Guido had some dealings with Julian Assange many years back. He’s difficult, prickly and perhaps not the most balanced individual. It would be fair to say he has some pretty bad character flaws. All that aside he has brought into the public domain a lot that governments did not want disclosed. Some of it recklessly endangered the lives of good people – and that should rest on his conscience. Wikileaks also revealed truths that needed to be told.
Assange’s Wikileaks exposed truths that needed to be exposed in the public interest, for that the Pentagon and the US intelligence establishment is unforgiving. Even if you believe, as Guido does, that the US is generally a force for good in the world, it does not mean that it is in the public interest that all their secrets should stay secret. After exhausting all legal avenues, Assange’s case is now before the Home Secretary and Priti Patel has to make one of the most difficult decisions of her career; accede to heavy pressure from the United States and send him to die in a US jail, or stand up for freedom of the press and free speech, even when it makes allies uncomfortable. Priti should choose to support freedom of the press and not extradite Assange. Even if he is an arsehole.
From #Assange: The US warrant was issued in December 2017 and is for conspiracy with Chelsea Manning @xychelsea in early 2010.
— Jen Robinson (@suigenerisjen) April 11, 2019
Guido is surprised that Jeremy Corbyn hasn’t made a press statement regarding the arrest of Assange. The Labour leader’s communications chief should be able to get some insight into the situation from Jennifer Robinson, Assange’s lawyer, who is tweeting from inside the police station. Pictured above is Seumas Milne previously consulting with the blonde lawyer...
WikiLeaks has revealed Louise Mensch’s support for Hillary Clinton included a private suggestion for an advert for her campaign. Louise has since switched support to independent candidate Evan McMullin who she calls an “actual Republican” – even though he is not the official Republican candidate. This was the email from Louise which was forwarded to the Democratic campaign in February:
“Her competence and intelligence are beyond doubt, her problem is warmth.
If I may, here is an ad I would love to see run;
OUR TIME
A succession of mostly young women, a few old women, one with a baby daughter, multiracial and multi-occupation, to include a nurse and a woman in uniform of some kind where permitted… one after the other, smiling and looking to camera and saying ‘It’s our time.’ and the last woman says, ‘It’s our time. I’m with her.’
fade to banner credit ‘Hillary 2016’ “
Here was her response today:
A criminal offence in U.K. to hack emails and I find myself in the happy position of being able to make a criminal complaint vs #Assange 🙂
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) October 12, 2016
However here is her tweet from yesterday, happily attacking Clinton from Wikileaks emails.
WIKILEAKS: Team Clinton Worried Hillary ‘Totally Dependent’ on GOP Nominating Trump https://t.co/gHtFCxH0Er via @heatstreet
— Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) October 11, 2016
Go figure.
