility. All he is doing is giving you a chance to look at the inofrmation . Its up to you to do what you like with it.

That doesn't negate my argument. He still could have used this information in a way to effect change rather than just be irresponsible and throw it out there.

If the stuff he is releasing is so powerful that he needs to have an encrypted file full of secrets to blackmail governments into not killing him lest it be released, then he should have been a bit more responsible with what he was releasing, imo.

And wouldn't you , have protection ?

As for your argument it fails to realize one importnat fact, he's not interested in taking any government down. He's merely releasing information others have given to him. He's not stating an opinion, nor is he making an effort to change your way of thinking. He's only releasing information. He's releasing raw data as it comes in. Why are you making an assumption he has to do more. I haven't seen any attempt at him targeting any individual country to effect change . As for being irresponsible, sorry, he's doing the responsible thing. Better then whats been done over the last 6 decades, thats is hiding and manipulating information.

Again, look at media and professional "journalists" to do their jobs.

But wasn't the information release obtained illegally? Perhaps I'm a little more trusting than others, but if someone has declared something to be classified, how does it make sense to circulate that information to the public and let them decide?

One of the reasons for keeping information classified is to not reveal the source, who may be providing some real, valuable intelligence. The distribution of seemingly unsecret information may destroy a source of valuable information.

"But wasn't the information release obtained illegally?"

in what country?

Livio Ciaralli wrote:And wouldn't you , have protection ?

Yes! That was my point! What he has is so dangerous that he obviously needs the protection. And I think with great power comes great responsibility. He's got a lot of power, and he's endangering lives.

Livio Ciaralli wrote:As for your argument it fails to realize one importnat fact, he's not interested in taking any government down. He's merely releasing information others have given to him. He's not stating an opinion, nor is he making an effort to change your way of thinking.

My language may be a bit harse, but it sounds like he's trying to change the government's way of thinking by restricting it's ability to operate, taking it down in essence, and assuming something more efficient will magically appear.

Deank wrote:"But wasn't the information release obtained illegally?"

in what country?

Why don't you just go to law school already, Dean.

LOL

I wonder if this can be called treasonous if the information is not from or about his home country? So as an Australian can he be charged with treason in the US? Is there a legal definition/charge for espionage? What laws did he break that he can be charged with?

thats what I am trying to find out...hmm.. technically the USA could charge him with some form of theft or conspiracy to theft ... but with little intrinsic value to the documents they would be hard pressed to ever get a successful world wide arrest order.

Does anyone remember in 1972? The Pentagon Papers- No charges of treason- and the Supreme Court ruled that the papers had a right to publish.
This is similar- There is nothing treasonous going on !

Canada's law on Treason

"High treason(1) Every one commits high treason who, in Canada,(a) kills or attempts to kill Her Majesty, or does her any bodily harm tending to death or destruction, maims or wounds her, or imprisons or restrains her;(b) levies war against Canada or does any act preparatory thereto; or(c) assists an enemy at war with Canada, or any armed forces against whom Canadian Forces are engaged in hostilities, whether or not a state of war exists between Canada and the country whose forces they are.Treason(2) Every one commits treason who, in Canada,(a) uses force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Canada or a province;(b) without lawful authority, communicates or makes available to an agent of a state other than Canada, military or scientific information or any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document of a military or scientific character that he knows or ought to know may be used by that state for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or defence of Canada;(c) conspires with any person to commit high treason or to do anything mentioned in paragraph (a);(d) forms an intention to do anything that is high treason or that is mentioned in paragraph (a) and manifests that intention by an overt act; or(e) conspires with any person to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) or forms an intention to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b) and manifests that intention by an overt act."It is also illegal for a Canadian citizen to do any of the above outside Canada.The penalty for high treason is life imprisonment. The penalty for treason is imprisonment up to a maximum of life, or up to 14 years for conduct under subsection (2)(b) or (e) in peacetime.

FYI - I was using treason with a "lower case t", as a figure of speech.

Editorial by Assange: http://www.ndtv.com/article/wikileaks%20revelations/editorial-written-by-julian-assange-in-i-the-australian-i-71185

Highlights include:

"Every time WikiLeaks publishes the truth about abuses committed by US agencies, Australian politicians chant a provably false chorus with the State Department: "You'll risk lives! National security! You'll endanger troops!" Then they say there is nothing of importance in what WikiLeaks publishes. It can't be both. Which is it?"

and

"Democratic societies need a strong media and WikiLeaks is part of that media. The media helps keep government honest. WikiLeaks has revealed some hard truths about the Iraq and Afghan wars, and broken stories about corporate corruption.

People have said I am anti-war: for the record, I am not. Sometimes nations need to go to war, and there are just wars. But there is nothing more wrong than a government lying to its people about those wars, then asking these same citizens to put their lives and their taxes on the line for those lies. If a war is justified, then tell the truth and the people will decide whether to support it."

I'm posting this because I know when my verbal skills are out matched, and I can't do any better than Assange in this regard.

Sex by surprise..

"Assange's London attorney, Mark Stephens, told AOL News today that Swedish prosecutors told him that Assange is wanted not for allegations of rape, as previously reported, but for something called "sex by surprise," which he said involves a fine of 5,000 kronor or about $715."

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/sex-by-surprise-at-heart-of-julian-assange-criminal-probe/19741444

So, basically, during "gettin' it on" the condom broke, and he didn't stop as per the woman's request. Apparently that's considered "rape" in Sweden...good to know! lol

But yeah, after reading that story and putting those charges into proper context, it's all hype and fluff over nothing. And it's being used as a distraction from the real news, which is what's contained in all those leaked documents.

Such as, and amongst other things:

- The US asked its diplomats to steal personal human material and information from UN officials and human rights groups, including DNA, fingerprints, iris scans, credit card numbers, internet passwords and ID photos, in violation of international treaties.

- King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia asked the US to attack Iran.

- Officials in Jordan and Bahrain want Iran's nuclear program stopped by any means available.

- Britain's Iraq inquiry was fixed to protect "US interests".

- Sweden is a covert member of NATO and US intelligence sharing is kept from parliament.

- The US is playing hardball to get other countries to take freed detainees from Guantanamo Bay. Barack Obama agreed to meet the Slovenian President only if Slovenia took a prisoner. Our Pacific neighbour Kiribati was offered millions of dollars to accept detainees.

...etc.

Much the same as evidence gained from torture has been ruled admissable by the U.S. in it's trial of terror suspects, on grounds that the ends justify the means, so too does the information released in these documents. Same as same to me.

maybe if he just did not look like such a creep this would all be blown over by now.

Wow, deep dark secrets from the world of espionage and international intrigue...I just want to know how many vehicles the CBC has!!

thats easy

1

LOL Estoban, so for 715 bucks , the world launches an International manhunt for this guy.


Yet there is no penalty for this ( good post )

- The US asked its diplomats to steal personal human material and information from UN officials and human rights groups, including DNA, fingerprints, iris scans, credit card numbers, internet passwords and ID photos, in violation of international treaties.

My language may be a bit harse, but it sounds like he's trying to change the government's way of thinking by restricting it's ability to operate, taking it down in essence, and assuming something more efficient will magically appear.

And is there something wrong with this mantha. ? even though it may not be totally accurate, would you prefer he used weapons of mass destruction ( oopops they didn't have any )....to go about his business to change government.

He is using Knowledge and truth...what more can anyone want to use to effect /affect change.

or perhaps he just started throwing all this crap out there to "protect" himself from a rape charge?

Deank wrote:or perhaps he just started throwing all this crap out there to "protect" himself from a rape charge?

Lol,

Since there was no rape charge

"Assange's London attorney, Mark Stephens, told AOL News today that Swedish prosecutors told him that Assange is wanted not for allegations of rape, as previously reported, but for something called "sex by surprise," which he said involves a fine of 5,000 kronor or about $715."


Perhaps he just wanted to save 715 bucks.. Winnipeg should adopt this guy.

I wonder if Bush and Karl Rove and Dick Cheney had anything to do with Wiki's website being under attack?
"Weapons of destruction, "the truth"? lol

rosencrentz wrote:I wonder if Bush and Karl Rove and Dick Cheney had anything to do with Wiki's website being under attack?
"Weapons of destruction, "the truth"? lol

Perhaps not all 3 of the cocksuckers, but at least one of them. As for Cheney, he just indicted in a bribery case. Technically, all 3 are war criminals.