MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
UK/Ecuador defuse row, pledge commitment to diplomatic solution for Assange dispute
Britain said it remained committed to reaching a diplomatic solution to the presence of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in Ecuador's London embassy, after both countries took steps to defuse a row over his action in taking refuge there. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesGood Britain....... Goood......
Aug 27th, 2012 - 04:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0Now we would like you to fix a First Class BA ticket to Quito....
And a candlelight dinner with Kate Moss...
Thanks in advance.
And some Condoms ?
Aug 27th, 2012 - 08:42 am - Link - Report abuse 0Hello everyone,
Aug 27th, 2012 - 09:49 am - Link - Report abuse 0ASSANGE.
Mr Burges’ article –a hard to comprehend piece of ‘trendy’ journalism– DOES contain a few elements of honest conjecture, which are perhaps, worth serious consideration. However, he fails to admit the real possibility of Assange’s being illicitly abducted from Sweden or from another country, by an intelligence agency answering to goodness knows whom. We’ve already seen too many cases of such illegal imprisonment, WITHOUT HABEAS CORPUS –‘Extraordinary Rendition’ being a particularly notorious example. Furthermore, Sweden’s recent democratic record is not unblemished. The assassination of that country’s late premier was officially blamed on Libyan state sponsored terrorists but some serious observers disagree with that assumption. And, speaking of the late Col. Gaddafi, the disputed Lockerbee bombing verdict has among its detractors, family members of those killed by the midair explosion of the Pan Am jumbo.
Obviously, no sane person would condone Assange’s ALLEGED sexual misdemeanours but with the published evidence against him in this context now shown to be so weak, I reckon his belief that he’s REALLY being hunted for his role at WIKILEAK, is justified.
SUPREME U.S. MILITARY MIGHT.
Recent history doesn’t support this erroneous affirmation, which ignores the outcome of that country’s bellicose escapades in places such as: Afghanistan, Laos, Somalia, Vietnam and that of its two wars against Iraq, the latter at least of which, was of questionable legality and rationalized by deliberately ‘fabricated’ false UK/US intelligence reports. Without exception, these ill-advised military adventures have ended in their protagonist’s defeat or/and the massacre of many innocent civilians and a miserable legacy for those victims who survived horrendous onslaughts such as ‘Agent Green’ and ‘Shock and Awe’.
Admittedly, most S. American govt’s ain’t got much to write ‘ome about DEMOCRACY but neither have we.
These days, it’s all about economic power –p
'pledge commitment to diplomatic solution'....
Aug 27th, 2012 - 10:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0the UK should use the RG model.... 'Lets talk about Assange.... ....Assange is ours..........'
@3JimHandley,
Aug 27th, 2012 - 10:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0Excellent summing up, Jim.
Couldn't agree more.
Jim
Aug 27th, 2012 - 12:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I don't buy it. You mention the lack of HABEAS CORPUS. Well lets look at this from another viewpoint.
Assange has made serious allegatoins against both Sweden and the USA. Where is his evidence? He's had 2 years to produce it, and nothing.
As a skeptic, I find it hard to believe that the founder of wikileaks, the man who is can get his hands on classified information, can't produce one iota of evidence of this conspiracy.
Not only that but you also say: “Obviously, no sane person would condone Assange’s ALLEGED sexual misdemeanours but with the published evidence against him in this context now shown to be so weak.”
But the published evidence isn't the actual evidence that the Swedish have. No police or prosecution service in the world would release all the evdience they have whilst investigating a crime, as it may prejudice the case against either the alleged perpetrator or the alleged victim.
That's what really annoys me more than anything else, everyone assuming that all this stuff that has been published is the EVIDENCE against Assange, when it isn't.
However, Ecuador is finally realising that they're stuck with a lemon, and don't know what to do about it.
Well the best thing to do, would be to show Assange the door, and allow due process to occur.
Assange will then do what the rest of us mere mortals have to do, and answer the allegations made against him. He is innocent until proven guilty, and it could be that the Swedish authorities don't have enough evidence to bring charges, and maybe they do. But by hiding, Assange isn't going to help his case.
In regards to the USA, we should apply logic to this. Lets look at the options:
a. The USA extradite him they make him into a martyr, and prove his conspiracy, and end up with a world of problems.
b. The USA don't extradite him, he is discredited (and by proxy so is wikileaks) because his whole argument is that the USA is out to get him, and both Assange and wikileaks fade into insignificance.
@6 I agree. The best that can be said about Mr Handley's OPINIONS are that they are an excellent exercise in semantics. The U.S.A. is not the issue here. In recent days, it has even described Assange's statements as “wild accusations” with, as you say, not a shred of proof. The FACTS are that Assange is alleged to have committed acts that are crimes under Swedish law. Whether they are crimes under anyone else's law is irrelevant. Sweden has executed an arrest warrant. Assange was duly arrested in London. Since then he has expended vast amounts of money to avoid returning to Sweden to face his accusers. Just one of his “legal team”, Geoffrey Robertson QC, who also has Australian nationality, doesn't get out of bed for peanuts. For Assange, so far just one hearing saw costs of £9,000 awarded against him.
Aug 27th, 2012 - 01:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But let's consider the U.S.A. How many times have Israeli operatives entered another country, abducted an individual and spirited them back to Israel. In one case, the individual was even “executed” in situ. Would anyone doubt that the U.S.A. could do the same? And yet Assange's first bail address was within a few miles of a U.S. airbase. What happened? Nothing. Until recently, he moved around freely in England when he could have been “snatched” at any moment. Could he have finished up inside a completely different embassy, that of the United States? Yes, he could. Could he have been taken covertly into the U.S. airbase and on to a U.S. aircraft? Yes, he could. Why have the Americans not asked the U.K. for his extradition? Assange's “fears” simply do not stand up to examination. And let us not forget his heartfelt message to his wife and children. The wife from whom he is, at the least, separated. The son over whom he had to conduct a custody battle and, demonstrably, lost. And his daughter. All no doubt on his mind as he bedhops around the world. Hope he leaves the (female) Ecuadorian ambassador off his scoresheet!
For: 6 LEPRecon.
Aug 27th, 2012 - 02:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Re: “I don't buy it. You mention the lack of HABEAS CORPUS. Well lets look at this from another viewpoint”.
Here, we’re dealing with ESTABLISHED FACT, Mate! So there can be no question of personal ‘viewpoints’ ‘cos the law is a matter of corroborated, irrefutable EVIDENCE and –as you rightly say – it ought to be applied to ALL, regardless of creed, political affiliation, race or social status. Furthermore, Assange has already agreed to be questioned by the Swedish authorities, IN THE ECUADORIAN EMBASSY. I can’t help feeling that the Swedes have some ulterior motive in not taking this SIMPLE, cost-effective step rather than choosing to waste so much time and taxpayers’ money in the pursuance of their present, sterile policy.
Regarding Assange’s ALLEGED sexual crime. It seems that the man went to bed with a woman and they had consensual sex. Later that night, this ‘demonic monster’ awoke and fancied a second helping. But ‘cos on the latter occasion, he didn’t obtain the female’s specific consent for coitus to take place, he now faces a charge of rape! Come awf it, Mate –you and your cohorts are living in cloud cuckoo land!
For: 7 Conqueror.
Re. “let's consider the U.S.A. How many times have Israeli operatives entered another country, abducted an individual and spirited them back to Israel. In one case...”
Another PROVEN fact and one that’s become public knowledge. Who knows how many OTHERS have occurred COVERTLY?
The only reason I can imagine for the US’s not wishing to pursue Assange is –if he were apprehended and tried– a highly embarrassing affair would be rekindled and from its blaze, a number of further, ‘inconvenient’, toxic truths would exude.
Cheers!
Jim, in Madrid.
@8 - Jim
Aug 27th, 2012 - 03:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Non consensual sex is rape! So what you are saying is that if a woman willingly sleeps with a man once, that gives him carte Blanche to help himself to her whenever he wants! Oh well done, Jim, let's put women's rights back to the dark ages, shall we?
Well no, that is not how the law works, is it? Assange had non-consensual sex with a woman, that's rape. It is irrelevant that he had sex with her previously.
Regarding questioning Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. Suppose for a moment that the Swedish agree to do it and then believe that they have enough grounds to take him to court. What then? He won't leave that embassy. How will they proceed?
Assange should face his accusers like a man. The longer he hides in the Ecuadorian embassy the more I'm suspicious of the reasons as to why he won't go to Sweden.
Jim,unfortunately LEP is on a mission on this subject.He won't even contemplate the major diplomatic error of threatening to enter an embassy for a minor transgression(breaking bail).The country it is trying fullfil it's obligation to is Sweden not a major country.Nevertheless it is over-anxious to meet its obligation to the extent it has embarrassed itself and had to retreat its position with a south American country.Not good is it.
Aug 27th, 2012 - 06:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Besides this,how can a woman have sex with a man consenually,share the bed and sleep and prove that a second session of sex took place and wasn't consented to.How can she prove that.Doesnt Assange have to admit that or did she have the place bugged or some other trap.
LEP will tell us Sweden wants to hear Assange's story.But why as he obviously denies the accusation.
There is an electric chair in Texas with your name on it Assange, just a matter of time. 'tick-tock'
Aug 27th, 2012 - 06:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@10 I've tried to tell him for the past week or so that the whole case stinks, and should just understand that there is a large amount of evidence that supports the theory of the US possibly extraditing him from Sweden. He keeps on going on about how Assange has no proof of this, but all the signs are possibly there, but we need to just wait and see what happens. He also says that there is no evidence currently released, when the girls have in fact told Swedish media outlets about how the two of them met, and what happened, which is stupid because wouldn't they want to keep that private so it doesn't harm the case in any way? He adds that the US will disprove his theory by saying that they will do nothing, to discredit him further. BUT... if the US did do this, wouldn't that arouse suspicion as to why they did so? It's possible, that's all I'm saying. There's a whole load of variables that myself, LEP, yourself Yuleno and most other 'knowledgeable' people don't know about to determine the utmost truth, which I seriously doubt is the current allegations against him.
Aug 27th, 2012 - 09:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And the yanquis said they would close Guantanamo within a year of O'Bhama getting elected and they lie to their own electorate,like Blair did over WMD and the 40min warning.
Aug 27th, 2012 - 10:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But our most excellent proponent of repetitive posts acts like an innocent who believes the king has new clothes.
Ah well as it is so it is
For: 9 LEPRecon
Aug 28th, 2012 - 12:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0Re: “Well no, that is not how the law works, is it? Assange had non-consensual sex with a woman, that's rape. It is irrelevant that he had sex with her previously, etcetera”.
That’s the unsubstantiated ALLEGATION of a self-confessed promiscuous tart. If a woman wishes to behave in such a way, it’s her RIGHT to do so and it’s no-one else’s business. However if the sexual partner –whom she warmly welcomed to her bed just a short while previously– reciprocates her ardour a little later, WHY SHOULD SHE COMPLAIN SO VOCIFEROUSLY? Possibly ‘cos somewhere along the line, she discovers to her delight, that Assange is a very wealthy fellow whom she can milk until he’s dry (no pun intended)
So please do stop posturing with the mock morality of a self-righteous, pseudo politically correct prig!
We’re not ALL naive gnaw-nipples, you know. Some of us are BIG BOYS now!
Cheers!
Jim.
Good to see the UK government has backed down. Hopefully Sweeden will also see sense and make a binding commitment not to send Assange to the USA
Aug 28th, 2012 - 01:02 am - Link - Report abuse 015- Backed down over what??? hes still imprisoned in the embassy and he will still by the UK Police arrested when he leaves. This is all a storm in a teacup by one more bannana republic in SA trying for its 15 minutes of fame. Some back down.
Aug 28th, 2012 - 07:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0Backed down over entering the embassy.
Aug 28th, 2012 - 12:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You make your own interpretation of posts if it makes you happy 16#
17... They never said they would enter the embassysome toned there is a law which can be used in this situation....so if they never threatened it they cant back down. Ecuador is just enjoying its 15 mins of fame.
Aug 28th, 2012 - 05:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Welease the wapist they cry. Ecuador then made up a fanciful story playing the victim, a trait that Argenweena does quite well.
Oh but they did cloho.
Aug 28th, 2012 - 07:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If you've a speech impediment it shouldn't affect your writing.
Well I don't think so
20.. They didn't threaten to raid the embassy , don't get the speech impediment bit , get your facts right first then try to make witty comments.
Aug 28th, 2012 - 09:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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