Biden considering Australia's request to drop prosecution of Wikileaks founder

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News/AP

April 10, 2024, 12:01 PM


WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he is considering a request from Australia to drop the decade-long U.S. push to prosecute Wikileaks founder Julian Assange for publishing a trove of American classified documents.

For years, Australia has called on the U.S. to drop its prosecution against Assange, an Australian citizen who has fought U.S. extradition efforts from prison in the U.K. Asked about the request on Wednesday, as he hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official visit, Biden said, “We’re considering it.”

Assange has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of a trove of classified U.S. documents almost 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege that Assange, 52, encouraged and helped U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks published, putting lives at risk.

Australia argues there is a disconnect between the U.S. treatment of Assange and Manning. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s 35-year sentence to seven years, which allowed her release in 2017.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/biden-australias-request-drop-prosecution-wikileaks-founder-assange-109089633

[Mysterian]

1. Fuck that shit

Motherfucker helped our enemies.

[sop]

2. Probably a good idea to drop it. What's to be gained?

And prosecuting Assange now would only create more outrage among all the usual suspects during an election year.

[24601]

3. Let a jury decide is Assange is just a journalist - or if he instead coached Private (then Specialist) Manning through

procedures for improperly accessing classified intelligence products and illegally providing them to Assange who had no security clearance. I'm comfortable with a jury deciding if that was a conspiracy to commit espionage against the United States.

[Magoo48]

4. Good. I don't want others deterred from highlighting secret ways our taxes are used and misused.

[mike_c]

5. sunlight is always the best disinfectant

[Martin68]

6. A trial would shine sunlight on Assange's anti-American agenda and hacking activities.

[MadameButterfly]

7. Assange used Wikileaks to help Putin elect Donald Trump

which may lead to the end of the free world and the planet.

I'd rather let a thousand murderers off than forgive this guy.

Maybe I don't know the details of Manning's case but I don't recall her getting Trump elected nor do I fear her next move.. If Assange is forgiven, he'll do it again.