Wikileaks/Julian Assange

[mizer]

The biggest story on the planet at the moment and one of the most confusing too with tangents going off all over the place.

 

For me here are the most worrying things:

 

1. The denial of service being perpetrated by the US on wikileaks via illegal hacking

2. The financial services such as mastercard, visa and paypal not allowing payments to wikileaks

3. American politicians stating they wish Assange to be executed/kidnapped on the streets of London

 

Strangely no action has been taken against the Guardian, New York Times, Der Spiegel, El País, Le Monde and others who are also publishing these documents which were stolen by an American soldier from a shockingly open system. Is Sarah Palin going come onto Fox news and ask for the owner of the New York Times to be executed on his doorstep? No.

 

The documents released are no where near revealing as the actions taken against wikileaks.

[Cowie]

What the issue should be is what is happening to the soldier who stole the 'confidential' information.  The 'millions of US government workers had access to the info, so it was in the public domain' argument doesn't wash with me - If you worked for a large multinational for example, you would be confidentially bound not to disclose 'company secrets' to another multinational.

 

The documents released are no where near revealing as the actions taken against wikileaks.

Its also worth pointing out that while some of the documents released are relatively harmless, others are stirring shit to the point of breaking diplomatic relations.

 

Baltic states:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed a confidential cable saying allies in Nato had agreed to expand the contingency plan to defend Poland, to include the Baltic states.

 

Two world powers, just starting to have better relations with each other & a confidential document is released saying NATO/US is prepared to defend former USSR territory. Russians are paranoid enough as it is without out this shit plastered over the news.

[Guest Scarface]

Struggling to see what all the fuss is about myself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek

[Tyrant]

Fit on earth is Wikileaks?

[glasgow sheep]

Fit on earth is Wikileaks?

 

You been living in a box for the last week?

[mizer]

Fit on earth is Wikileaks?

 

Wikileaks was/is a website set up so people could post up anonymous news stories and leaked information from organisations rather than having to send a paper copy to a newspaper/meet a journalist. It got send 250k files from an American soldier recently and its caused the fuss.

[Tyrant]

You been living in a box for the last week?

 

Aye.

 

Wikileaks was/is a website set up so people could post up anonymous news stories and leaked information from organisations rather than having to send a paper copy to a newspaper/meet a journalist. It got send 250k files from an American soldier recently and its caused the fuss.

 

I take it this info put the U.S. to a bit of shame then if people are wanting him executed?

 

And now he's a rapist?

[glasgow sheep]

Aye.

 

I take it this info put the U.S. to a bit of shame then if people are wanting him executed?

 

 

Well not really.  Alot of it has been revealing private opinions of US Ambassadors, such as Prince Andrew is a rude, arrogant twat, Sarkosy (sp?) is a wee shit and Berlusconni likes to put it about.

 

However more recent revelations have listed sites around the world that the US feel are important to their national security and details about a NATO deal involving Baltic States which has been a bit more compromising.

 

 

And now he's a rapist?

 

Apparently he has been charged with "Surprise Sex" or some equally weird Swedish Law but these charges had been hanging over him for months and had apparently been forgotten about until the latest Wiki leaks

[mizer]

I take it this info put the U.S. to a bit of shame then if people are wanting him executed?

 

And now he's a rapist?

 

Its not been that bad, just ambassadors reporting back to the US saying bits and bobs, more embarrassing for the countries involved.

 

The rape bit, is a bit strange as no actual charges have been made and the original case was dropped in August. There are 4 charges in total, the rape on the most serious.

 

 

[glasgowdon]

WikiLeaks has over 1000 mirrors. Bit silly pulling the plug on the hosting if it can be accessed other places anyway.

 

 

[baggy89]

I don't believe he committed rape and sexual assaulted two women, for one second, as everyone knows anyone with the name Julian is blatantly a Bertie Woofter especially if they have shoulder length grey hair.

 

What are the odds on him "committing suicide" while being held in a Swedish prison?

 

 

[glasgowdon]

I don't believe he committed rape and sexual assaulted two women, for one second, as everyone knows anyone with the name Julian is blatantly a Bertie Woofter especially if they have shoulder length grey hair.

 

What are the odds on him "committing suicide" while being held in a Swedish prison?

 

Maybe a bit higher than being extradited to America.

[glasgow sheep]

I don't believe he committed rape and sexual assaulted two women, for one second, as everyone knows anyone with the name Julian is blatantly a Bertie Woofter especially if they have shoulder length grey hair.

 

What are the odds on him "committing suicide" while being held in a Swedish prison?

 

I hate to do it.....but:

From the daily mash  http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/war/assange-to-escape-from-police-at-the-top-of-some-stairs-201012073327/

 

ASSANGE TO ESCAPE FROM POLICE AT THE TOP OF SOME STAIRS

 

 

POLICE today said they expected Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to attempt an escape, probably at the top of a long flight of stairs.

 

Following Mr Assange's arrest, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stevens confirmed there would be nothing they could do if he broke free but then accidentally tripped and hit every step on the way down.

 

Stevens said Mr Assange would be held for questioning at a central London police station but due to a problem with the central heating they would have to keep moving him between floors.

 

He added: "Unfortunately the lifts are going to be broken the entire time he is custody."

 

He said: "I wish Mr Assange was not going to break his neck later this afternoon, but there is nothing my officers can do to stop him.

 

"They will shout something like 'hey you' or 'stop escaping' but he will be too quick for them.

 

"Also he will have forgotten to tie his shoelaces."

 

Sir Paul dismissed claims that the arrest was political but admitted international warrants were controversial and that it would have been more efficient to use the British system of pretending Mr Assange is a Brazilian electrician.

 

Meanwhile governments across the world were celebrating Mr Assange's arrest and imminent escape, stressing that history proves if you focus all your efforts on stopping one man then the thing you don't like will just go away.

[Slim]

Still haven't seen any cables that are politically damaging to the US that they definitely wouldn't want in the public domain.

 

The list of critical national security facilities across the globe is basically a shopping list for terrorists to target. None of them are on US soil.

 

Striking a wedge between Saudi/Iran and China/North Korea is to the advantage of the Americans too.

 

Undermining political leaders of other strong countries makes them look weaker and by default, makes the US look stronger after the Bush years.

 

Good way for the Yanks to get rid of Wikileaks, feed them some stuff, they think they hit the jackpot, then use the scandal to turn the public and corporations against them and everyone (including the Russians) go back to thinking the USA is not to be fucked with.

[glasgow sheep]

http://www.avaaz.org/en/wikileaks_petition/?cl=850547478&v=7730

[glasgowdon]

Online petition! Yes! Our generation know how to get things done!

[glasgow sheep]

Online petition! Yes! Our generation know how to get things done!

 

Point well made, although given the 1000s protesting (and 100s rioting) outside Parliament I would suggest they perhaps had more idea than we did, or are you against protest?

[glasgowdon]

Point well made, although given the 1000s protesting (and 100s rioting) outside Parliament I would suggest they perhaps had more idea than we did, or are you against protest?

 

No, I just think online petitions are completely pointless.

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

No, I just think online petitions are completely pointless.

 

Is the right answer.

 

Maybe he did sexually assault thon lassies.

 

But wikileaks isn't really helping anyone with this recent offering, not really.

[caledonia]

Now averaging 100 a minute

http://www.avaaz.org/en/wikileaks_petition/?slideshow

 

edit never noticed there was a post already thanks mizer or whoever merged it

[Cowie]

Its not been that bad, just ambassadors reporting back to the US saying bits and bobs, more embarrassing for the countries involved.

What I would say about that is that while on the face of it that sort of diplomatic 'tittle tattle' is harmless, but question time tonight raised a very good point in that this stuff makes any future negotiations between countries difficult.

[Superstar Tradesman]

Strange how nobody seems to be questioning the authenticity of the material.

 

They must all be stamped with "FACT".

[glasgow sheep]

Don't think anyone has denied saying anything that has been published so far.

[dave_min]

Strange how nobody seems to be questioning the authenticity of the material.

 

They must all be stamped with "FACT".

 

I heard that some of them had a bolded "FACT" on them. Can't argue with that.

[Superstar Tradesman]

Don't think anyone has denied saying anything that has been published so far.

 

Well that's what I'm getting at.

 

Seems strange that nobody has rubbished the claims that the 'leaks' are false information.  Surely that would have been easier than the current pantomime?  It certainly would have drawn far less interest than the global story that is now running.

 

Yet the 'leaks' are all fairly tame and nothing that comes as that much of a surprise.

 

In fact the most interesting thing about the whole carry on is the fact that the US look to be good guys.

 

Strange that.