Twitter Must Hand Over Subscribers Information

By Jerry Smith Nov. 11 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

In Alexandria, Virginia yesterday, U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady dealt a blow to Twitter and privacy advocates everywhere when he upheld Magistrate Judge Theresa Buchanan’s earlier ruling that Twitter had to give U.S. investigators the data it has on subscribers “associated with WikiLeaks”, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, Icelandic parliamentarian Birgitta Jonsdottir, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp.

Prosecutors are seeking subscriber names, contact information, billing records, user activity, Internet Protocol addresses and source and destination e-mail addresses associated with the accounts, not the actual messages in them or the Twitter users who follow the accounts.

Interesting Comedy Video

By Jerry Smith Nov. 10 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Lets have a little fun and laugh at a comedy video found on YouTube called 'RAP NEWS 5: News World Order - the war on journalism (feat. Julian Assange)'. Enjoy!

Assange Continues Fighting Extradition To Sweden

By Jerry Smith July 12 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Today Julian Assange continues his fight not to be extradited to Sweden. The hearing will continue tomorrow.

Julian Assange Replaces A Lawyer

By Jerry Smith June 25 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

As Julian Assange prepares to return to court on July 12, to fight being extradited to Sweden, he has replaced British media attorney Mark Stephens with human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce.

Former Governor Gary Johnson Talks About WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith June 24 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The former Governor of New Mexico and a Republican candidate for President, Gary Johnson, sat down with Alyona Minkovsk, host of the Alyona show on Russia Today, and talked about WikiLeaks and much more.

Who Wants To Dine With Assange?

By Jerry Smith June 16 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Up for auction on E-Bay is a chance for eight people to dine with Julian Assange. The starting bid is 350 pounds to have lunch in “one of London’s finest restaurants” with Assange and renowned Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek.

Julian Assange Talks To The Belfast Telegraph: Video

By Jerry Smith June 14 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sat down with Shane Doran at Ellingham Hall, the 18th century manor owned by friend and supporter Vaughan Smith where Assange must stay while he is under house arrest, fighting extradition to Sweden.

Assange talks about the press, the US government, the cat abuse allegations, some of his legal woes and much more.

Assange Speaks At Hay Festival Of Literature

By Jerry Smith June 6 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

At the Hay Festival Of Literature, Julian Assange was heckled about U.S soldier Bradley Manning, and spoke about the role WikiLeaks played in the pro-democracy riots across the Middle-East this year, any harm caused by WikiLeaks revelations, the FBI trying to bribe WikiLeaks' staff members, and much more.

Assange And Ellsberg Talk WikiLeaks: Video

By Jerry Smith June 3 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

On October 25,2010 Julian Assange and Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg talked WikiLeaks with CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer at the Frontline club.

Julian Assange Awarded Martha Gellhorn Prize For Journalism

By Jerry Smith June 2 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has won the 2011 Martha Gellhorn prize for Journalism.

All the judges voted for Assange, claiming that he "represents that which journalists once prided themselves".

Oscar-Winning Filmmaker To Direct Movie About Julian Assange

By Jerry Smith Apr 29 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Charles Ferguson, the oscar-winning documentary filmmaker has signed on to direct the HBO Films' movie about Julian Assange, if the project gets the go ahead.

WikiLeaks Had Best Year For Donations In 2010

By Jerry Smith Apr 28 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The Wau Holland Foundation, a German nonprofit organization that processes most of the donations given to WikiLeaks, has released a report detailing what they received in donations for WikiLeaks, and how the donated money was spent.

The foundation said that they received about $1.9 million in donations in 2010 for WikiLeaks, with about $700,000 being donated in December.

No Longer A Smelly Bag Lady Assange Makes Best Dressed List

By Jerry Smith Apr 26 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been named one of the 20 best dressed men in the world by French magazine Le Figaro Madame.

Some of the others joining Assange on that list include U.S. President Barack Obama, Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth, and TV Chef Jamie Oliver.

Julian Assange On Time Magazine List Of 100 Most Influential People : Video

By Jerry Smith Apr 24 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Time magazine has published it's list of the 100 most influential people, and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has made the list.

Google executive Wael Ghonim, who was the face of the popular uprising in Egypt, topped Time's list as the worlds most influential person.

Twitter WikiLeaks Information Handover Hearing Cancelled

By Jerry Smith Apr 23 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The hearing scheduled for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), on behalf of Icelandic parliamentarian Birgitta Jonsdottir, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp, to continue fighting the government's demand for their Twitter records had been cancelled.

U.S. District Court Judge Liam O'Grady, who was scheduled to hold a hearing on Friday to hear Jonsdottir, Appelbaum, and Gonggrijp's appeal, cancelled the hearing and decided instead to issue his ruling after he reads the written briefs from both sides.

Accused WikiLeaker Bradley Manning Is Being Transferred : Video

By Jerry Smith Apr 22 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, who is being held at Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia in solitary confinement 23 hours a day in a windowless 6-by-12-foot cell, shackled and forced to sleep either naked or in a suicide-proof smock due to supposed fears that he may commit suicide, is getting transferred to a Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

23 year old Manning has been imprisoned at Quantico since July 2010, and is accused of leaking the embarrassing diplomatic cables, the classified documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the 'Collateral Murder' video to WikiLeaks.

Portrait Of Julian Assange Wins The Bald Archy Prize

By Jerry Smith Apr 20 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

A portrait of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, titled Bad Ass-Ange, and painted by 60 year old artist Xavier Ghazi, won this year’s The Bald Archy Prize.

The painting features Assange with his pants around his ankles, urinating into a red, white and blue colored top hat with stars and stripes on it.

Book About Assange Launched In New York

By Jerry Smith Apr 19 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

ABC journalist Andrew Fowler's book about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange titled 'The Most Dangerous Man in the World', was launched this week in New York after being published last month in Australia.

The book covers Assange's childhood, the launch of WikiLeaks and their high profile leaks like the embarrassing diplomatic cables, the classified documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the classified 'Collateral Murder' video, and much more.

Julian Assange Confronts Bill Keller

By Jerry Smith Apr 17 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange confronted New York Times executive editor Bill Keller last week at U.C. Berkeley at the Reva and David Logan Investigative Reporting Symposium, via Skype.

The event was moderated by former SF Weekly editor Jack Shafer, who now writes for Slate. He started the evening off by asking Keller about his "bag-lady" description of Assange.

Julian Assange Takes Part In Debate On Whistleblowing : Video

By Jerry Smith Apr 16 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

On Apr 9th at Kensington Town Hall, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange took part in a debate on whistleblowing for the proposition. Other speakers for the proposition were Mehdi Hasan, senior editor for politics of the New Statesman, and Clayton Swisher, head of al-Jazeera's transparency unit.

Bob Ayers, former director of the information systems and security program at the US department of defence, David Richmond, former director for British defence and intelligence and member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Board, and Douglas Murray, author and commentator spoke for the opposition.

Assange Continues His Interview With The Hindu : Video

By Jerry Smith Apr 15 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

On April 8th, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sat down with The Hindu’s Editor-in-Chief, N. Ram and the newspaper’s U.K. Correspondent, Hasan Suroor at Ellingham Hall in Norfolk, where Assange is staying while under house arrest and fighting extradition to Sweden.

They discussed many issues in the hour long interview such as India, the published India cables, the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, journalism, WikiLeaks and more.

Assange Talks About WikiLeaks And Suing Guardian Reporters David Leigh And Luke Harding

By Jerry Smith Apr 12 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is under house arrest at Ellingham Hall in Norfolk, Britain, spoke with Leigh Sales, a reporter from the ABC program 7.30.

Assange and Sales spoke about WikiLeaks, fearing for his life, the book written about him by Guardian reporters David Leigh and Luke Harding, and much more.

Julian Assange Discusses Revolutions And India

By Jerry Smith Apr 11 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Last Friday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sat down with The Hindu’s Editor-in-Chief, N. Ram and the newspaper’s U.K. Correspondent, Hasan Suroor.

They discussed India, the published India cables, the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, journalism, WikiLeaks and more.

Malcolm Turnbull On WikiLeaks And Assange

By Jerry Smith Apr 9 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

On March 31 2011, Australian politician Malcolm Turnbull gave a speech titled 'Reflections on WikiLeaks, Spycatcher and Freedom of the Press', to the Sydney University Law School.

In his speech Turnbull talks about Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, 'Spycatcher' author Peter Wright, and more.

WikiLeaks Cables Reveal Alliances And Worst Fears Of Israel

By Jerry Smith Apr 8 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Recently released WikiLeaks cables from the U.S. embassy in Israel reveal the co-operation between U.S. and Israeli intelligence organisations, links between Mossad and Bahrain’s King Sheikh Hamad and much more.

Julian Assange revealed that more documents will be released and published, and that the documents to come should shed some light on Israel's problem with Iran's nuclear program and its potential involvement in the assassination of Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyeh.

Do You Wanna Play A Game?

By Jerry Smith Apr 6 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

So, do you?

Assange Gets Appeal Court Date

By Jerry Smith Apr 6 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Julian Assange has finally been given a date for his appeal against Judge Howard Riddle's ruling that he should be extradited to Sweden. Judge Riddle felt that Assange could get a fair trial in Sweden and that his extradition to Sweden would not violate his human rights.

Assange will continue to fight being extradited to Sweden at a two day hearing at the High Court in London on July 12 and 13.

WikiLeaks Spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson Talks To Iceland Review

By Jerry Smith Apr 5 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Award-winning investigative reporter and WikiLeaks spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson, who joined WikiLeaks after working on the 'Collateral Murder' video, talks with Ásta Andrésdóttir from the Iceland Review magazine.

Assange Lawyer Rob Stary Talks About WikiLeaks And Assange : Video

By Jerry Smith Apr 4 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Rob Stary, an Australian lawyer representing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sat down and was interviewed by the Wikileaks Australian Citizens Alliance (WACA).

Stary talks about WikiLeaks, the Australian government, and Assange.

WikiLeaks And Assange News : Video

By Jerry Smith Apr 2 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Royal Navy medic Michael Lyons became a conscientious objector to the Afghanistan war after he read WikiLeaks.

Another WikiLeaks like website has cropped up called Porn Wikileaks that has released the real names of many porn stars, past and present.

And video, supposedly of Julian Assange dancing at a club in Iceland has surfaced.

Daniel Assange Talks About His Dad

By Jerry Smith Mar 31 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Late last year Daniel Assange spoke with Crikey intern Nick Johns-Wickberg about his relationship with his dad, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, what he think about the work his dad is doing and much more.

Daniel revealed that when he was 16, his father asked him join WikiLeaks, which was just starting out at the time. Thinking that WikiLeaks wasn't going to succeed, and not on great terms with his dad, Daniel turned the offer down and said about that decision:

"I never thought he was going to succeed. It was a ridiculous concept, that he was going to actually leak government documents to the entire world.”

Former State Department Spokesman Stands By Criticism Of Bradley Manning Treatment

By Jerry Smith Mar 30 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Former U.S. state department’s chief spokesperson Philip “P.J.” Crowley said he has no regrets about resigning or about making the remarks he did about U.S. soldier Bradley Manning's treatment saying the investigation into Manning's role as the source for WikiLeaks has been weakened.

Crowley was forced to resigned Sunday Mar 13 after he made comments to a small audience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday Mar 11 condemning the conditions Manning is being kept in.

Julian Assange Wanted Advice From Daniel Ellsberg

By Jerry Smith Mar 29 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

In an extract from Australian journalist Andrew Fowler's upcoming book about Julian Assange titled ‘The Most Dangerous Man in the World’, Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg reveals how Assange came to him for advice and how Assange wanted him to be apart of WikiLeaks' "political armor".

ACLU And EFF Appeal Twitter Information Handover Ruling

By Jerry Smith Mar 27 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), on behalf of Icelandic parliamentarian Birgitta Jonsdottir, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp, have filed an appeal to U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Buchanan's order for Twitter to give U.S. investigators the data it has on subscribers “associated with WikiLeaks,” including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, Jonsdottir, Appelbaum, and Gonggrijp.

Jonsdottir, Appelbaum, and Gonggrijp have been fighting the government demand for their Twitter records, but Assange and Manning have not contested the order. WikiLeaks and Assange feel the U.S. lacks jurisdiction "over expressive activities beyond its borders," and said they would not be taking part in hearings.

Protests And Rallies Held For Bradley Manning : Video

By Jerry Smith Mar 26 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Various protests and rallies were held around the world this past week and last weekend for Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier accused of leaking the embarrassing diplomatic cables, the classified documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the 'Collateral Murder' video to WikiLeaks.

On Sunday about 35 of the more than 400 people in attendance, including Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg and Retired Army Col. Ann Wright, were arrested while protesting outside the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia, where Manning is being held in solitary confinement 23 hours a day in a windowless 6-by-12-foot cell, shackled and forced to sleep either naked or in a suicide-proof smock due to supposed fears that he may commit suicide.

Daniel Domscheit-Berg Talks About WikiLeaks And Julian Assange

By Jerry Smith Mar 24 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Daniel Domscheit-Berg, the ex-WikiLeaks member who left and started OpenLeaks did an interview with Matt McAllester.

Julian Assange To Participate In Debate And Get A Temporary Monument

By Jerry Smith Mar 23 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The British political magazine New Statesman and the media hangout Frontline Club are organizing a debate on Saturday April 9th 2011 at Kensington Town Hall in London. Jason Cowley, the editor of New Statesman, will chair the debate featuring WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for the proposition, in his first debate since Cablegate.

And in Ekaterinburg, Russia there will be a temporary monument erected for Assange, within a larger project called 'The temporary monuments to the Internet heroes', scheduled to open today.

Julian Assange Talks With Prannoy Roy Of NDTV : Video

By Jerry Smith Mar 21 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sat down, via satellite, to talk with NDTV's Prannoy Roy about the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and the cables that he would have you believe are not authentic, what's next to be released and much more.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual Resigns Due To WikiLeaks Published U.S. Diplomatic Cables

By Jerry Smith Mar 20 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, has resigned after the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, expressed his lack of trust in the diplomat and demanded his removal because of his comments in the leaked U.S. diplomatic cables that were published by WikiLeaks.

The cables written by Pascual and sent to Washington criticized the Mexican government’s anti-drug fight, criticised the Mexican authorities’ ability to tackle the country’s organised crime problem and angered President Calderon.

Thousands Turn Out To Support Julian Assange And WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith Mar 19 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Over 2000 people came to the Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday March 16 to see Independent journalist John Pilger, Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie and civil liberties’ lawyer Julian Burnside speak at the 'Breaking Australia's Silence: WikiLeaks and Freedom' event and to show their support for Australian citizen Julian Assange, WikiLeaks and freedom.

Mary Kostakidis moderated the event which was put together and sponsored by The Sydney Peace Foundation, the City of Sydney, Sydney City Council, Getup and Amnesty International.

US State Department Official Philip Crowley Forced To Resign After Criticizing Treatment Of Manning

By Jerry Smith Mar 18 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Philip J. Crowley (PJ), the US state department’s chief spokesperson and assistant secretary of state for public affairs, was forced to resigned Sunday after he made comments to a small audience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday condemning the conditions US soldier Bradley Manning is being kept in.

Manning is accused of leaking the embarrassing diplomatic cables, the classified documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the 'Collateral Murder' video to WikiLeaks and is being is held at the Quantico marine corps base in solitary confinement 23 hours a day in a windowless 6-by-12-foot cell, shackled and forced to sleep naked due to supposed fears that he may commit suicide.

Julian Assange Appears At The Cambridge Union Society

By Jerry Smith Mar 16 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is still under house arrest, appeared last night and spoke to members of the Cambridge Union Society at Cambridge University. The Cambridge Union Society, or more commonly referred to as "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating society founded in 1815. It is the largest society at the University of Cambridge, one of the oldest student debating societies in the world, and has developed a worldwide reputation as a symbol of free speech and open debate.

Over 700 students showed up at the Union to see Assange, who was making his first public appearance in months, besides court dates. Some people waited over 2 hours for the doors to open. No journalists except student journalists from the university's two papers were allowed in, organizers kept the rest out.

Julian Assange Confronts Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard : Video

By Jerry Smith Mar 15 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard appeared on ABC's Q&A program and was surprised when WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange confronted her via video tape about her breaking pre-election promises and if she has been exchanging information about Australian citizens or WikiLeaks employees with foreign countries.

Anonymous Supports Bradley Manning

By Jerry Smith Mar 14 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

While Julian Assange and WikiLeaks still haven't released their cache of secret documents, supposedly significant enough to "take down a bank or two", from the hard drive of a U.S. megabank executive, the internet group known as Anonymous has obtained documents they say will be released that pertain to the issue of whether Bank of America (BofA) has improperly foreclosed on homes and documents that expose "corruption and fraud" at BofA.

Anonymous has previously engaged in damaging denial of service attacks on major American corporations Pay Pal, Mastercard and Visa because they removed the ability for users to donate to Wikileaks via their services, and now they have set their sites on the families of the soldiers at the Quantico marine corps base to show their support for US soldier Bradley Manning.

David Leigh Calls Julian Assange Reckless And Ethically Shallow

By Jerry Smith Mar 13 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

David Leigh, a journalist from The Guardian who co-authored the book 'WikiLeaks : Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy' with fellow journalist from The Guardian Luke Harding was asked to name an important story in his life, and without skipping a beat Leigh said:

“WikiLeaks is the biggest scoop in journalistic history, there is no debate about that.”

“It’s attracted attention from more than 100 countries, and it’s also melodramatic because you have one individual in Julian pitting himself against the U.S. government.”

Twitter Ordered To Give The US Government The Information It Has On Users Associated With WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith Mar 12 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Buchanan has upheld her order for Twitter to give U.S. investigators the data it has on subscribers “associated with WikiLeaks,” including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, Icelandic parliamentarian Birgitta Jonsdottir, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp.

The United States government is trying to use the information in the Twitter accounts to build a case against WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange for publishing the the secret military communications relating to the Iraq and Afghan wars, publishing the roughly 250,000 classified diplomatic cables and releasing the Collateral Murder video.

Maher Arar Talks About Assange and WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith Mar 11 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Dual Syrian and Canadian citizen Maher Arar talks about Julian Assange and WikiLeaks during an interview. Arar was entangled in a famous case of “extraordinary rendition” that began at JFK Airport in September 2001 as Arar was on his way home to Canada from visiting Tunis.

Assange Police Investigator And Rape Accuser Are Friends

By Jerry Smith Mar 11 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Irmeli Krans, an investigator involved in the rape and sexual molestation case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has political and social ties to one of Assange's rape accusers Anna Ardin, the other accuser being Sofia Wilen. Ardin and Krans are both politically active in the Swedish Social Democratic Party, and Krans is even listed as a friend on Ardin's facebook page.

Assange has been fighting extradition to Sweden where he has not been charged with anything but is wanted for questioning by the Swedish police about the accusations made against him by Wilen and Ardin. Assange denies the allegations and says he had consensual sex with the two women.

Judith Ehrlich To Make Documentary About Birgitta Jonsdottir

By Jerry Smith Mar 10 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Judith Ehrlich, the co-director (with Rick Goldsmith) of the Academy Award-nominated documentary about Daniel Ellsberg titled 'The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers', wanted to make a documentary about Julian Assange but ended up making a documentary about Birgitta Jonsdottir.

Jonsdottir is an Icelandic member of Parliament, ex-WikiLeaks spokesperson, and a member of the team behind the making of the Collateral Murder video. The U.S. government is also trying to use her Twitter account and the Twitter accounts of others associated with WikiLeaks like Julian Assange, U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp to build a case against Assange for publishing the secret military communications relating to the Iraq and Afghan wars, publishing the roughly 250,000 classified diplomatic cables and releasing the Collateral Murder video.

DreamWorks Purchases Rights To Multiple WikiLeaks Books

By Jerry Smith Mar 9 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Steven Spielberg's company DreamWorks has purchased the rights to 'Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website', written by WikiLeaks defector Daniel Domscheit-Berg and 'WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy', written by The Guardian reporters David Leigh and Luke Harding.

WikiLeaks and Julian Assange have been highly critical of those two books and replied to the news via their Twitter feed saying:

“This is how bullshit ends up being history. Spielberg lines up WikiLeaks film based on books by opportunists.”

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange To Address Cambridge University Students

By Jerry Smith Mar 8 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Julian Assange will be addressing Cambridge University students on Tuesday March 15th at 5pm at the Union.

Assange is expected to discuss his life and career while speaking to the Cambridge Union Society, one of the oldest student debating societies.

Christine Assange Lashes Out At Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

By Jerry Smith Mar 7 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Christine Assange, mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, lashes out at Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and accuses her of prejudicing her son's right to a fair trial.

Christine Assange said that with Gillard's "ongoing character assassination of Julian in the media" the government's offer of "normal consular assistance" was "about as useful as a floatie in a tsunami".

Assange Calls Bradley Manning An Unparalleled Hero

By Jerry Smith Mar 6 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

On Wednesday, the United States government filed 22 additional charges against US Army Private Bradley Manning, one of them being 'aiding the enemy'. Manning is accused of copying classified military cables and then delivering them to WikiLeaks. If found guilty Manning could face the death penalty.

Julian Assange responded to the new charges against Manning by saying:

"They’re certainly trying to set an example. You know, one of these charges carries with it the death penalty, and that’s a very serious matter. And it will also be a serious matter if that charge is extended from Bradley Manning to other people and to us as publishers of the alleged material."

Assange Lawyers File Appeal

By Jerry Smith Mar 5 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Lawyers for Julian Assange have filed an appeal against Judge Howard Riddle's ruling last week that Assange should be extradited to Sweden because he felt Assange could get a fair trial in Sweden and that his extradition to Sweden would not violate his human rights.

Assange has been fighting extradition to Sweden where he has not been charged with anything but is wanted for questioning by the Swedish police about accusations of rape and sexual molestation made against him by Sofia Wilen and Anna Ardin. Assange denies the allegations and says he had consensual sex with the two women.

Björn Hurtig Has Some Explaining To Do

By Jerry Smith Mar 4 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The Swedish Bar Association is investigating Julian Assange's Swedish lawyer, Björn Hurtig, after Judge Howard Riddle said that Hurtig was unreliable and gave misleading information during Assange's extradition proceedings about Swedish Prosecutor Marianne Ny's attempts to contact Assange for questioning.

Judge Riddle said in his ruling:

"It would be a reasonable assumption from the facts that Mr Assange was deliberately avoiding interrogation before he left Sweden."

Birgitta Jonsdottir Talks About Julian Assange And WikiLeaks : Video

By Jerry Smith Mar 3 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Icelandic member of parliament, ex-WikiLeaks spokesperson, and member of the team behind the making of the Collateral Murder video, Birgitta Jonsdottir, sat down with Dominique Deckmyn in Ghent to talk about Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, and more.

The United States government is trying to use the Twitter accounts of Jonsdottir and others associated with WikiLeaks like Julian Assange, U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp to build a case against Assange for publishing the secret military communications relating to the Iraq and Afghan wars, publishing the roughly 250,000 classified diplomatic cables and releasing the Collateral Murder video.

Assange Accuses Journalists Of Jewish Conspiracy Against Him And WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith Mar 2 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

A column published in the British magazine Private Eye by Ian Hislop describes a phone conversation Hislop had with Julian Assange on Feb. 16 where he claims that Assange said he was the victim of a conspiracy by Jewish journalists to smear him and his website WikiLeaks.

Responding on Twitter to Hislop and the Private Eye article Assange said:

"Hislop has distorted, invented or misremembered almost every significant claim and phrase. In particular, 'Jewish conspiracy' is completely false, in spirit and in word. It is serious and upsetting. Rather than correct a smear, Mr. Hislop has attempted, perhaps not surprisingly, to justify one smear with another in the same direction.”.

Julian Assange Applies To Trademark His Name

By Jerry Smith Mar 1 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, through his London-based law firm Finers Stephens Innocent, has filed an application with the United Kingdom's intellectual property office (IPO) to trademark his name and the WikiLeaks name and logo.

The IPO will publish Assange's trademark in its official Trademark Journal on Friday March 4th. At that point there will be a 2-3 month period for anyone to object, otherwise it should go through.

Christine Assange And Her Daily Conversations With Julian

By Jerry Smith Feb 28 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

As Julian Assange sits at Ellingham Hall in Norfolk,UK under house arrest and fighting extradition to Sweden his mother talks to him daily and waits for his safe return to Australia.

In their conversations Christine Assange reminds her son to take his vitamins, eat well, and get plenty of sleep, just like any other mother.

Paul Craig Roberts Says Assange Will Be Assassinated By CIA If Law Fails To Silence Him : Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 27 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Former Reagan Administration Official Paul Craig Roberts says there is a concerted effort to silence Julian Assange, perhaps permanently.

Roberts was interview by Russia Today and said that if the legal attempts to muzzle Assange fail, he will be assassinated by a CIA assassination team.

Assange Lawyer Says We Will Appeal

By Jerry Smith Feb 26 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Jennifer Robinson, a member of the Julian Assange legal team spoke with Tony Eastley of Australian morning show AM.

They discussed the verdict in the extradition case, the judge's claim that Assange's Swedish lawyer deliberately misled the court, their next step and more.

George W. Bush Cancels Appearance Because Julian Assange Was Invited

By Jerry Smith Feb 25 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Former US president George W. Bush accepted an invitation six months ago to deliver the closing keynote speech to the Young Presidents' Association's Global Leadership Summit this Saturday in Denver, but cancelled his appearance when he found out that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was asked to speak at the same event.

Bush spokesman David Sherzer said in a statement:

"The former president has no desire to share a forum with a man who has willfully and repeatedly done great harm to the interests of the United States."

"This week, upon learning that Julian Assange had recently been invited to address the same summit, President Bush decided to cancel his appearance."

Julian Assange Can Be Extradited To Sweden : Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 24 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Julian Assange may have lost the first round in his extradition battle, but not the war. Judge Howard Riddle felt that Assange could get a fair trial in Sweden and said his extradition to Sweden would not violate his human rights.

Assange's lawyers plan to appeal the decision. They have seven days to lodge a notice of appeal and the hearing should take place within a period of 40 days after that, but may stretch to three to four months.

WikiLeaks Reveals Details About Investigation Into Egyptian Baby Smuggling Ring

By Jerry Smith Feb 23 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks reveal details about the investigation into an Egyptian baby smuggling ring.

The cables also reveal that Coptic Christian priests and nuns acted as baby brokers and used falsified birth registration papers to get the children to the United States.

Anonymous Reveals Plot To Bring Down WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith Feb 22 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

When HBGary CEO Aaron Barr said he had discovered the identities of key members of Anonymous, he did this to provoke an attack from Anonymous, and he got one. Anonymous retaliated by compromising his servers, downloading and posting online over 50,000 emails from the company and defacing the HBGary website by replacing it with an image explaining their reason.

Among the emails is a report titled 'The WikiLeaks Threat'. It was commissioned by the law firm Hunton And Williams on behalf of Bank of America and details an extensive plan for the internet security companies HBGary Federal, Palantir Technologies and Berico Technologies to bring down WikiLeaks.

United States Government Using Twitter To Build Case Against WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith Feb 21 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The United States government is trying to use Twitter, and possibly Facebook, Google and Skype information to build a case against WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange for publishing the the secret military communications relating to the Iraq and Afghan wars, and the roughly 250,000 classified diplomatic cables.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) were in court last week in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Buchanan trying to prevent the U.S. government from acquiring the Twitter messages.

Unauthorized Biography Of Julian Assange And WikiLeaks Due Next Month

By Jerry Smith Feb 20 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

An unauthorized biography of Julian Assange And WikiLeaks titled 'Julian Assange - WikiLeaks: Warrior for Truth' should be out in March. The book was written by Sophie Radermecker and Valerie Guichaoua, and published by The Cogito Media Group.

Cogito Media Group announced Friday that the book will feature "graphic testimony from the women that Swedish prosecutors plan to use" against Assange in their investigation of possible rape.

Rudolf Elmer Appeal Turned Down

By Jerry Smith Feb 19 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Former Swiss banker Rudolf Elmer has had one of his appeals turned down according to his lawyer Ganden Tethong, a partner at law firm Tethong Blattner.

Tethong said:

"The Court of Appeals of the Canton of Zurich dismissed the appeal of Rudolf Elmer against the decision of the Court responsible for Coercive Measures dated January 22, 2011. Rudolf Elmer will therefore remain in custody for the time being."

Gingrich Says Assange Engaged in Terrorism: Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 18 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Newt Gingrich has said that Julian Assange "should be treated as an enemy combatant and WikiLeaks should be closed down permanently and decisively".

"Information terrorism, which leads to people getting killed is terrorism. And Julian Assange is engaged in terrorism,"Gingrich said.

Peter King Re-Introduces Bill Aimed At Prosecuting WikiLeaks

By Jerry Smith Feb 17 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Republican Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York, and chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security Peter King re-introduced a bill aimed at prosecuting WikiLeaks and other sources of leaked information.

The bill known as 'The Shield Act' (The Securing Human Intelligence and Enforcing Lawful Dissemination Act), or H.R. 703, would modify the Espionage Act to make publishing classified information "concerning the identity of a classified source or informant of an element of the intelligence community" an act of espionage.

Twitter WikiLeaks Information Hand Over Case Waits For Decision

By Jerry Smith Feb 16 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa Buchanan had ordered Twitter to give U.S. investigators the data they had on subscribers “associated with WikiLeaks,” including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier charged with leaking classified information, Icelandic parliamentarian Birgitta Jonsdottir, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp.

Today, during the hour long hearing she heard a challenge to that order, but made no decision and said that she would issue a written opinion when she had made a decision.

Judge To Hear Arguments Into Twitter WikiLeaks Information Hand Over

By Jerry Smith Feb 15 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

A federal judge will be hearing arguments Tuesday on a court order handed down in December ordering Twitter to hand over the information it has on Icelandic parliamentarian Birgitta Jonsdottir, US computer researcher Jacob Appelbaum, and Dutch volunteer for WikiLeaks Rop Gonggrijp.

The court order was unsealed February 9 to allow Twitter to notify Jonsdottir, Appelbaum, and Gonggrijp and give them the opportunity to appeal the decision.

Christine Assange Demands Kevin Rudd Protect Her Son Or Resign

By Jerry Smith Feb 15 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Christine Assange, Julian Assange's mother, has delivered an eight page hand-written letter to Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd's electoral office. The letter highlights what she calls the injustices of the case against her son and demands that Rudd intervene on behalf of her son or resign.

Assange To Appear On ABC 1 Program Four Corners Monday

By Jerry Smith Feb 14 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was interviewed by Quentin McDermott in England last month for ABC 1's Four Corners program. It is scheduled to air Monday night.

In the interview Assange talks about wanting to return to Australia, his bail conditions and much more.

Assange On SBS Dateline And WikiLeaks Documentary To Air Sunday : Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 13 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sits down with Dateline's Mark Davis to talk about Australia, the many unflattering books being written about him and much more. The program is scheduled to air Sunday night on SBS.

Also Scheduled to air Sunday night on the Discovery Channel is 'WikiLeaks: War, Lies and Videotape', a hard-hitting documentary directed by investigative reporters Paul Moreira and Luc Hermann. The documentary includes interviews with Assange and other WikiLeaks journalists including Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who left and started rival site OpenLeaks.

Assange Extradition Hearing Over Now Awaiting Verdict : Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 12 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Julian Assanges' extradition hearing is over and Judge Howard Riddle is expected to give his verdict on Feb. 24.

Assange's lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson, had sought an adjournment saying Assange would not get a fair trial in Sweden after Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said Assange had "become public enemy number one in Sweden". But Judge Howard Riddle rejected Robertson's request for an adjournment.

Julian Assange Fears Israel

By Jerry Smith Feb 11 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Julian Assange sat down with Agoravox, a public service news site, to discuss his background, Egypt, the international press and other topics like his fear of Israel.

WikiLeaks Defector Claims To Control The WikiLeaks Submitting System : WikiLeaks Response

By Jerry Smith Feb 10 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

In an excerpt leaked to the document repository site Cryptome, of Daniel Domscheit-Berg's new book 'Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website', he claims that when he and a few others left WikiLeaks in September of last year that he and an architect of WikiLeaks' submissions platform took control away from Assange of the system for submitting documents to WikiLeaks and took some of the leaked material WikiLeaks had received, to ensure the site’s sources are secure.

Other excerpts chastise Assange's character and his handling of various matters related to the release of 'Collateral Murder', the video showing U.S. soldiers in an Apache helicopter killing Iraqi civilians and two Reuters reporters.

Assange Extradition Hearing To Continue Friday : Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 9 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange finished a second day in a London court in front of Judge Howard Riddle fighting extradition to Sweden. Assange has not been charged with anything but is wanted for questioning by Swedish police for accusations made against him by Sofia Wilen and Anna Ardin of rape and sexual molestation, which Assange denies.

It was thought that the hearing would end Tuesday and that a decision would be made by Friday, but Judge Riddle felt two days was not enough and said the extradition hearing would continue on Friday with lawyers making their closing arguments then.

Assange In London Court Fighting Extradition Day 1 : Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 8 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange finished his first of two days in a London court fighting extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning but has not been charged by Swedish police for accusations made against him by Sofia Wilen and Anna Ardin of rape and sexual molestation, which Assange denies.

Assange and his lawyers feel he will not get a fair trial in Sweden, where rape cases are heard in private and that if extradited to Sweden he may then in turn be extradited to the U.S., where he could face the death penalty.

Assange Lawyers To Publish Defence Online

By Jerry Smith Feb 7 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Lawyers for Julian Assange say they will take the unusual step of publishing his entire defence on the firm’s home page at 10am on Monday.

Mr Assange is due to appear in a London court Monday and Tuesday to decide if he is going to be extradited to Sweden.

WikiLeaks Threatens Legal Action Against The Guardian

By Jerry Smith Feb 7 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Julian Assange claims the book “WikiLeaks : Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy”, written by two senior reporters from The Guardian, David Leigh and Luke Harding, and published by The Guardian, contains “malicious libels" about him.

A posting on WikiLeaks' Twitter account, thought to have been written by Assange, said “The Guardian book serialisation contains malicious libels. We will be taking legal action".

WikiRebels : Video

By Jerry Smith Feb 6 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

From the summer of 2010 until now, Swedish Television reporters Jesper Huor and Bosse Lindquisthas have been following WikiLeaks and it's founder Julian Assange to make the documentary WikiRebels.

Huor and Lindquisthas intervied top members such as Assange, spokesperson Kristinn Hrafnsson, and defector Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who left to start Openleaks.

Having Some Fun With WikiLeaks And Julian Assange

Feb 5 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Up for a little fun? Enjoy these cartoons.

Police Reports In Assange Rape Case Leaked To The Internet : Pictures

By Jerry Smith Feb 4 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

More documents from the investigation by Swedish authorities into allegations of rape and sexual molestation perpetrated by Julian Assange against two Swedish women have leaked onto the internet.

Information about the investigation, including 68 pages to the British media, were previously leaked, and now, documents that appear to be pretrial discovery material that last year prosecutors had given to Björn Hurtig, Assange’s Stockholm lawyer, which he then faxed to the office of Mark Stephens, Assange’s British attorney.

The Story Behind Wikileaks - Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy : Video

Feb 2 2011

The Guardian's Alan Rusbridger, David Leigh and Luke Harding on the book that charts Julian Assange and WikiLeaks' transformation from rebel hackers to global celebrities

Assange Awarded Sydney Peace Medal : WikiLeaks Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

By Jerry Smith Feb 2 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Julian Assange has been chosen by the Sydney Peace Foundation to receive a rare gold metal for peace with justice award, and Norwegian politician Snorre Valen has nominated WikiLeaks for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Assange Asks Australian Government For Safe Return To Australia

By Jerry Smith Feb 1 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Assange is asking the Australian Government to ensure his safe return to Melbourne as his extradition hearing Monday in London on sexual misconduct charges in Sweden approaches.

"He wants to return to Australia, he wants to return safely here, knowing he'll have the support of the government. He insists that the government intervene to protect him. Of course we have witnessed the government not protecting him but rather taking a hostile attitude to him without any foundation," defense attorney Rob Stary, a member of Assange's Melbourne legal team, said.

Julian Assange on 60 Minutes : Video

By Jerry Smith Jan 31 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared on 60 Minutes last night. Steve Kroft spent two days with Assange at the estate of friend Vaughan Smith, where under the conditions of his bail, Assange must stay while he is under house arrest.

"Our founding values are those of the U.S. revolution. They are those of people like Jefferson and Madison. If you're a whistle-blower, and you have material that is important, we will accept it, we will defend you, and we will publish it. You can't turn away material simply because it comes from the United States," Assange said during the interview.

WikiLeaks Style Websites Are Everywhere

By Jerry Smith Jan 30 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

There seems to be a new WikiLeaks style website cropping up every minute now. WikiLeaks defectors have started "OpenLeaks', Al Jazeera has started 'Transparency Unit', in Russia there is 'RuLeaks' and in Europe, two sites both called 'GreenLeaks', among others.

Assange Enjoys Making Banks Squirm

By Jerry Smith Jan 29 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

In a partial transcript released by CBS, Julian Assange says he enjoys making banks squirm wondering who might be the next target of his website WikiLeaks.

"I think it's great. We have all these banks squirming, thinking maybe it's them," Assange said in his '60 Minutes' interview, scheduled to air Sunday.

WikiLeaks Releases Cairo Cables As Egyptian People Protest

By Jerry Smith Jan 28 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

As WikiLeaks was releasing cables that show the U.S. was willing to overlook torture and police brutality in order to avoid endangering their relationship with the Egyptian Government and President Hosni Mubarak, masses of protesters gathered across Egypt friday afternoon to show their displeasure with Mubarak's 30-year rule, and the governments disregard of wide spread poverty, unemployment and rising food prices.

Operation Payback Hackers Arrested

By Jerry Smith Jan 27 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

U.K. police have arrested five young men, between ages 15 and 26, they claim are members of 'Anonymous', and are responsible for 'Operation Payback', the DDOS attacks that crippled the websites of MasterCard, Visa, and PayPal after they refused to continue to process donations for WikiLeaks, under pressure from the United States.

Julian Assange To Be On 60 Minutes This Sunday

By Jerry Smith Jan 27 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

This Sunday, the 30th of January, 2011, 60 Minutes will air their "lengthy interview" with WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks Fundraising Arm Not Breaking The Law

By Jerry Smith Jan 27 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

There is no proof WikiLeaks' fundraising body, the Sunshine Press, is breaking the law in its home base of Iceland, said Teller AS, a Norway-based financial services company asked by Visa to investigate the matter.

“Our lawyers have now completed their work and have found no indications that Sunshine Press ... acted in contravention of Visa's rules or Icelandic legislation,” Teller's chief executive Peter Wiren said.

No Link Between Assange And Manning

By Jerry Smith Jan 26 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

U.S. military investigators announced that they have been unable to find a link between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Army Private Bradley Manning, the alleged source of the 'Cablegate' documents.

The investigators failure to establish any link between Assange and Manning means that it will be harder for the U.S. to press charges against Assange, and have him extradited to the U.S., possibly to face the death penalty.

Julian Assange and Sarah Palin

By Jerry Smith Jan 25 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

People, mostly American right wingers, have been calling for the U.S to have Assange extradited to the U.S., charged with treason and sentenced to the death penalty. Lawyers for Assange have accused Swedish authorities of secretly planning to extradite him to the US as soon as it has built a criminal case against him.

"Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders?" asks Sarah Palin.

WikiLeaks Defectors Create OpenLeaks

By Jerry Smith Jan 24 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

WikiLeaks defectors Herbert Snorrason, Daniel Domscheit-Berg and others have started a new site called 'OpenLeaks'. Their goal is to create a site in which anonymous sources can submit information while remaining anonymous.

When asked about OpenLeaks Assange said "The supply of leaks is very large. It's helpful for us to have more people in this industry. It's protective to us." Herbert Snorasson said their website will not compete with WikiLeaks, and Assange himself agreed.

Israeli Newspaper Confirms Israel Destroyed Syrian Nuclear Reactor

By Jerry Smith Jan 24 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Not yet officially released on the WikiLeaks site, but confirmed by Israeli newspaper Yediot Acharonot, Israel destroyed the Syrian nuclear reactor that was still in the construction phase.

Assange and Rape by Deception

By Jerry Smith Jan 23 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Assange is fighting extradition to Sweden where he is being investigated for rape by deception, among other sex crimes. He has denied the allegations and suggested they are part of a smear campaign by opponents of WikiLeaks.

Ex-Banker and Whistleblower Rudolf Elmer Detained

By Jerry Smith Jan 23 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

A Swiss court has ordered former Julius Baer banker and Wikileaker Rudolf Elmer detained for 10 days. The Swiss authorities are holding him while they probe whether he handed secret account details to WikiLeaks founder and editor, Julian Assange.

Mother Of Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Thanks Supporters

By Jerry Smith Jan 22 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The mother of WikiLeaks' editor and founder Julian Assange has used a rally in Brisbane yesterday to thank supporters worldwide. A statement from Christine Assange was read to the assembled supporters of the whistleblowing website.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt insists his government will play no role in Assange extradition to U.S.

By Jerry Smith Jan 21 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

The Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, insisted Thursday that his government will play no role in deciding whether WikiLeaks' founder, Julian Assange, should be extradited to the U.S.

Mr. Reinfeldt told reporters in London, where he was attending a summit of Nordic and Baltic nations, "We should remember when we ask questions about this that these are legal systems talking to each other, not politicians. We should stay away from this."

Will Wikileaks Drop Document Bomb On Bank Of America?

By Jerry Smith Jan 20 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

It seems ages ago that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange promised to unleash a cache of secret documents from the hard drive of a U.S. megabank executive. In 2009, Assange told Computer World that the bank was Bank of America (BofA). In 2010 he told Forbes that he needed time to lay out the information in a more user-friendly format and that the information was significant enough to "take down a bank or two". Last month, the rumor was WikiLeaks was about to drop a document bomb on Bank of America.

Zurich police arrest Rudolf Elmer for leaking bank secrets to Wikileaks

By Jerry Smith Jan 20 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Rudolf Elmer, a former private banking executive of Julius Baer Group Ltd., now Wikileaks collaborator, was arrested on Wednesday at 1730 GMT. The ex-banker who on Monday had handed over two CDs of client data to Wikileak’s Julian Assange, was arrested in Zurich yesterday evening at his home.

Prosecutors are investigating possible breaches of banking secrecy laws in the handover of discs on Monday.

Ex-Swiss banker and Whistle-blower Rudolf Elmer Found Guilty

By Jerry Smith Jan 19 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Rudolf Elmer, the man who earlier this week handed over two discs of banking documents to Julian Assange at the Frontline Club, and had given documents to Wikileaks before, has been found guilty of breaching Switzerland's strict bank laws. Judge Sebastian Aeppli has imposed a fine of 7,200 Swiss francs ($7,506), which was suspended for two years and no jail time.

WikiLeaks Cables Link Murder of Northern Ireland Civil Rights Lawyer Pat Finucane to British Government

By Jerry Smith Jan 18 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

As the banking and financial world prepares to deal with the fallout from yesterdays handover of discs to Julian Assange, representing Wikileaks, from Rudolf Elmer, a former employee of Swiss-based Bank Julius Baer, cables already released are putting the British Government in hot water.

Cables released last month by Wikileaks from the former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to U.S. diplomats show government collusion regarding the murder of Northern Irish civil rights lawyer Pat Finucane in 1989.

Rudolf Elmer hands over documents to Wikileaks : Video

By Jerry Smith Jan 17 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com

Rudolf Elmer, a former employee of Swiss-based Bank Julius Baer, handed over documents to WikiLeaks that he alleges detail attempts by wealthy business leaders and lawmakers to evade tax payments.

Julian Assange met with Mr. Elmer at London's Frontline Club to receive the files and praise his attempts to expose alleged shady practices in the financial industry.

Attorney at firm representing Assange accusers helped facilitate CIA renditions in 2001

This story is not about Wikileaks and/or Julian Assange, but some may find it interesting.

Why WikiLeaks Matters

By Greg Mitchell 2011-01-17

Nearly fifty days have passed since the WikiLeaks document release in late November, this one centering on US diplomatic cables and quickly dubbed "Cablegate." At this writing, not even 3,000 cables from the cache -- which reportedly holds more than 251,000 documents -- have been published by WikiLeaks or, in most cases, by its newspaper partners. It's impossible to know whether everything of prime importance has already emerged in the cherry-picking.

Assange's hacking offences revealed in Oz court documents

Mon, 01/17/2011

New documents revealed in an Australian court have revealed how WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange created a program that allowed him to access about 11,000 computers belonging to the giant Canadian telecommunications company Northern Telecom.

Supporters Wikleaks Plan Attack on American Banking System

By Frank Amptmeijer Washington : DC : USA | Jan 16, 2011

Supporters from the now world famous whistleblower website Wikileaks plan to attack the American banking system. In November Julian Assange announced to release; “hundreds of thousands of documents on a major U.S. banking company in early 2011. Sensitive documents which will expose the bank’s shady practices in an effort to provoke a large-scale investigation on the U.S. banking system.”

Rumors had it that this bank would be the Bank of America, the largest bank in the United States. The Bank of America stopped payments to Wikileads and followed with these actions Mastercard and Paypal. Was the Friday outage due to a viral attack by Wikileaks supporters?

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Swiss whistleblower to hand over bank data to WikiLeaks

AFP Sun, Jan 16, 2011

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer is planning to handover to WikiLeaks two CDs containing data of around 2,000 bank clients who may have been evading taxes, according to an interview published Sunday.

"The documents show that they are hiding behind bank secrecy, possibly to avoid taxes," Elmer, a former Swiss banker, told Swiss newspaper Sonntag.

The data is to be handed over on Monday, during a press conference in London during which WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange would also be present, said Sonntag.

Full Story Here

Julian Assange: China is Wikileaks's Technological Enemy (WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

News clip from ntdtv.

Julian Assange Dutch MSM about released dutch afghanistan cables

John Pilger's Investigation Into the War on WikiLeaks and His Interview With Julian Assange

What Does Wikileaks have on Bank of America?

by Mary Bottari on January 14, 2011 - 11:17

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is promising to unleash a cache of secret documents from the hard drive of a U.S. megabank executive. In 2009, he told Computer World that the bank was Bank of America (BofA). In 2010 he told Forbes that the information was significant enough to "take down a bank or two," but that he needed time to lay out the information in a more user-friendly format.

Recent new reports suggest that BofA is now moving into high gear on damage control, creating a "war room" and buying up hundreds of derogatory Internet domain names including BankofAmericaSucks.com and BrianMoynihanblows.com (referring to BofA's Chief Executive Officer).

Before the big banks start calling for Assange’s internment at Guantanamo, the question worth considering is what does Wikileaks have on America’s largest bank?

Full Story Here

Julian Assange cuts short interview to help an old man (Français): Video

Julian Assange was in the middle of an interview with French news channel TF1 when an old man on the sidewalk near him falls. You can see him look out of the corner of his eyes and then he quickly runs over to help him up.

Assange: Wikileaks timing "no coincidence"

Published on 15 January 2011 - 9:20pm

It is "no coincidence" that Wikileaks have given a Dutch television station access to cables from the US embassy in The Hague while Dutch MPs consider whether or not to back a police training mission to Afghanistan.

In an interview with the NOS, Wikileaks frontman Julian Assange said he believes the Netherlands should make an informed choice about participation in the NATO police training mission.

"MPs are about to vote in parliament and if there is relevant material, it has to come out before they do."

Full Story Here

Tunisia: WikiLeaks had a part in Ben Ali’s downfall

Obama welcomes Tunisians’ courage and dignity - but what about the WikiLeaks contribution?

By Nigel Horne LAST UPDATED 11:24 AM, JANUARY 15, 2011

Have we just witnessed the first WikiLeaks-inspired revolution? It is clear that leaked cables from the US Ambassador in Tunis, describing the opulent lifestyle of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's family and the public loathing for his wife, Leila Trabelsi, played an important role in firing up the nation's disaffected youth.

Spreading the word via Twitter and Facebook, young Tunisians felt encouraged in their protests by the fact that the corruption inside the presidential palace at Carthage, and throughout Ben Ali's extended family, was now common knowledge.

As the New York Times reported from Tunis yesterday, the WikiLeaks cables added "grist" to the protesters' complaints.

Full Story Here

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fights back- CNN News Report: Video

Julian Assange expresses disappointment in the Pentagon's handling of the Afghanistan war documents leak.

Exclusive Julian Assange Interview With Cenk Uygur (12/22/10): Video

Cenk Uygur (host of The Young Turks) interviewed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on MSNBC.

Julian Assange on the Afghanistan war logs - They show the true nature of this war

Here is a video of Julian Assange talking about Afghanistan.

The War on WikiLeaks : Pilger's investigation and interview with Julian Assange

by John Pilger, January 15, 2011

The attacks on WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, are a response to an information revolution that threatens old power orders, in politics and journalism. The incitement to murder trumpeted by public figures in the United States, together with attempts by the Obama administration to corrupt the law and send Assange to a hell hole prison for the rest of his life, are the reactions of a rapacious system exposed as never before.

In recent weeks, the US Justice Department has established a secret grand jury just across the river from Washington in the eastern district of the state of Virginia. The object is to indict Julian Assange under a discredited espionage act used to arrest peace activists during the first world war, or one of the "war on terror" conspiracy statutes that have degraded American justice. Judicial experts describe the jury as a "deliberate set up," pointing out that this corner of Virginia is home to the employees and families of the Pentagon, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, and other pillars of American power.

"This is not good news," Assange told me when we spoke this past week, his voice dark and concerned. He says he can have "bad days – but I recover."

Chairman King: Treasury should 'explain' itself on WikiLeaks

By Sara Jerome - 01/14/11 03:21 PM ET

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) called on the Treasury Department on Friday to explain why it will not place sanctions on WikiLeaks, barring U.S. corporations from doing business with the organization and its founder.

The comments come after the Treasury Department said it currently lacks the evidence necessary to take that action. In response, King listed what he saw as harms caused by WikiLeaks.

Full Story Here

Treasury Department refuses to add WikiLeaks to blacklist

by Jason Smith

With WikiLeaks publishing even more secret US cables, US Rep Peter King of New York may have had his hopes dashed when the Treasury Department refused to blacklist it.

Through the entire WikiLeaks saga, it seems to some that the non-profit has been one step ahead of governments. Assange, while detained, is out on bail through generous donations, he already has a book offer, Sweden has thus failed to extradite him, and the US government is scrambling come up with something, in fact anything, on which to charge him. In addition, WikiLeaks hasn't stopped what it seems to do best, publish.

Full Story Here

Trailer Park Resident Sues WikiLeaks, Julian Assange for $150M in Miami Court

By Kyle Munzenrieder, Fri., Jan. 14 2011 @ 4:54PM

Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are currently knees deep in a heap of legal concerns. And their latest, and most ridiculous, comes from a Florida man named David Pitchford who has sued the organization and it's figurehead for emotional distress. Pitchford, who lists a Key West trailer park as his address but also claims to be a resident of Miami, is seeking $150 million in damages and claims he is now in a constant state of fear over the possibility of "nucliar war" [sic] because of Assange's actions.

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For lonely teenager Assange, a computer was his only friend

Adrian Lowe January 15, 2011

''HE WOULD be bullied and the only real saviour in life … was this computer. His mother, in fact, encouraged him to use the computer and at some stage she realised that it had become an addictive instrument to him at a very early age.''

A 1996 court case in Melbourne - details of which were released for the first time yesterday - reveal the beginnings of Julian Assange's fascination with the power of computers.

Now 39, the WikiLeaks co-founder is one the world's unlikeliest celebrities, after taking on the US government by releasing hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables.
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He is now in London awaiting extradition proceedings to Sweden to answer rape charges.

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Twitter, Wikileaks and the Broken Market for Consumer Privacy

By Barton Gellman on January 14, 2011

Federal prosecutors want to indict Julian Assange for making public a great many classified documents. In December the feds obtained a secret order instructing Twitter to hand over private account contents for Assange and four Wikileaks associates, including network addresses, connection logs, credit card information and identities of everyone they talked to. The order forbade Twitter to notify those affected, among them Birgitta Jónsdóttir, a member of Iceland's parliament.

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Date set for Assange hearing in UK

Last Modified: 11 Jan 2011 14:59 GMT

WikiLeaks' founder to face full hearing on February 7 over Swedish request for his extradition for alleged sex crimes.

A UK court has set a date next month for WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange to appear for a full hearing over Sweden's efforts to extradite him for questioning over alleged sex crimes.

Assange briefly appeared at London's Belmarsh Magistrates' Court on Tuesday where a date of February 7 was decided for the full hearing where lawyers will draw the battle lines in his fight to avoid extradition.

Speaking outside the court, Assange promised to hasten the release of additional US diplomatic cables and data that have infuriated Washington.

"Our work with WikiLeaks continues unabated and we are stepping up our publishing for matters related to cablegate and other materials. Those will shortly be appearing through our newspaper partners around the world," Assange said.

Full Story Here

Assange 'faces death penalty' in US

Last Modified: 12 Jan 2011 12:53 GMT

Lawyers for WikiLeaks' founder say he could face death penalty or torture if he is extradited to the US via Sweden.

Defence attorneys for Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has said he could end up facing the death penalty in the US if the UK extradites him to Sweden, where he is accused of sex crimes.

The lawyers fear that Sweden will in turn hand him over to the US.

Following Assange's appearance in a London court on Tuesday, his attorneys published an outline of the defence he will use at a full extradition hearing scheduled for February 7.

"There is a real risk that, if extradited to Sweden, the US will seek his extradition and/or illegal rendition to the USA, where there will be a real risk of him being detained at Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere" according to a legal memo on the website of the law firm Finers Stephens Innocent.

"Indeed, if Mr Assange were rendered to the USA, without assurances that the death penalty would not be carried out, there is a real risk that he could be made subject to the death penalty."

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Blacklisting WikiLeaks

Wendy Kaminer Jan 13 2011, 4:15 PM ET

Peter King, Chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, wants WikiLeaks placed on the Treasury Department's blacklist in order to "strangle (its) viability," by threatening, if not strangling, the viability of any person or company that dares to engage in any economic transaction with WikiLeaks or Assange. Conducting business, or providing any economic assistance to a blacklisted entity, even unknowingly, no matter how trivial, is a violation of federal law, for which you too may be blacklisted, losing access to all your property and interests in the U.S.

King is especially incensed that an American publisher, Knopf, has entered into a book deal with Assange (who is reportedly receiving over a million dollars for his memoir); and if he is now blacklisted, you could conceivably break the law merely by buying his book, or contributing to a WikiLeaks defense fund. In other words, King is not simply targeting Assange and Wikileaks; he is targeting all of us -- every American citizen and company. In his view, even a paying consumer of information and ideas from WIkiLeaks or Assange is collaborating in terrorism.

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Some rally behind soldier accused in WikiLeaks case

By Scott Shane New York Times
Posted: 01/13/2011 06:10:43 PM PST
Updated: 01/13/2011 06:10:43 PM PST

WASHINGTON -- Julian Assange, the flamboyant founder of WikiLeaks, is living on a supporter's 600-acre estate outside London, where he has negotiated $1.7 million in book deals and regularly issues defiant statements about the anti-secrecy group's plans.

Meanwhile, the young soldier accused of leaking the secret documents that brought WikiLeaks and Assange to fame and notoriety is locked in a tiny cell at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia. Pfc. Bradley Manning, who turned 23 last month in the military prison, is accused of the biggest leak of classified documents in U.S. history. He awaits trial on charges that could put him in prison for 52 years, according to the Army.

Even as members of Congress denounce both men's actions as criminal, the Justice Department still is looking for a charge it can press against Assange, demanding from Twitter the account records, credit card numbers and bank account information of several of his associates. Legal experts say there are many obstacles to a prosecution of the WikiLeaks founder, but one approach under consideration is to link the two men in a conspiracy to disclose classified material.

Accusations from supporters that Manning is being mistreated, perhaps to pressure him to testify against Assange, have rallied many on the political left to his defense. The assertions have even drawn the attention of the U.S. special rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, who said he had submitted a formal inquiry about the soldier's treatment to the State Department.

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I've got secret files on Murdoch as 'insurance', claims Assange

By Ian Burrell, Media Editor Thursday, 13 January 2011

A year that has begun badly for Rupert Murdoch grew a little worse yesterday after the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, claimed to be in possession of secret documents damaging to the media mogul and his News Corp empire.

Mr Assange told John Pilger in the New Statesman he had withheld a cache of confidential US government cables and files relating to Mr Murdoch's business as "insurance". He has claimed that his life is in danger if he is extradited to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault.

He said to Pilger, a fellow Australian and one of his prominent British-based supporters: "If something happens to me or to WikiLeaks, 'insurance' files will be released."

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Assange Blasts Great Firewall

2011-01-13

WikiLeaks boss finds China's Internet controls 'biggest impediment.'

The founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblowing website, Julian Assange, hit out at Beijing's aggressive censorship of the Internet in a media interview on Thursday.

Assange, an Australian hacker who sparked fury in Washington with the release of a slew of leaked U.S. diplomatic cables, said China is the "technological enemy" of WikiLeaks, because it is so hard to ensure access to the site from behind tight Web controls.

His lawyers say there are moves afoot to ensure Assange, 39, is sent to the United States, where he could face punishment over the leaks.

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WikiLeaks' Assange: China is our real enemy

By Michael Holden Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:22pm EST

* WikiLeaks' Assange: Fighting "running battle with China"
* Website has "insurance" files on Murdoch and News Corp.
* U.S. using jailed Manning to make criminal case--Assange

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - China is the worst state offender in terms of censorship but WikiLeaks is getting past its attempts to restrict access, the website's founder Julian Assange said in an interview published on Wednesday.

Assange, whose website has angered and embarrassed Washington by releasing confidential U.S. diplomatic cables, said China was the main technological enemy of WikiLeaks, not the United States.

"China has aggressive and sophisticated interception technology that places itself between every reader inside China and every information source outside China," Assange told Britain's New Statesman magazine.

"We've been fighting a running battle to make sure we can get information through and there are now all sorts of ways Chinese readers can get on to our site," he said in extracts of the interview published on the magazine's website.

U.S. officials have been examining whether criminal charges can be brought against Assange since WikiLeaks began publishing the cables. He again denied working with Bradley Manning, a U.S. Army intelligence analyst suspected of leaking the files.

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WikiLeaks condemns GOP embargo call

By Gautham Nagesh - 01/13/11 03:08 PM ET

WikiLeaks is denouncing the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security committee for calling for an embargo on the group.

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, accused Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), the panel's chairman, of seeking an embargo "on the truth" with his call for a ban on WikiLeaks from doing business in the U.S.

"King wants to put a Cuban style trade embargo around the truth—forced on US citizens at the point of a gun," Assange said in a release dated Jan. 12.

Assange called WikiLeaks, which has released thousands of classified U.S. military and diplomatic documents, a "publishing organization" and insisted the site has not hurt anyone with its publications.

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NY Rep. Asks Treasury to Blacklist Wikileaks' Assange

By Kenneth Corbin January 13, 2011

A prominent House lawmaker is ratcheting up pressure on the Obama administration to take action against Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange.

In a letter delivered this week, Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to add Assange to the department's Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons List, or SDN List, a move that would prohibit U.S. businesses and individuals from doing business with the whistleblower site or anyone associated with it.

The SDN List is a registry maintained by Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control that seeks to impose sanctions against individuals and companies associated with targeted foreign countries, or independent entities that have been identified as criminal operations, such as terrorists or drug traffickers.

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Assange fears of trial in US justified, says expert

By Kim Sengupta and Jerome Taylor Wednesday, 12 January 2011

Julian Assange's claim in court yesterday that extradition to Sweden is the first step to him facing the death penalty in the US may have seemed like a melodramatic gambit, but there is every indication that moves are under way to bring charges against him in America.

The latest sign of an investigation by the US Justice Department gathering pace has been a subpoena demanding the Twitter account details of Mr Assange and several other people associated with WikiLeaks. The aim, it is believed, is to establish that Mr Assange had conspired with Private First Class Bradley Manning to gather and leak hundreds of thousands of classified US State Department cables.

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WikiLeaks' Assange signs deal to tell life story

(AFP) – 6 days ago

LONDON — Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks website, said Friday he had signed a book deal to tell his life story and expressed hope it would be "one of the unifying documents of our generation".

Edinburgh-based Canongate Books said it had acquired world rights -- apart from North America where the publisher will be Alfred A. Knopf -- to the whistleblower's autobiography.

It will be published in Britain in April.

Assange, who is on bail in Britain facing extradition proceedings to Sweden on charges of sexual assault, has overseen the release of thousands of US diplomatic cables on the WikiLeaks website.

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Sweden aims to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US - lawyer

AAP January 12, 2011 11:21PM

JULIAN Assange's lawyer in Britain has accused Swedish authorities of secretly planning to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the United States, in an interview with a German newspaper to appear on Thursday.

Lawyer Mark Stephens told the weekly Die Zeit that he believed Swedish officials were cooperating with US authorities with an eye to extraditing Assange as soon as the Americans have built a criminal case against him.

"We are hearing that the Swedish are prepared to drop the rape charges against Julian as soon as the Americans demand his extradition," he said, citing sources in Washington and Stockholm.

Stephens called the Swedish charges against his client a "holding case" to buy time until the United States can prosecute him themselves over WikiLeaks' mass release of classified US documents.

He said Assange did not believe he would receive a fair trial in Sweden which was why he was fighting his extradition from Britain.

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