MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Assange announces he plans to abandon the Ecuadorean embassy 'soon'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent over two years inside Ecuador's London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden, said on Monday he planned to leave the building “soon”, but his spokesman said that could only happen if Britain let him. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesA complete non-story as it turned out. He was announcing to leave only if Britain changed its mind, which it won't - he either goes to Sweden (because we have the rule of law in Britain and all his legal options have been exhausted) or he stays where he is. So he called a press conference to announce nothing at all. What sort of person would do that? ...... Yes that was a rhetorical question.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 08:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0I reckon the Ecuadorians are getting fed up of footing his bill. They haven't got anything out of this situation at all, except bad press for harbouring an alleged rapist.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0So I believe the Ecuadorians have given him notice. This is just Assange's last gasp in the desperate hope that the UK authorities are just going to turn their back on the law and let him go.
Well, if the last 2 years are anything to go by, that isn't going to happen. The British tend to stick to the law pretty rigidly, and Mr Assange is conveniently forgetting that he has broken UK law by breaching the terms of his bail. So not only did he stiff his 'friends' out of thousands of pounds that they put down as security for his bail, he broke the law. And he will have to face the fact that he will be arrested, put before a magistrate, who will then probably send him to prison (being an obvious flight risk) to await his trial and/or immediate extradition to Sweden, who will then also send him to prison to await his trial (being an obvious flight risk), and so he has in fact gained nothing.
I also find it amusing that his entire reputation depends on the US trying to extradite him from Sweden. When they don't his reputation, and by association that of wikileaks will be totally, utterly and completely discredited.
And all for this man's hubris, his arrogance, and his belief that he is above the laws of man, unlike the rest of us.
Wouldn't it be a shame if some hapless member of the embassy staff managed to set light to a litter bin.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0I had no real problem with the concept or ideals of Wikileaks but Assange is now its biggest liability. Instead of being a neutral portal for information it seems to have become political, anti western and found some very unsavoury friends.
Liveleak is better.
Call this what it was.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0A publicity stunt by Assange to bring the attention back on him, he never had any intention of coming out, he's just worried about what's happening. People are starting to forget that the nasty little narcascist is in there. Still, it's another stop for tourists on the site seeing bus.
“Hello its me, its me, I'm still in here! Hello it's me, hello everyone it's me.”
As one reporter at the Embassy replied when asked if Assange was going to come out, “I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you.”
Next time he claims he's coming out, the media should ignore him, now that would be a story!
“I am leaving this aparment.........if Britain allows me”
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0Ecuador is also considering filing charges against the UK for violating ASSange's human rights for trapping him in that apartment. Semms they are getting tired of his stink. Ecuador....you made that bed....lay in it now. So ridiculous........he can leave any time.....he just has to deal with the charges against him. This guy lost even his closet friends because of his lying.
Cheers UK, let these SA socialist know the rule of law is always out in front.
Ecuador is just pontificating. What court is going to find in their favour when there's a valid European arrest warrant kicking around?
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:43 am - Link - Report abuse 0The Ecuadorian foreign minister has expressed surprise that the UK hasn't sought a “political solution” to the impasse - well duh! I think western governments are quite satisfied that he's holed up in the embassy draining the life out of Wikileaks.
He is, indeed, a complete narcissist. I read some of his 'poor victim me' interview and had to laugh. He was whining about the only sun he has had in two years was the 20 minutes he spent giving a press conference from the balcony of the embassy. Why doesn't he stand there for 20 minutes every day? 5 mins of sunlight is all one needs to get all the vitamin D a body needs.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0He also tried to blame the UK government for wasting money on upholding the law when the money could be spent on hospital beds. What a very strange way of managing an economy. He really does believe he is above the law.
Any sympathy he may have had here has been squandered as he shat all over people that helped him. This stunt is a desperate grab at some attention but I do believe he has realised the UK will never waive the law for him and he is planning to leave his self-imposed incarceration.
There's no political solution, Ecuador aided and abetted Assange in breaking his bail, that's a crime under UK law.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0The UK does not negotiate with foreign guests, who play politics with their laws.
You wanted him Ecuador, you got him, live with it.
Both of these are worth watching to gain some insight into JA and how Wikileaks came into being:
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2357453/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2357453/
Not great movies of themselves but interesting because of their subject matter. I wish I understood IT the way Assange does - i'd be a multi millionaire in Kensington but free to go outside whenever I chose to.
Assange the Guardian and all, are nothing without the likes of Manning or Snowden, the geese that stole the golden eggs.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 10:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0They are just conduits for information provided to them by others, they take the credit, pat themselves on the back and give each other awards for what they consider to be outstanding journalism.
It's like the publisher taking the credit from the author of a best seller, nothing more than that
Hadn't been in the news for a while had he? Everyone had forgotten about him and got on with their lives. And today is a new day, so people have already forgotten about him again.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 10:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0The only way to get a decent amount of publicity now Julian is to come out and face the music. You might get a few more minutes of fame that way.
He fled to the UK and exhausted every legal channel - at the expense of his supporters and UK taxpayers pockets - and when the verdict went against, he ran to Ecuador. His arrogance and contempt of the UK legal system and obligations knows no bounds. As soon as he steps out he should be handcuffed and put on the first flight to Sweden.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 11:11 am - Link - Report abuse 0After he's dealt with for breaching his bail, 30 days probably, on the plane within 15 days.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 11:38 am - Link - Report abuse 050% remission for good behaviour.
Like most egotistical narcascists, he's a coward. If he had the courage to face this two years ago, it would all probably be over by now and he could have been back amongst his doting followers, listening to their fawning praise and bending over for them to smother his ass with copious amounts of kisses!
One thing is for certain, he does not possess a single piece of the courage displayed by Manning or Snowden, even if it misplaced.
#12 FI_Frost
Aug 19th, 2014 - 11:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0Yeah, I hear this has cost millions in policing costs alone. I imagine the court bills are equally huge. As much as I resent this, this is price we pay for abiding by the rule of law. I imagine if he is ill, and has to leave, then the NHS will also incur costs.
After two years in a South American embassy he's starting to behave like a pontificating Latin American dictator , equivocating and deceiving without flinching. Send him to Argentina where he would make a perfect minister in CFKs cabinet.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 11:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0Perhaps the women he is accused of sexually assaulting have been “persuaded” by wikileaks to withdraw their allegations. If true and after he compensates the UK taxpayer £7million +, he can of course go free. Would also quite like to see Ecuadors embassy closed shortly thereafter.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 11:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0Oh the poor little, pale Chihuahua.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 12:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0An Australian and no sunburn too. Never have I hears such a terrible story. Life is just so cruel.
I agree with LEPR: The gassy smell has been building-up inside the Embassy, peeling the wallpaper, and fouling the carpeting. His Excellency Ambassador Ricardo Patiño has been given diplomatic instructions that “ it is time to flush the toilet.”
What? Close that beacon of human rights located in the heart of the capital of an oppressive regime.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 12:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You mean that Ecuadorian Embassy?
Nobody should forget that Assange is a fugitive criminal. Worth remembering for any UK readers. Aiding and abetting a fugitive is a criminal offence. assist this gutless tosspot, even by stepping in the way of a police constable, will see you in court.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 12:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Just for the sake of the world's knowledge, everyone intelligent in the UK finds Assange disgusting. A “champion of the people” who runs to the embassy of a rogue state. What the UK and the world has seen, and is slowly recognising, is that governments sometimes have to do nasty things. Imagine if the UK and the USA hadn't monitored every form of communications between the late 30s and the mid-40s. Where would the USA have been had it not been able to monitor Japanese communications regarding Midway? Where would the UK have been if it had not intercepted the Zimmerman telegraph? And so it goes. Assange and his supporters are back in the 18th century when armies would march out, line up and shoot at each other. Not these days! Your next-door neighbour might be an Islamic terrorist. His/her objective might be to blow your property apart as a “statement”.
Watching various comments/blogs, I see people are demanding that British troops are not sent into action “with one hand tied behind their backs”. But people of Assange's ilk would have whole countries “protecting” themselves with hands tied behind their backs. And what about the so-called “right to know”? Who has a “right to know”? You? Why? How would that make things better? The “enemy”? It's a case of tell the people and you tell the enemy. It's 1940. The Battle of Britain has just started. The people “demand” to know what's happening. The War Department broadcasts which airfelds are operational, how many aircraft each has, details of the sector defence mechanism, the role of radar, how many reserves there are, siting of anti-aircraft batteries. Sensible?
Assange and his ilk are self-important loons. If it's relevant, the people can be told when we've won!
@19 Conquerer
Aug 19th, 2014 - 03:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Good comments. I totally agree with you.
Remember the exchanges that took place on here regarding spying on Merkel, the comments that it has always gone on and everyone does it?
Aug 19th, 2014 - 04:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well it turns out that infact, the German Security Services were doing the same to Americans politicians visiting Germany.
Only this time, not so much fuss has been made about it and I do not see Merkel rushing to apologise for it.
@21 The Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, no less. The Germans claim it was a 'mistake'. I guess after several hours they realised their 'mistake' and stopped listening?
Aug 19th, 2014 - 05:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So much for all that Righteous Indignation.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 05:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0What that book say, “Let those without sin..........”
@22
Aug 19th, 2014 - 05:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Why should they?
Anglos never apologize for anything. So everyone else should never apologize to you.
Assange
Aug 19th, 2014 - 06:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Don’t have sympathy for this man,
Remember he is wanted over allegations that he refuses to answer for,
His predicament was and is entirely his own selfish doing..
.
RC they were so righteous as a victim claiming, as others do in the name of diplomacy and politics, spying is bad. But......now that they've been caught/exposed......well know ....it's a mishap.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 06:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0At the end of the day, as everyone (1st world) acknowledged, we all do it. Only some better than others.
@24 Why should they what? I didn't say anything about apologising. There is no need to say anything.
Aug 19th, 2014 - 06:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We all know every country spies on every other country, even allies, if they can. To believe otherwise is naive.
our government has apologised to all and sundry abt our past,
Aug 19th, 2014 - 07:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0mmmm
Oops!
Aug 19th, 2014 - 08:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Germany spying on Turkey : )
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28834368
Next!
Aug 19th, 2014 - 09:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0oh!! what is Cameron cooking up with the Ecuatorian government???
Aug 20th, 2014 - 01:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0what have the Ecuatorians offered??.....ummmmmmm
roll over. good poodle.
Aug 20th, 2014 - 05:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Caron is working hard at the beach in Cornwall....lol
Aug 20th, 2014 - 07:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!