With Rumored Manhunt for Wikileaks Founder and Arrest of Alleged Leaker of Video Showing Iraq Killings, Obama Admin Escalates Crackdown on Whistleblowers of Classified Information Pentagon investigators are reportedly still searching for Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange, who helped release a classified US military video showing a US helicopter gunship indiscriminately firing on Iraqi civilians. The US military recently arrested Army Specialist Bradley Manning, who may have passed on the video to Wikileaks. Manning’s arrest and the hunt for Assange has put the spotlight on the Obama administration’s campaign against whistleblowers and leakers of classified information. We speak to Daniel Ellsberg, who’s leaking of the Pentagon Papers has made him perhaps the nation’s most famous whistleblower; Birgitta Jonsdottir, a member of the Icelandic Parliament who has collaborated with WikiLeaks and drafted a new Icelandic law protecting investigative journalists; and Glenn Greenwald, political and legal blogger for Salon.com
It’s not a Rumor. I’ve got a bullet with his name on it. For every Afghan civilian that dies because of his efforts, I will kill one member of his family, starting with him. You think he’s a hero now, just wait until he’s a martyr.
Looks like we need Hitler “behind” our election system or our “democratic system” is going to be ruined by wikileakers. Democracy is our ruling system, no secrecy is not national security. When you know a secret that you shouldn’t know, you’re guilty of treason no matter what position you occupy, including the position of the President of United States.
People should protest immediately turn themselves in to FBI as wikileakers. If you’re unemployed, perfect for this protest. All protesters should line-up in front Pantagon, White House, Congress, Senate House, and voting booth facilities this November mid-term election.
I remember Roman Empire collapsed by being afraid of people, including their own people. Would we following their foot steps?
Julian Assange must be accountable to the after effects of each individual released fact. When a war ends history can judge the actions of those involved, but secrecy is paramount to any war. Julian Assange is not a whistleblower. He is a man who now must become liable in a criminal and civil manner. And lets not forget Afghan vengeance, now funded with millions and millions of American contract dollars. I think they might be mad.
Support Wikileaks.
The government is on our payroll, its absurd that they should be able to conceal information against the public’s will.
@msaint2326 I think the Afghans were already mad… >.> You DO realize that Julian released this info to the mainstream media because they turned a blind eye to it, right? I’m pretty sure Afghans already know whenever an Afghan kid is killed as “collateral damage”. They were already pissed, bff.
@blueridger28 AMEN. His murder may well be the undoing of the American governement. People will rise.
@angelinarai and this makes Julian a what? a hero? Because the blood on his hands now, relieves the pain of those already deceased? Because the deaths he causes are not as important as the victims who have left this Earth? Is it good, that Julian now joins those who make up the rules as they go along? You just cant fight the devil without giving in to a little of that exhilaration can you? Welcome Julian.
@msaint2326 You speak in riddles. All I’m saying is this… “Who guards the guardians?” If anyone hurts Julian Assange, it will be a steel knife in the windpipe of free speech, transparency & accountability of government, and the rights of the governed. He is a hero to me and officials of the government who have nothing to hide.
@angelinarai hmmm, actually it would be a steel knife in the windpipe of a man, the day would end, and no one would care. not all parts of government can be transparent and his reaction is infantile if not criminal. it resembles nothing heroic. everyone knows there is a war on, people are dying unnecessarily, and it is an occupation in every sense of the word. the way to change it is political activism by lobbying representatives. not the commission of this crime. he is wrong, simply put.
@msaint2326 The feeble-minded and uneducated would not care, because they wouldn’t be able to see the statement/threat behind his murder to THEM. Governments use OUR money to conduct wars that THEY control. Do you think the majority of German citizens knew about the acute atrocities Hitler commited? Sure.. they knew about the camps.. but the torture, experimentation, and euthanization of disabled? Old Mrs. Berlin down the street didn’t know until it was too late. And she helped fund it.
@angelinarai they didn’t have the internet back then. blink your eye and your political career may be gone. there is more caution these days. all we have is the rule of law both civil and criminal and the freedom of expression. If Jesse James robbed one bank and killed one man he would be a menace but up the death toll and he becomes a hero……not to the families of those he killed however. Julian Assange must answer for one and all deaths he causes due to the release of secret information.
@msaint2326 What does the internet have to do with anything? And I don’t get the analogy of a man killing a bank teller and being a hero.
And releasing those documents will not end in anyone being murdered. If anything, it may save lives. The war may end earlier due to public pressure after watching the war on screen. As for the documents, Julian clearly says that he WITHHELD 15k docs, because they presented a danger to someone’s personal or national security. The ones he released didn’t.
@JoesephKatana yes and when they investigate you for that sexual harassment complaint from your crazy female stalker, you are really going to feel strongly about that too! That’s right, no secrets at all, just let it all out!
@msaint2326 that’s a far cry from a governmental cover up. Candidates running against each other already mud sling whatever they can find, at least with transparency the public could check whats true.
@angelinarai here it is! today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38441360/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/ so now, lets see, if I am the son of a man who is killed by the taliban because of Julian’s revelations, do I have a legal claim against Julian Assange? Or is hero Julian immune? The internet has caused so much distribution of information that secrets are hard to keep. My reference to it is to say that transparency is more common these days. What little secrecy we do have is often necessary.
@JoesephKatana true, but the line exists somewhere. war is dirty, no doubt about that. my point would be…indict the soldier who covers up, but also indict Julian, allow civil cases to proceed, and hold everyone accountable, Julian too. We live in a modern time where our vision should not be clouded by “hero status” of peculiar acts. If someone wiped out Congress, there would be applause, but there would also be a crime and grieving relatives. Bring the offender to court, right next to Julian.
@msaint2326 The other end of the spectrum is that we’re putting the government in a position to decide what we are allowed to say about it. I prefer the detriments of having “no secrets” to a shady government any day. I also think its worthwhile to note that people volunteered this information to Julian because they were uncomfortable with the governments actions, its not like he went snooping for it.
@JoesephKatana well we can agree on one thing…no secrets! I would love to see that!. Imagine, every investigation, negotiation, treaty, and action of government would be on the internet to read, from the first day it was authored. No secrets at all. Criminals would know they are under investigation, corporations would too. No enemy would ever be unaware of our strategic positioning. And this country would fall to darwinian depths that would allow the strong to redefine it at will. Lets do it!
@msaint2326 The government would be forced to conduct itself in a manner agreeable with its people. The reason it is controversial is because most people are not pleased with the secrets their government is keeping. To make it more ridiculous, the government, which is on the citizens pay roll, can arrest citizens for exposing its use of their money to other taxpayers. Obviously some things need to be kept under wraps (for a short duration of time) but that isn’t what the controversy is about.
@JoesephKatana It is what its about..secrecy, what is secret, and how long. Without revelation, wrongdoing may not be addressed. Excessive money, bullets, and power of any sort, brings out the worst in some people.This must be managed. The USA contrasts other countries who allow their soldiers to wreak havoc unaddressed. But we forget, we can vote people out of office. The phrase, “I accept responsibility” has become a meaningless soundbite meant to dismiss reality. If you accept, then RESIGN!
@msaint2326 Exactly, and to allow the government to persecute whistle blowers will only prevent the process of revelation. Without transparency, or at least translucency, the media led populace will continue to elect the same officials who don’t represent their desires.
@JoesephKatana Well, whistleblowing itself should not be outlawed. But if a secretary in a government office, reveals names in a secret investigation, and it causes an act of vengeance on the part of a disenfranchised party, well then, that person may be liable under tort law. I am for staying the course on that, no matter how big or little the issue. The evolution of government must continually protect the individual and not fall prey to populist movements, like the support of Julian Assange.