So what’s happening with Julian Assange? He’d been granted asylum by Ecuador, reported our own ABC, several hours ahead of the scheduled announcement. But, like The Guardian’s report earlier in the week, that hasn’t been confirmed, and won’t be for several hours yet.
Then we heard that UK police had raided the Ecuadorean embassy, again from Australian media. At 10.34am AEST this morning Fairfax websites had the international scoop:
Less than an hour later, the websites of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Canberra Times and Brisbane Times were retreating:
And as Crikey approached deadline the British media wasn’t having a bar of it, sticking with the overnight updates — based on a statement from Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino — that British officials had advised they had the right to enter the embassy to arrest Assange. Ecuador’s view, unsurprisingly, was that this was an outrage.
The Twittersphere, unsurprisingly, went into meltdown, even as it became clear British police had done nothing, with wild claims and conspiracy theories circulating rapidly.
Such is Assange’s capacity to generate hysteria even without doing anything.
He also, it appears, has a remarkable capacity to punch the buttons of governments. The Swedish government, despite being willing to travel overseas to interview suspects in other cases, has declined to do so with Assange despite repeated offers, creating the impression its only interest is in getting him into custody. The US Vice-President jeopardised any eventual US prosecution of Assange by calling him “a high-tech terrorist”. The Australian government, which falsely claimed WikiLeaks had acted illegally, has been wilfully blind about the case, refusing to ask obvious questions of the US about its long-running investigations and grand jury processes about Assange.
Not surprising he’s now precipitated a diplomatic misstep from the UK government.
Hey there, Aussie government. Its Aussie voters who elect you, *not* the US government. It’s kind of dismaying to see the lengths you go to to support the USA government over an Australian citizen, when the USA government purportedly, but dishonestly avows that it is not interested in the dance arranged via UK and Sweden.
All these governments trying to rip his arse off – ’cause he ripped the butt flap out of their sanctimonious long-johns?
‘The Australian government, which falsely claimed WikiLeaks had acted illegally, has been wilfully blind about the case, refusing to ask obvious questions of the US…’
We all know not to ask a question when you already know the unpalatable answer.
The latest headlines has raised further concerns for Julian Assange.
..I feel angry at how he is being treated.
Why does our Government sit back on it’s laurels and not openly do anything? Are they not listening to the Australian public who are continually outraged and have made their views clear on this matter.
What a nerve of the UK government to even contemplate entering the Ecuadorian Embassy! A violation and abuse of power beyond their legal jurisdiction.
Their time would be better spent tracking real criminals!
“Where are the Australian governments balls” she asked?
He said,”err possibly hanging around the neck of the US government, or maybe there’s one on the UK’s and one on US’s”.
My vote in the 2013 election will be to the politician who shows strength of character in speaking out for Julian Assange, who in my opinion is the subject of a witch hunt.
What is curious to me is why the video footage released by Bradly Manning (massacre of civilians by US fighter jet), was not treated more seriously by United Nations. Was this act a war crime?
Instead the US government turn the situation around by hunting down the messengers.
A delivery service simply involved in providing the public with relevant information.
In this instance showing sinister behaviour camouflaged behind the veil of collateral damage.
The criminals that run the UK and US governments want that man Julian Assange. He blew the whistle on their nefarious dealings over Iraq, Afghanistan and many other nasty incidents. As seen many times before when the motherf*cking US government criminals want the man, they will get him.