Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Biden: US in Pursuit of 'Hi-Tech Terrorist' Assange
WASHINGTON - The US Justice Department is exploring a legal pursuit of Julian Assange, said Vice President Joe Biden, who described the WikiLeaks founder as a dangerous "hi-tech terrorist."
"We're looking at that right now," Biden told NBC's Sunday talk show "Meet the Press," but the vice president stopped short of elaborating on just how the administration could act against the head of the organization whose release of thousands of classified US diplomatic cables has enraged Washington.
"I'm not going to comment on that process."
When asked whether he thought Assange was a high-tech terrorist or a whistleblower akin to those who released the Pentagon Papers -- a series of top-secret documents revealing US military policy in Vietnam -- Biden was clear: "I would argue that it's closer to being high-tech terrorist."
Legal pressure has been been building steadily on WikiLeaks and Assange, who is in England fighting extradition to Sweden, where he faces sexual assault allegations.
Assange said Friday it looked "increasingly likely" that the United States would try to extradite him on charges related to the leaked cables.
A report by congressional researchers found the Espionage Act and other US laws could be used to prosecute the 39-year-old Australian hacker, but there is no known precedent for prosecuting publishers in such a case.
A group of US senators early this month introduced a bill to make it easier to target the self-described whistleblowing website by making it illegal to publish names of informants serving the US military and intelligence community.
Media reports suggested that US prosecutors are trying to build a case against Assange on the grounds that he encouraged US Army Private Bradley Manning, currently in US custody, to steal American cables from a government computer and pass them to WikiLeaks.
Assange has denied knowing Manning.
Biden appeared to leave the door open for charges against Assange.
"If he conspired to get these classified documents with a member of the US military, that's fundamentally different than if somebody drops (documents) on your lap here, (saying) 'You're a press person, here is classified material.'"
In a legal case, the United States would seek to show Assange's responsibility for damage to national security, but legal experts have said the path to prosecution is strewn with legal complications, including constitutional free speech protections.
Biden insisted WikiLeaks "has done damage" through its documents dump.
"Look, this guy (Assange) has done things that have damaged and put in jeopardy the lives and occupations of people in other parts of the world," Biden said.
In particular, he acknowledged that among world leaders concerned over the leaks, "there is a desire now to meet with me alone rather than have staff in the room."
- Posted in
164 Comments so far
Show AllManning being tortured in order to frame Assange.
Who will be jailed for outing CIA agent Plame in furtherance of a criminal War Against the Peace?
"informants serving military" etc.
Whores ( sorry girls) servicing Imperial Johns.
This disgusting charade would not be accepted by most Tribal People.
In fascist amerika the worlds worst terrorists are in the white house, and all those in congress who vote for blood money : war IS terrorism with a big budget !
Disagree with the no better than. It is much worse. I believe since 1898 the US has the blood of 9 million on it's hands. Read it here on CD so not sure of the validity. Starting with the false flag operation on the ship The Maine.
Hitler was evil. The Bushes supported him. Saddam was evil. The US put him in power. Their are many evil dictators out there that the US has put in power. The Duvies. (sorry about the spelling) to many others. Like when we over threw the Iranian dude and put the Shaw in power for BP that was controlled by the British Throne. To countless other coups the US has done and then sat back and watched those evil men brutalize their countries.
Starting with the Native Americans to present day Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Columbia, Mexico drug lords to countless others, the US has so goddamn blood on it's hands. Makes me sick to see people sing God Bless America. I am with Reverend Wright on this issue. Anyone ever listen to that speech that got so much attention. It was RIGHT ON.
I walk in a cemetery at night and when I come across a flag, I turn it upside down. The sign of distress. Disrespectful? Maybe. But not if that soldier was part of the murdering US MIC.
"Resistance is futile." - The Corporate Borg
The only terrorists are Barack Hoover Obama and his sidekick "Mister Mastercard" Joe Biden. They are the ones that should be prosecuted for war crimes, human rights violations, and trampling on the Constitution.
Biden is a dick with ears, and now only reveals he is a traitor!
savroD commenting from the Fascist States of America
biden's mama should hang herself in shame if she's still shamelessly alive.
Why don't they just come right out and say it already: dissent is terrorism.
We think, we write, we speak, we protest, we grieve, we warn, we breathe. To the U.S. Government, that makes us all terrorists.
That would obviate their obfuscation, emasculate its prestidigitation, perhaps even ovulate the scion of their obliteration.
(Sorry. Nothing to read here; just scroll on by).
bardamu, please! Eschew obfuscation!
It's great that Geeks (most of whom who want a new and better world) handle the computers of the most powerful & corrupt people in the Empire. They are sure to leak tons of incriminating information in the coming months and years.
Wikileaks is the spearhead of a new era of transparency & accountability, an idea whose time has come. The lights come on & the rats run off. Too bad for the rats.
Tidings of Comfort & Joy
Viva WikiLeaks!
SPOT ON DUDE!
It would take co-ordination from millions of world citizens to help spread as much wikileaks information as possible! Make it so available that they would have to shut down the internet altogether to stop our freedom to the truth.
savroD commenting from The Fascist States of America!
Indeed. The shadow non-Constitutional, non-representative government is terrified that what it has achieved against American citizens electronically, might be achieved against them.
Hue_sir's statement offers hope.
Who could have imagined that hope could be related to change?
The Wikileaks documents are already available on thousands of mirror sites. I don't think there is any possibility of the documents being seen by everyone who want's to see them at this point. Assange could be arrested or even killed, and it wouldn't affect the viability of Wikileaks in the least.
well, one thing for sure. when you start arresting journalists on trumped up espianage charges.
Or having them assasinated for publishing documents. You are going to stop ALOT of journalists from printing stuff. You have a child you love for instance. If the state kills you your child grows up without a parent. So you don't print stuff. Plain and simple. The silence will be profound.
Just in terms of where we are in the fascist shift:
In 1931 Carl Ossietzky was convicted of high treason and espionage in Germany for publishing details of Germany's violation of the Treaty of Versailles and spent 18 months in prison.
the assertion was that the article printed in Die Weltbühne had drawn international attention to state affairs which the state had purposefully attempted to keep secret. Ossietzky continued to speak out against militarism and nazism and was eventually died after being arrested again and held without charge in a concentration camp.
This is why we have Double Double Speak.
For consumtion by left: WL is useless, we knew it all already, no damage.
For consumption by right: Horrors Blood undermining USA, great damage.
Hmm.... No mention that Conyers, House Judiciary Committee Chair, said that Assange has broken no laws. Nobody wants witnesses when meeting with the obviously naked Biden.
He's just trying to comfort his extremist supporters. Looks like they're all in denial of the facts.
If nothing else, one has to love the terror Wikileaks is causing the power brokers who are the real terrorists! Biden: " Look, this guy has put in jeopardy the lives of people in other parts of the world ". Mr. Mastercard: That statement would be hilarious, if it was not sooooo hypocritical! I am at a loss for words! Except to say that they use to say they were worried about communists taking over our government, but the real terrorists which are much worse than most communists, especially in foreign policy, have done a coup d' etat. America is now governed by a cabal of quisling criminals that like Judas, have crucified our Constitution and Bill Of Rights for 30 pieces of silver and like this Biden statement, just thumb their noses at the average American.
The head asshole barry, traitor joe, senators, congress persons, military assholes and so many others in this fascist gov want to bring Assange to a US of A court. this AFTER pre-judging him in public. Any judge with any respect for the law would not even let this in his court room. But we already know this has nothing to do with justice or truth. Manning, God bless his Soul, got caught protecting an already shredded "God damned piece of paper". Tony
Dear Mr. Biden:
You say that Assange is a "hi-tech' terrorist." You say that he has endangered lives and occupations around the word.
Joe, are you sure that you're not talking about Wall St. and the banks, because that's the world wide terrrorist damage that I see. Of course, those drones and hellfire missles are hi-tech, you think? There's a lot of that hi-tech going on around the world too.
I just found OUT that the words on Adrian LAMO's website from a poem that he posted (with no author credit,) which would make people would think he wrote it.) OMG! He ripped off Bob Dylan.! This Lamo person is the government's case and he is saying that Assange got Manning to give him the cables. YOUR ONLY witness rips off Bob Dylan? What the hell kind of credible witness is that? This Lamo guy is your case? NOT credible!
It does seem too, that your govenrment is trying to make Bradly Manning go crazy or torture him, so that he either admits to things, or won't know anything anymore. Would you like to discuss this "low-tech" torture? Shouldn't you charge him with something first? Doesn't the military believe in due process?
Joe, you need to go and read Oliver Wendell Holmes and what he said about "truth," and the" marketplace of free ideas"; that is what holds a democracy together. Reading is really low -tech, Joe, so get to it!
It would also be a good idea to have Congress and yourself read up on American history from the year of 1919 and on up to the Patriot Act. We have been one scary country, so why do you guys want to start this all over again? If you don't believe me, then talk to Kanye West and he can tell you all about stupid words and actions!
stardust, when I saw the words "hi-tech' terrorist", my first thought was about the drones too. How much more hi-tech can you get than when you can blast a bunch of people half-way around the world just by the push of a button? F'ng unbelievable!
I agree. But what needs to happen is a broader understanding of Wikileaks. The curtain has been pulled back and it is driving the power structure crazy. This is a excellent piece, please watch, show it to friends, and spread to others. http://svtplay.se/v/2264028/wikirebels_the_documentary
Thanks for the link, Joe. Good video.
How ironic that we don't need the Wikileaks and whistleblowers of the world
to expose how the current crop of American Corporate Fascists go about manipulating public opinion and making up law to prosecute and torture
those exercising their pursuit of truth and freedom of expression.
Go Cheney yourself, Joe Biden. You are just another worthless lying war criminal, like Obama, Clinton, Gates, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Yoo and Rove. May you all rot in prison after being taken to The Hague for your war crimes trials.
You miss out Harold Koh. Koh the equivalent to Dubya's John Yoon. John Yoon define the "Torture" Harold define "Drone killing". Both are Law Professor, Korean. Harold Koh previously a civil right lawyer, Justice Harry A. Blackmun law clerk. Which is worst, torture or Drone killing, you decide?
Harold Koh is an American citizen, not Korean. I smell the waft of abysmal ignorance from this post of yours, and suggest you learn your subject prior to excreting an invalid opinion all over this forum. John YooN indeed!
Harold Hongju Koh (Hangul: 고홍주, Hanja: 高洪柱 ; born December 8, 1954) is an American lawyer and legal scholar. He currently serves as the Legal Adviser of the Department of State. He was nominated to his current position by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2009,and confirmed by the Senate on June 25, 2009.[3]
In public service, Koh previously served in the United States Department of State during the Clinton administration as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. In academia, he served as a member of the faculty of Yale Law School, and later as its Dean.
Wiki......
What Koh's ethnicity has to so with politics is something you need to give much thought to, and perhaps even take a class on prejudice.
People are scratching their heads wondering what caused Koh to put on the Imperial Mantle.
True enough, but how many believe his ethnicity to be a part of the equation?
Four?
The US dribbled its own secrets into the street. Assange simply picked them up and published them. But it is very satisfying to watch the Empire rage about getting caught with its pants down yet again. It's more fun than watching the senate deal with its own sex fantasies during the Monica Lewinsky debacle. Let's hope the spectacle lasts awhile and gets even more attention in world media.
Since Wikileaks is dribbling these out over time, a few a day, this spectacle WILL last. At least until they have had enough and then they will just shut the internet down, and that will be that.
Plus us commenting here saves them alot of footwork.
You are free to post addresses of organizing sites... but you did not. this site does not have to give you sites, you have to do something for yourself.
Plus There are many sites linked if you look.
You are free to announce demonstrations here, so don't be a crybaby cryin wolf.
"You are free to announce demonstrations here, so don't be a crybaby cryin wolf."
Some on this forum have reported mysterious disappearances of such announcements. I'm not sure why that would be so other than a possible conflict with one of their commenting policies.
Yes, if things get too heated, it seems flagged comments will get deleted and those comments that refer to them.
We had to sign on to some rules to post here so the flag switch is there.
But I am reffering to posting demonsrations...people do that here all the time so the complaint is not just.
Too many Folks come on here with made up names and are afraid to do anything but be afraid.
Too many cry babies around here.
Everything can be improved but you said CD was "pretty much useless" because it did not post demonstrations.
If you are afraid of the FBI enlarging your file, I don't see how you would be any safer on a special site for demonstrations.
In fact, the surveillance would be much greater on such a site.
The grass is always greener somewhere else, but you can post demonstrations all you want here and keep your guitar.
.
No, i am not opposed to action if it is helpful.
If you want a different site go there but why bother arguing with me about Common Dreams if does not suit your purpose go somewhere that does if this site is "almost useless".
You don't have to be off topic there are plenty of topics that call for a demonstration, if you called for a demonstration on wikileaks right here it would not be off topic.
If you want action go do your thing so that you can let us in on how it goes. Talking about "action" is boring without the detail of what kind of action you have in mind. What about your family and friends, do they share your quest for action?
I just googled "demonstrations for wikileaks" and there are so many and was not hard to find, If you want another site with a different format, find one I am sure there are many many political action sites.
Look um up for yourself, don't be so lazy if you want to be the action guy.
And if you are concerned about the FBI they have more tools than the sites do and private email is their specialty.
voxclamantis
You are getting close to some very solid truth with your Lewinsky/Assange connection but you ultimately end up siding with the Empire's plan in your comment. YES! This is precisely like a modern day Monica Lewinsky scandal. And why did we have that scandal? Not to discover important truths but to distract everyone from bigger darker things that were really going on. Like Clinton bombing Sundan and Afghanistan and on and on... And now today we have an enormous soap opera playing out once again before our eyes and ALL the major and minor media outlets are playing their parts perfectly. Our hero is TIME person of the year! "THINGS ARE CHANGING!" we shout as we munch our popcorn and drink our wine thinking that TRUTH with a capital 'T' is being discovered and we follow this sexy/thrilling Assange story with all its twists and turns (coming SOON to a theatre near you!!) And the spectacle will go on and on as you suggest and people will follow it closely while the Haitians and Iraqis and Afghans are Pakistanis and so on are slaughtered and the rich get richer and more wars get planned and the Empire uses this well scriprted story to discover new ways to define 'terrorist' and "leak" false justifications for haineous acts around the world.
See Glenn Greenwald's post, "Joe Biden v. Joe Biden on WikiLeaks"; Glenn details Biden's 180° flip-flop regarding the impact of Assange/Wikileaks: "In one day, Biden went from giddily declaring that 'I don't think there's any damage' to gravely warning that 'it has done damage'." *
One traditional, if crass, metaphor for a male public figure who makes a gaffe, faux pas, or misstatement is to note, "So-and-so stepped on his prick again today."
But this metaphor does not do justice to Joe Biden. Biden doesn't just step on his prick, he twirls it like a jump rope and skips over it like a champeen for as long as the spotlight's still on him.
Remember his impromptu enthusiastic praise for his future boss? "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy..."
I'm sure there are close competitors, but I can't think of another senior Elected Misrepresentative who's issued more clarifications, amendations, and follow-ups to "correct" the record after a bout of projectile blathering.
What's worse is that Biden's trademark penchant for good-natured, impulsive bloviating, bullshitting, misspeaking, and generally talking out of his ass to say whatever is appropriate to the moment is regarded by sycophantic supporters and the corporate media as an endearing trait.
Oh no he didn't! There goes our Joe again! Gotta love 'im!
He's like DC's version of Yogi Berra, or Casey Stengel. And the complacent, uncritical pseudo-intelligensia of the conventional commentariat would doubtless "knowingly" intone that hey, maybe Biden can be a bit of a clown-- but when he gets down to business, he's a person of incontestable wisdom, probity, gravitas, and trustworthiness.
This is because they are as full of shit as Biden is. More precisely, they don't notice or mind shameless time-servers because there is Honor Among Shameless Time-Servers.
* http://bit.ly/iepV7V -- also posted on CD yesterday.
"I take *acception* to that"! (Lumping Yogi Berra in with not so harmless malapropist Joe Biden)
Biden finally found some work.
This Administration, is one of the most right-wing administrations in this nation's history, without a doubt.
You overstate your point.
You must try harder, the suspense is killing me.
What Mr. Joe is trying to tell us is that everyone even considering speaking the truth are now defined as terrorists. If you use the internet to broadcast the truth you will be labeled a "high tech terrorist". If you act non-violently to protect the earth, you will be labeled an "eco-terrorist". These labels play well in the propaganda machine to get citizens to support and go along with the fascist agenda currently unfolding in this country.
Our best strategy is to disconnect from the corporate state. Remove your money from the international thieves and con men and place it in local institutions. Refuse to purchase essentials from large corporations. Patronize local farmers and mom & pop stores.
Once the movement gets rolling, we will all be terrorists. Peace terrorists. Sustainability terrorists. Compassionate terrorists. Clean energy terrorists. Love terrorists. Equal rights terrorists.
We are everywhere!
Everybody has the potential to be a future terrorist.
Public Law 107-40 gives to the President almost unlimited power to 'prevent future terrorism' (by enemies to be named later - by the President).
The President is under no obligation to announce publicly whom those enemies are.
Let us thank Mr. Bidet for letting us know publicly that we are all on the shit list.