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RSSExclusive interview: Julian Assange on Murdoch, Manning and the threat from China
The WikiLeaks founder talks to John Pilger.
By New Statesman Published 12 January 2011 15:03
In this week's New Statesman, the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange talks to John Pilger about Bradley Manning, his "insurance" files on Rupert Murdoch and News Corp – and which country is the real enemy of WikiLeaks.
To read the entire feature, pick up a copy of this week's New Statesman, available on news-stands from tomorrow. Some highlights of the piece are below:
The "technological enemy" of WikiLeaks is not the United States, but China, according to Assange.
"China is the worst offender" when it comes to censorship, says the controversial whistleblower. "China has aggressive and sophisticated interception technology that places itself between every reader inside China and every information source outside China. 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."
On Bradley Manning, the US soldier accused of leaking diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, Assange says: "I'd never heard his name before it was published in the press." He argues that the US is trying to use Manning – currently stuck in solitary confinement in the US – to build a case against the WikiLeaks founder:
"Cracking Bradley Manning is the first step," says the Australian hacker. "The aim clearly is to break him and force a confession that he somehow conspired with me to harm the national security of the United States."
Such conspiracy would be impossible, he says. "WikiLeaks technology was designed from the very beginning to make sure that we never knew the identities or names of people submitting material. We are as untraceable as we are uncensorable. That's the only way to assure sources they are protected."
Yesterday, Assange's lawyers warned that if he is extradited to America he could face the death penalty – for embarrassing the leaders of the US government. "They don't want the public to know these things and scapegoats must be found," Assange says.
And despite the pressure the website has been under, reports of trouble at WikiLeaks are greatly exaggerated, he claims.
"There is no 'fall'. We have never published as much as we are now. WikiLeaks is now mirrored on more than 2,000 websites. I can't keep track of the spin-off sites – those who are doing their own WikiLeaks . . . If something happens to me or to WikiLeaks, 'insurance' files will be released."
The contents of these files are unknown, but, according to Assange, "They speak more of the same truth to power." It is not just government that should be worried about the content of these files, however. "There are 504 US embassy cables on one broadcasting organisation and there are cables on Murdoch and News Corp," he says.
The attempts by Washington to indict him should worry the mainstream press, he adds.
"I think what's emerging in the mainstream media is the awareness that if I can be indicted, other journalists can, too," Assange says. "Even the New York Times is worried. This used not to be the case. If a whistleblower was prosecuted, publishers and reporters were protected by the First Amendment, which journalists took for granted. That's being lost."
More WikiLeaks coverage by the New Statesman:
– Protect Assange, don't abuse him
– Getting the Assange issue wrong
Tags: New Statesman John Pilger Julian Assange wikileaks
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267 comments
Thank you for this geart article. I'm still not sure if that's better to have a state hiding some facts than to have everything open. I'm not sure people are ready to know everything about war (for example).
http://www.jac-manutention.com/2-transpalette
Wikileaks permet au moins aux petits jardiniers de secrets de protéger indirectement les plus faibles d'entre nous. Mais la debroussailleuse des lobbys n'en a pas terminé avec cette icône des temps modernes. Il faudrait pour trouver plus de scoops qu'il se munisse aussi d'un hélicoptère télécommandé. Bref, longue vie à wikileaks pour le jardinage et les hélicoptères.
The paradox£¨ã£ÂÛ£© of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but, lower morals.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but more broken homes.
These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. Where are we heading...?
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.
So what is the morale of the story???
Don't work too hard... and you know what's the full word of family?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU.
Ladies and gentlemen. The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society. And we are as a people, inherently and historically, opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago, that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweigh the dangers which are are cited to justify it.
Even today, there is little value in opposing the thread of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in assuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it’s in my control. And no official of my administration whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes, or to withhold from the press or the public the facts they deserve to know.
For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence, on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. It’s mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed.
No President should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny comes understanding, and from that understanding comes support or opposition, and both are necessary. I’m not asking your newspapers to support an administration. But I am asking your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people. For I have complete confidence in the response and dedication of our citizens whenever they are fully informed. I not only could not stifle controversy among your readers, I welcome it. This administration intends to be candid about its errors. For as a wise man once said, an error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it. We intend to accept full responsibility for our errors. And we expect you to point them out when we miss them.
Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed, and no republic can survive. That is why the Athenian lawmaker, Solon, decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy. That is why our press was protected by the First Amendment, the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution, not primarily to amuse and to entertain, not to emphasis the trivial and the sentimental, not to simply give the public what it wants, but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crisis and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion. This means greater coverage and analysis of international news, for it is no longer far away and foreign, but close at hand and local. It means greater attention to improve the understanding of the news as well as improve transmission. And it means finally that government at all levels must meet its obligation to provide you with the fullest possible information outside the narrowest limits of national security.
And so it is to the printing press, to the recorder of man’s deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news, that we look for strength and assistance. Confident that with your help, man will be what he was born to be, free and independent.
John F Kennedy
President of the United States of America
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So Assange's commitment to transparency is so firm he decided to hold back an "insurance" file. He's just a self-aggrandizing punk. Should the US get their hands on him few other than über-radicals will come to his defence.
Assange is a CIA asset. Look how Cass Sunstein, the man who debuted Assange in 2007, wrote a paper for the white house on how the US needs to create their own conspiracy group to distract the world from the real conspiracies the US and England is involved in: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1084585
That is why all of the leaks are weak and focus on countries other than US and England. Assange has also stated that the 9/11 (and im sure if you asked him about JFK) conspiracy was "false" and that he "has the ONLY true conspiracies"...
...
THis dude is the biggest wuss yet.
Just get rid of this pile of SH*T
End Wikileaks NOW!
Interesting how Assange protects the thugs in China by redacting names of Chinese leaders but leaves names of any and all Americans, dissidents and others exposed, regardless of the danger to their lives this creates. He may even have documents which would aid freedom activists in China, but because his desire is to pull down democracies and leave untouched dictatorships, he'll never release docs which expose China's regime. Assange, the game's up!
He's playing with the big boys (China) now and they don't fool around. He's scared? He should have thought of that before he meddled with them.
Don't kid yourselves...The american government is the ones responsable for the leak cables not Julian.
By persucting Assange you are only reinforcing the lack of accountability of which Julian accuses your great nation.
The more you unjustly attack the more inspratian Julian provides other Journilist to stand up against croption and for the rule of law.
Aw punkin. Are you a wittle bit intimidated? Why don't you go back to your college professors and see if they have some kind of dialectical solution that you can apply. You know like stupid=stupid.
The only real journalist,without fear.
Really, all this guy has done is give the anti-American putz another reason to spew their hate. It is interesting their only focus is America and its people. It is pretty obvious that they don't read beyond the headlines and make accusations without any facts to back them up.
Oh but it is America spreading all the hate.....
JpMartin - you say
"show me a country where a revolution occured, and I will show you that it is merely a dictator ship"
How about... the USA? Ever heard of the war of independence? Throwing out the English Rulers because they were Tyrants?
Ever read a book?
Seriously, Julian...put up or shut up.
Well, it's fairly obvious that Julian has started the mandatory legwork for the forthcoming book press tour...
Oh for goodness sake, it's just pathetic that someone can tell the truth about what is going on in the world and be criticised for it. In the big picture does it really matter? All governments are corrupt, otherwise one wouldn't want to run for office unless you're getting something out of it. God bless you Julian. If you're extradited to America I'll fly from Australia and shout in your defence.
One of the greatest problems the USA faces is the horrible ignorance of its population. Most people have no idea of the dirty secret wars going on all around the world, both within and without the country. These wars have many sides and the sides have many motives, factions and goals. All that we can do is pray that our governing body remains mostly on our side.
When we spill our secrets, people die. People that helped us because they think we are doing the right thing, people that we bribed, people that we blackmail, our agents that we sent to obtain the information and our soldiers that no longer get the vital information. Ignorant little plebs can rant all day about their disdain for the government keeping secrets but their standard of living depends on those secret wars being won. Someone from Saudi Arabia or Pakistan could have whispered in our ear before 9-11 and there would have been no attack and no economic collapse. They didn't, so millions are out of work. Why didn't they? Because a Democrat congress banned the CIA from dealing with 'bad people.' They did this because they wanted to appease the ignorant voters that can't tell the real world from TV. Just read some of the posts here to see the paeans of ignorance. Each of these posters would cheerfully throw a valiant spy to the wolves for the most fleeting domestic political advantage. Don't expect politicians to stand up to them.
Julian,
Guess what? You are NOT a Journalist, never have been, never will be. You are an Activist and a common thief. You do not care about the lives of the people who died because of your actions, you can care less if a war breaks our because of what you are doing. In fact, you are trying your best to make it happen because then you will be the "Famous" Assange who got millins killed just so he can brag about it. You are arrogant and your ego makes you such an ass.
I just love the pea-brained responses of the neanderthals with their plastic sense of patriotism.
Go about your merry ignorance & accept that those in high office are pure-of-heart & would never undermine You for self gain.
- You are what makes (political) profiteering so easy.
No doubt Julian is an instigator, but the truth sometimes hurts.
It's a crying shame you're not on page one anymore, isn't it? I guess the black helicopters are really coming for you now!
Seriuously, though, thanks for releasing those documents, you just confirmed for most Americans what they already knew. Iran's a problem everyone knows it. north Korea's a problem, everyone knows it. China's a problem, everyone knows it.
Tada! It's like we've been saying that for a decade or something.
Is any one else amazed with how susceptible American are to their government's authoritarianism? It would appear that US government policies have bankrupted the country, the judicial system is immoral and the military attacks country after country. Americans will ride their dysfunctional government to their demise.
Yet you probably support Wikileaks and what its doing. So stop trolling and grow up.
On one hand Mr Assange has all the suaveness with the ladies that one might rightfully expect of a cryptogeek, which is not a plus.
On the other hand, he does seem to be walking the walk he talks. All he can really do at this point is stare his accusations in the face until they wither away, which they will.
America and Americans should accept its Government has been caught acting illegally by being corrupt. Shown as liars. in pub Fact is America, its time to clean what is a very dirty house.
Assange is guilty only of letting the World know what these megalomaniacs are all about, basically they were caught secretly scheming and plotting against everyone in order to steal everything for themselves. (Mwa haa haaa ha haaa, Bond villian material)
Few, if any at all, honest people in the World actually believe the rediculously massaged Hollywood version of America and its Government. The favoured American view is one where Americans are "there to help." followed swiftly by "But then we found this so its ours now" kinda view.
I know the everyday American IS an honourable and decent person and America as a nation has to be applauded for many charitable actions.
BUT American politicians are the lowest form of political scum ever crapped into existence, and that is low!
Just look at Bush, what a moronic cont.
The American people have a duty to put this right and take control of those politicians, not harrass Assange. They must hold their politicians to account long before any other country in the World would even barely trust their rhetoric.
Much the same as us in Britain.
But we dont try to enginner a Political murder for the whistle blower.
I do not think he has leaked anything that specifically got or is going to hurt our troops. Having said that I honestly think that Assange needs to release everything including the "insurance". The people long for and want to hear the truth about their leaders. Even without this embarrassing info from Wiki we the people know they are lying and covering up things all the time. This is not right and they should be held accountable for their actions. If action is taken against assange by the US it will be akin to a witch hunt !!! Let him speak/release all of it. Time to take it on the chin Hillary and others. Americans are tired of the lies and deciet. We can handle truth but somehow our leaders cannot.
We should all be grateful that we still have characters in this world brave enough to stand up to the powers that be. Julian Assange may be arrogant etc. but that should not mire the important work that he does. The point is, that yes, perhaps you have been saying some of this stuff for a decade Scott but there are lots of people out there who actually trust their governments and these are the people that wikileaks must target. Governments must be held accountable in some way otherwise they will continue to be corrupt.
Think of how many people these governments kill by their actions (revealed by Assange) everyday, before blaming Assange for putting lives at risk.
Why is this turd still alive? Same for Manning?
Not a word on Belarus then.
People don't keep secrets about what good things they do, they only keep secrets about the bad things they do. Government shouldn't have secrets. Openess and inclusiveness. Let's lead by example. Clean house and start over.
Assange, Wikileaks, Manning, and others like him should be praised, not vilified. Assange is a journalist par excellence - I wish him well.
People don't die from exposed secrets unless they are doing something very wrong. In that case, they desserve what they get. It doesn't matter what nationality they are.
Assange is a murderer. He should face the death penalty. Just as the driver of a car involved in a fatal armed robbery is complicit, so is the publisher of material that facilitates a murder. You don't have to pull the trigger to be judged guilty.
B.S. If a US operative is doing something for his country, it can NEVER be a "wrong" thing. Of course, if a foreign operative is doing something wrong, then he should be exposed, caught, and shot.
As others have pointed out, if Assange had released leaked documents on everyone, then it would provide a fair view of the world. However, he's focused entirely on the US, to the exclusion of many infinitely worse regimes. What's more, he didn't bother to have some of the documents redacted before publishing. From a legal standpoint, he's a traitor and deserves anything up to life imprisonment or execution, at least in my opinion.
A one-sided view of the "truth" is not truth, it's propaganda.
Assange should not worry about the legal system.
You guys are funny. When old Julie releases 250k secret momos of the Chinese, North Koreans, Iranians and Russians I'll be slightly more inclined to believe this is some altruistic world savior and not just another fame sick putz looking to get his face plastered on walls alongside Michael Jackson's. No agenda Julie? Then show us the goods you have on anyone but US and England, oh and all the corrupt people who don't like you of course.
Threatening to release files if something happens to himself? How silly.
US TV Media ONLY protects those politicians & reporters who say what WH wants them to say (or be fired).
American viewers don't get the news i.e. reported in Europe re: Julian Assange.
Sarah Palin Mike Huckabee Joe Lieberman and others call for Assange to be "illegally murdered" or "illegally assassinated" & "assassination is too lenient for him".
Palin with her "cross-hairs target for election opponents and message "don't retreat - just RELOAD!"
Freedom of Speech in America is only for congress & their friends of "controlled media" and if OUT-OF-CONTROL they are FIRED.
THAT'S THE WAY OF "FREE AMERICA" THESE DAYS.
Let's not criticize Julian Assange for making a book deal. He has huge legal fees to pay, courtesy of the Swedish authorities and the money for these fees are coming out of his pocket not from donations, made by concerned citizens of planet earth, to Wikileaks!
Wikileaks tells a bit of truth that many do not want to hear.
Christ... is John Pilger now a conduit for press-releases which JA writes and submits to be printed as "interviews"?
I dont think it was Julian Assange who made America fight their ridiculous , un-winnable wars for oil , or who made America that indebted to other countries that they will never be able to pay their debts (perhaps try paying your debts first like honest people do?!)....but many of you carry on as if it was him who started your "empires" downfall. I suppose it's easy for billionaires like Murdoch to keep telling the ignorant that it's all about liberal VS conservative.....hilarious stuff!These blog comments do show again ; That there are Americans in the world & then there are the rest of us who actually prefer the truth over 'comforting' lies. Keep cussing the liberals & the left if thats was does it for you but I can assure you it wont fix America.
The mold hates light. The inborn serfs hate courage and decency.
Ditto Clara, and despite the hysteria the mainstream news here in the US and politcal and Gov leaders warned about would happen, never ever happened. What did happen was one of the greatest t smear campaigns against a man and his organization for doing the job true journalists should have been doing, and stiffle debate in this country by buring coverage and mention, and threatening federal employees and servicemen with punitive action. In effect, one big gag order.
They acted more like a ring of child molesters about to be exposed, and willing to do anything, threaten ex post facto action, ANYTHING, to bring wiki down.
It is not over. If we as a nation have the stomach for the truth, about the world not just us, we are all on the same ship, then our leaders should be able to take it on the chin. Instead they pass out the duct for us, to shut up, and cover our ears and eyes, like the proverbial monkeys see, hear, speak no evil.
We are a lot better and more resilient than that folx. Next time they ask your only child kid to go to war, you will make sure he asks and looks into , what for.
Cheers
So TJP - Who is he a traitor to ?? He is not American.
I realise much of your country still thinks it owns the world but geez I think it may be time to grow up & smell the Chinese roses !!
What is "Freedom of Speech" like in UK and elsewhere in Europe and Australia?
What is Freedom of Speech like in Sweden and what Swedish newspapers can I read in English?
Do people of Sweden agree with their government succumbing to politician for extradition of Assange from England when already there exists an agreement that Sweden prosecutor MAY go to UK for interview w/Assange?
the charge (not formally made as far as I know) is a trumped-up charge betwn USA and Sweden politician.