Julian Assange Again

Oh my, my, my. We want to dish it out but we still can't take it back:

WikiLeaks chief lashes out at media during debate

"WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange lashed out at the mainstream media during a debate at a London university Thursday, fighting back at a string of unfavorable stories that have appeared since his organization's publication of a cache of U.S. intelligence documents.

Assange's group has reportedly suffered infighting and the former computer hacker-turned-online whistle blower also faces allegations of sexual misconduct in Sweden, where some of the organization's infrastructure is based.

...one former group spokesman was quoted this week as saying that the organization was becoming consumed by its confrontation with the Pentagon.

Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a German who said he recently quit as Wikileaks' spokesman over Assange's management style, told Der Speigel he had encountered problems with what he described as the Australian's obsession with attacking the U.S. government.

He accused the Wall Street Journal of participating in what he described as a "scam" to discredit WikiLeaks by publicizing the details of its e-mail exchanges with human rights groups, which reportedly expressed disquiet over the naming of informants in the Afghanistan intelligence reports it posted to the web.

Assange attacked The Huffington Post website for investigating his organization's financing, and criticized Wired magazine — which recently published a report that claimed WikiLeaks was suffering from an internal power struggle that had led to the ouster of key staffers."

Look sweetie. You can't have it both ways. If you want to dig up dirt that could harm a great many people, and make it public in order to be a big hero, feed your big ego, etc., then you need to develop big enough balls to take the backlash. You're a hypocrite.  A cowardly hypocrite, at that.  Having catapulted yourself into the spotlight with your so-called whistleblowing exposes, you can't now complain because the spotlight has turned onto you. You're not having spats with your kindergarten classmates. This is the real world and there are serious consequences when you play with adults, especially ones who are way bigger than you. 

And how do we know you're a hypocrite?  Well, looky here:

"He also rejected claims that his group was obsessed with attacking the American military, but said "We have to deal with that country, if we are to deal — even partially — with the problem of secrecy in the world.

The WikiLeaks chief made only an oblique reference to his legal troubles in Sweden, where prosecutors are probing complaints against Assange filed by two women in August. Assange has denied the allegations, saying they are part of a smear campaign. Asked about his future plans in the Scandinavian country, Assange dodged the question, wistfully describing Sweden as a fascinating place."

"Secrecy in the world"? Then what's this "oblique reference"?  Or the "dodged question" then?

Seriously, the mind boggles. How can anyone in his late 30s, seriously think that wars can be won, or even waged, if all communications and strategies are made public, while at the same time, be closed up when talking about his own enterprise?  I tell ya, despite his chronological age, this boy is still a teenager.  He not only looks like an eleven year old, but he has the intellectual, social and moral capacity of an adolescent, too.

"WikiLeaks' site is currently down, citing maintenance issues." 

Hmmmm. Maybe that worm targeted your server, too. Two can play at that game, you infantile freak.


WikiLeaks founder defends website

"In a debate at London's City University, he (Assange) said: "We do not have a goal of having innocent people being harmed. We have exactly the opposite goal. Our goal is to have those people protected."

When asked if he had contemplated the possible danger the publication would cause to Afghans named as helping the US, Mr Assange said: "Of course we considered that. We put in a process of dealing with that. We took away one in five documents prior to the release."

But he added: "That doesn't mean that the process is infallible."

Mr. Assange refused to be drawn on the details of the method used, leading some members of the audience to shout "answer the question".

More with the openness versus "secrecy" stance, I see. And infallibility is expected of others, but not, apparently, necessary for yourself. Is that it? Hmmmm. I see.

WikiLeaks founder blasts Pentagon amid Afghan files row

"Daniel Schmitt told German news magazine Der Spiegel that Assange had unilaterally taken the decision to suspend him and had "reacted to the smallest criticism by accusing me of being disobedient and disloyal towards the project."

But Assange dismissed this as "absolute lies". "He was suspended a month ago for other reasons," said the WikiLeaks founder, without giving details."

It never ends, does it.

Australia could charge WikiLeaks over US document release

"Australia's Attorney-General has flagged charging WikiLeaks members for their involvement in releasing confidential US military documents.

Speaking at the launch of an international cyber security exercise earlier this week, Attorney-General Robert McClelland expressed his disapproval of WikiLeaks's July release of tens of thousands of secret US documents relating to the war in Afghanistan.

He said the release of the documents, 77,000 in total, had put lives at risk and he criticised WikiLeaks for making such a decision ''from the comfort of an office.''

''Anything that puts those people - who are serving their country and protecting our security - at risk is entirely reprehensible, whether it's done for notoriety, or whether it's done for commercial interests,'' he said.

But he would not comment on allegations by a WikiLeaks insider that Australian intelligence agencies had been monitoring WikiLeaks's founder Julian Assange while he was in Australia, or whether they shared intelligence about him with agencies from the US, Britain and Sweden."

WikiLeaks founder warned of action

"Australia may pressure Sweden to prosecute Julian Assange or others linked to his whistleblower website WikiLeaks if planned releases of military documents outlining the Iraq and Afghanistan wars pose a risk to serving forces."

[---]

"''Anything that puts those people who are serving their country and protecting our security at risk is entirely reprehensible, whether it's done for notoriety, whether it's done for commercial interests,'' Mr McClelland said.

''If these acts amount to an offence, the people involved will most certainly be prosecuted.''

He said it could be difficult to determine the location where an offence had taken place when that offence was committed online, but Australia was determined to work

Frankly, I hope they nail him.