25-07-2012, 02:49 AM
US pushed to clarify Assange intentions
DateJuly 25, 2012
THE West Australian Labor MP Melissa Parke has called on the US Attorney-General, Eric Holder, to make a categorical statement ruling out that America is seeking to extradite the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to prosecute him for espionage.
Her call comes amid persisting public debate about whether the US has secretly convened a grand jury in Virginia with the purpose of prosecuting Mr Assange and others for a ''conspiracy to communicate or transmit national defence information''.
''In the light of the public information regarding a grand jury investigation, it would be helpful if the US Attorney-General would categorically state that the US has no intention of seeking the extradition of Julian Assange from Sweden,'' Ms Parke told the Herald yesterday.
It was revealed in April last year a grand jury had been formed in Virginia with the likely aim of prosecuting people involved in the release of more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables in February 2010.
There have been no other arrests, but the US government has served orders on Twitter seeking the records of three WikiLeaks supporters and subpoenaed several people to testify before the grand jury.
On Monday night, ABC's Four Corners program referred to one of the subpoenas.
The US Ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, told Four Corners there was no plan to extradite Mr Assange from Sweden.
''It's not something that the US cares about, it's not interested in it, it hasn't been involved in it. I think it's one of those narratives that has been made up. There's nothing to it," Mr Bleich said.
The Australian government has said little publicly, but several senior officials have told the Herald they are unaware of any plans to extradite Mr Assange, who is an Australian citizen.
Mr Assange has spent the past month inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, after fleeing there five days after English courts dismissed a final appeal by his lawyers against his extradition to Sweden.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-...z21awWYuZM
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Dylan Welch
National Security Correspondent
THE West Australian Labor MP Melissa Parke has called on the US Attorney-General, Eric Holder, to make a categorical statement ruling out that America is seeking to extradite the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, to prosecute him for espionage.
Her call comes amid persisting public debate about whether the US has secretly convened a grand jury in Virginia with the purpose of prosecuting Mr Assange and others for a ''conspiracy to communicate or transmit national defence information''.
''In the light of the public information regarding a grand jury investigation, it would be helpful if the US Attorney-General would categorically state that the US has no intention of seeking the extradition of Julian Assange from Sweden,'' Ms Parke told the Herald yesterday.
It was revealed in April last year a grand jury had been formed in Virginia with the likely aim of prosecuting people involved in the release of more than 250,000 US diplomatic cables in February 2010.
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A former US army intelligence analyst, Bradley Manning, has been charged with the theft and is about to face trial.There have been no other arrests, but the US government has served orders on Twitter seeking the records of three WikiLeaks supporters and subpoenaed several people to testify before the grand jury.
On Monday night, ABC's Four Corners program referred to one of the subpoenas.
The US Ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, told Four Corners there was no plan to extradite Mr Assange from Sweden.
''It's not something that the US cares about, it's not interested in it, it hasn't been involved in it. I think it's one of those narratives that has been made up. There's nothing to it," Mr Bleich said.
The Australian government has said little publicly, but several senior officials have told the Herald they are unaware of any plans to extradite Mr Assange, who is an Australian citizen.
Mr Assange has spent the past month inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, after fleeing there five days after English courts dismissed a final appeal by his lawyers against his extradition to Sweden.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-...z21awWYuZM
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." Karl Marx
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"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.