[portofmanteau]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19281492#sa...icRSS20-sa


"Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK would not allow Mr Assange safe passage out of the country."

This is awesome. I really hope Assange makes a run for it, and discovers his own private PP in South America. I imagine other countries on the continent would welcome him as well - Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina. It seems like it will be extremely difficult to execute a getaway; I don't believe a diplomatic escort can protect him once he leaves the embassy.

"The UK Foreign Office had warned, in a note, that it could lift the embassy's diplomatic status to fulfil a "legal obligation" to extradite the 41-year-old by using the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987.

That allows the UK to revoke the diplomatic status of an embassy on UK soil, which would potentially allow police to enter the building to arrest Mr Assange for breaching the terms of his bail."

I doubt that the UK would follow through with something like this. It's insane they're even talking about it, nominally to extradite a guy who tampered with a condom. It sounds more like a siege situation.. awesome.

[kdolo]

Apparently, it looks like the UK maybe willing to destroy the rule rule for this one guy. A terrible decision on their part. To do so will cause chaos all over the globe as country after country starts to rescind diplomatic protections for embassies.

This will then mushroom into a full blown diplomatic crisis between UK and Ecuador and Latin America for that matter - plying perfectly into the hands of Chavez and Castro types.

What I want to know is:

What if Ecuador makes Assange a citizen and a diplomat ?? Will the UK let him out of the country ?? Will this precipitate a diplomatic crisis and declaration of war ??

[portofmanteau]

(08-16-2012 01:50 PM)kdolo Wrote:  

Apparently, it looks like the UK maybe willing to destroy the rule rule for this one guy. A terrible decision on their part. To do so will cause chaos all over the globe as country after country starts to rescind diplomatic protections for embassies.

I don't think this has any chance of happening. It's amazing to me that the Foreign Office brought it up, though. If Assange does make it to Ecuador, it will an amazing DHV. An international fugitive, famous for outsmarting and embarrassing the world's most powerful governments, wanted by Sweden for having sex with multiple Swedish girls at the same time.

[Spike]

I wonder why Ecuador granted him asylum. What's in it for them? It looks like they get into trouble with the UK, Sweden and of course the US. Why do it?

It would be awesome if Assange made some miraculous escape across the channel and takes a plane in Belgium or France to Ecuador. I would like to see this happen.

[solo]

Probably the reason for Ecuador granting him asylum is that it gives their government major political points for saying fuck you to the US (US is pretty impopular in Latin America, not least in Ecuador whose government is close to Venezuelas'). Also, helping Assange means leverage in any negotiation with the US on other issues, i.e. "We'll give you Assange if you give us x".

Even if the UK doesn't storm the embassy, they are likely to arrest him once he steps put of the car on the airport and as his diplomatic status/protection then seizes to be valid. The way I see it, his best chance would be to try to outsmart them by making them believe he's headed to one airport but then goes to another, or hiding in the back of the car etc.

Does anyone know the exact nature of the charges against him and are there any evidence? For example, was he walking in a dark ally at night and beat down two women and then carried them to his hotel or did they go there willingly?

[Blunt]

If the UK decides to take Assange from the Embassy, illegally or legally, they will have egg on their face.

They are trying to cater to the people who assume that he's guilty of sexual assault with what appears to be flimsy evidence and flimsy charges. A UK politician used the hashtag 'rape' on twitter to justify the storming of the embassy, but I don't that it would even be considered rape in the UK or in the US.

I think they are taking a risk of setting horrible precedence diplomatically to try and gain a few votes from feminists, but they will also likely lose votes from younger voters who admire Assange and also men who are skeptical of the charges, regardless of their feelings on his character.

[porscheguy]

The only way they can get him out is in the bilge of a fishing boat.

[Cincinnatus]

I read an article online earlier that said he may have a chance of escaping Britain if he leaves the Embassy in a diplomatic vehicle, which is supposedly not subject to search or seizure - this assumes, of course, that the U.K. continues to respect the rights of diplomatic immunity.

[Tengen]

I'm just waiting for the US to send Batman in to perform their Extraordinary Rendition.

[polymath]

I have a suspicion that the UK statements were simply a way of grandstanding to show solidarity to the US. This is a country that has spent its entire modern history in the business of international affairs. I would be surprised if they demolish their own reputation by intruding on Ecuador's sovereignty in its embassy, thus violating the principle of respect for diplomatic missions.

Does anybody here think that Assange's rape charges are legitimate? Just curious to see what the forum thinks.

[kerouac]

Assange is a very special figure in the modern world. He has taken modern technology/communication and used it for the "good" (only in quotes because it is disputable) of the democratic individual. A good democratic man is an informed man, and he is putting the information out there. Of course, there are those who don't care as much about the democracy as about the nation/republic, and for them national security is more important than ideology.

I am conflicted about the whole issue, because I see the importance of his information, and public information in general, but I understand the risks of having certain information out in the open (for diplomatic relations).

The issue of Assange comes down to whether you believe in the idea of democracy or pragmatism. Do you want to fight for an issue (democracy) or do you want to maintain whatever it is we have now (pragmatism).

He is providing something very beneficial for our democracy, but he is going against (our) national interests.

Is it good for us to return to our roots (ie. returning to a quest for democracy) or is it better to accept ourselves for what we are and maintain status quo?

[porscheguy]

Considering that the rape accusations originated with some Swedish or Norwegian girls, I'd have to say they're anything but legit.

[void]

As i understood it, he consensually raw-dogged a swede. she clamed rape or something similar, that was enough to put him to trial. the whole thing looked staged from the beginning in my opinion

[Deluge]

Just to clarify, Assange hasn't been formally charged with anything yet. The extradition process is only for him to undergo questioning in Sweden on suspicion of sexual assault. Ecuador offered Swedish authorities the chance to conduct all their questioning on the grounds of the London embassy he's residing at, they turned that down which goes to show what their true motives are...

The two separate women making these allegations got into contact with each other and communicated a lot before they told their allegations to the police. This might've been the reason why the case was initially closed but then reopened by the first prosecutors superior.

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

I congratulate Ecuador and Assange. I'm no fan of him on the topic of his political/espionage works, but I will staunchly defend him from false rape accusations. Not to mention that ridiculous accusations like these are degrading to true victims of rape who endure real suffering every day, like those in Congo.

[Handsome Creepy Eel]

(08-16-2012 03:47 PM)solo Wrote:  

Does anyone know the exact nature of the charges against him and are there any evidence? For example, was he walking in a dark ally at night and beat down two women and then carried them to his hotel or did they go there willingly?

One woman is accusing him of "emotional abuse and coercion into sex" (after fucking him completely willingly and then discovering that he had slept with her acquaintance before her).

Another (the one he fucked first) is accusing him of continuing sex after the condom broke, despite her wishes (also pressed charges only after consulting with her acquaintance several days later, and in the meanwhile tweeted a lot of happy tweets about how she is spending time with the smartest men on the planet).

Google more about this, it's the crown jewel of ridiculous rape accusations (and very symptomatic of Sweden, as you might have guessed).

[michelin]

After the Olympics, we get to see a darker face of the UK's "human spirit".

I suggest a Game boycot of both the UK and Sweden (Don't Bang UK, Don't bang Sweden): these places hysterically chase an innocent guy because of a false rape accusation. As for Assange, I hope he can make it to Ecuador.

As far as I can tell, it's only worth to bang Swedish chicks abroad, somewhere on a Greek Island... (Kamaki? )

[porscheguy]

From the telegraph an hour ago:

Mr Assange has argued, and Ecuador agreed the evidence was strong, that the extradition to Sweden was a pretext for him to be sent to the US, where authorities were incensed by WikiLeaks' 2010 release of 391,832 secret US documents on the Iraqi war and 77,000 classified Pentagon documents on the Afghan conflict.

The whistle-blowing web site also made available about 250,000 confidential diplomatic cables between the U.S. State Department and more than 270 U.S. diplomatic outposts around the world.

Unconfirmed reports cited by The New York Times indicate a secret grand jury hearing in Alexandria, Va., was considering a U.S. Justice Department bid to charge Assange with espionage.

Leaked emails from Strategic Forecasting Inc., a global intelligence company, suggest a sealed indictment is ready to be made public when US officials determine the legal proceedings against Mr Assange in Britain and Sweden have come to a close.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9...Court.html

This has nothing to do with the false rape bullshit. The only reason they're still making a stink about it is due to the US pressuring those countries to detain him until they can get their case together to allow them to charge a foreign national for committing crimes against the US while on foreign soil. This shit is going to make us look real bad for a long time.

[Aliblahba]

Assange is far more accessible in South America. I say bring him to the DR. I'm waiting.

[Roosh]

Don't forget that one of the girls accusing him of rape worked for an organization that got funding from the CIA. If this isn't a setup I don't know what is.

Quote:

One accuser, Anna Ardin, may have “ties to the US-financed anti-Castro and anti-communist groups,” according to Israel Shamir and Paul Bennett, writing for CounterPunch.

While in Cuba, Ardin worked with the Las damas de blanco (the Ladies in White), a feminist anti-Castro group.

Professor Michael Seltzer pointed out that the group is led by Carlos Alberto Montaner who is reportedly connected to the CIA.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/06/as...-cia-ties/

[kosko]

Assange is a protected asset. He has worked closely with the Israeli intelligence Mosaad so the USA isn't going to lay a hand on him. Why didn't they go after him when he was staying in a beautiful estate in the rolling hills of the UK for this past year? UK and USA have strict extradition laws and he was a sitting goose for almost 2 years now. The process was slowed down state side but they had nearly 2 years!

Its all theater, the Israli's won't the USA go after him evreything else is just show for his brand and the press.

So the USA is trying to go via legal means now when meanwhile they have Manning trapped in a box and have stripped all of his legal and basic human rights.

[Timoteo]

(08-16-2012 08:19 PM)MSW2007 Wrote:  

I read an article online earlier that said he may have a chance of escaping Britain if he leaves the Embassy in a diplomatic vehicle, which is supposedly not subject to search or seizure - this assumes, of course, that the U.K. continues to respect the rights of diplomatic immunity.

The problem is he would never make it to the car out front. They've stationed police right out front, and the moment he steps outside the door he'll be arrested. This embassy is a small building, and doesn't have an underground garage where he could get in a vehicle without leaving the property.

[Hotwheels]

Does it have a helipad?

[michelin]

"The escape of Assange" ... The headline sounds as unreal as the Queen jumping from an airplane on the opening show of the Olympics...

UK makes an Olympic mistake putting 40+ cops at the door of an Embassy....

I just checked one of the accuser's website (Ardin), where she writes: "I am also a libertarian feminist and Methodist, animal rights activist and from Gotland."

.....Assange definitely got himself in an explosive bang here...

[Vicious]

At times this forum gets a little insular. I mentioned this in the Pussy Riot thread as well. We are so quick to jump on anything anti-feminst that we are willing to overlook any trespass on rule of law. It's the classical case of sacrificing freedom in the hope of gaining security.

Debating the Assange case is a real grind because there's so much misinformation surrounding it.

(08-17-2012 01:14 AM)P Dog Wrote:  

Just to clarify, Assange hasn't been formally charged with anything yet. The extradition process is only for him to undergo questioning in Sweden on suspicion of sexual assault. Ecuador offered Swedish authorities the chance to conduct all their questioning on the grounds of the London embassy he's residing at, they turned that down which goes to show what their true motives are...

Doesn't mean jack about their "motives". No country would recognize a questioning where they could not exercise judicial powers. Of course Assange's lawyers know this, but they're playing the media.

(08-17-2012 08:26 AM)Roosh Wrote:  

Don't forget that one of the girls accusing him of rape worked for an organization that got funding from the CIA. If this isn't a setup I don't know what is.

The woman has lifelong credentials as a radical feminist and socialist. In this particular instance the woman obviously worked together with this feminist anti-castro group. While this would indicate a brief joint interest with the CIA there is nothing that points at any kind of real relation with the CIA or that she even was aware of this connection. That a radical feminist (a uni professor in women's studies no less) and socialist ,that has been a public figure for years before her involvement with Assange, would be some kind of sleeper agent for the CIA is untenable. The level of scrutiny she has been under is immense and none of it has provided anything other than she's just what she appears to be, a bitter cunt that got played.