Thursday, 14 June 2012
Q and A: PM Gillard dodges question on Assange
Has the PM asked the USA if they intend to try to get Assange
from Sweden?
Why does the question matter: and why will the PM not
answer it?
The state owes its citizens protection when they get into
trouble in another country: that obligation is the counterpart of a citizen's
duty of loyalty, which underpins the crime of treason. It is an
obligation which arises regardless of whether the citizen is a person you
admire or a person you despise.
Assange is undoubtedly famous
or notorious for his work at Wikileaks; he is the
subject of calls by some US politicians that he be assassinated; he has been
called a 'cyber-terrorist' by other US politicans and
commentators. Bradley Manning has been treated disgracefully by the US
over the past two years, and if the US get their hands
on Assange, he will be in real trouble: not because
he has broken any law, but because his Iraq video embarrassed the Americans.
It is important to find out what, if anything, the
Australian government has done to determine what the Americans will try to do
in relation to Assange.
The circumstances in which Sweden sought Assange's extradition were extremely unusual. He had
been tod by the Swedish authorities that he was free
to leave Sweden. He did so, and went to Britain. After Wikileaks revealed a large number of cables which irritated
the USA (and which were re-published by the mainstream press around the world)
The Swedish authorities sought to extradite Assange
from Britain: not to face charges, because he has not been charged with
anything. They wanted to get him to Sweden in order to question
him. He offered to speak to them in Britain, but they refused that offer
and pressed to extradite him. Immediately, their true motives become a
matter of legitimate speculation. The USA have
a 'witness borrowing' programme with Sweden. It would be naïve to imagine that
they will not try to get their hands on Assange.
Julia Gillard condemned Assange
as soon as the big leak of cables happened. She has softened her stance
since then, but not much. She has conspicuously refused to say whether
she has asked the US whether they will try to get their hands on Assange. She avoided answering the question on
Q&A on Monday 11 June, even when Tony Jones pressed her.
The question is worth putting until the PM is prepared to
answer it, because then we will know what sort of help Assange
will need, and whether he will get the help he is entitled to. He will surely need all our help if the
Americans ‘borrow’ him from Sweden.
Is it possible that an Australian government would leave
one of its citizens to be mistreated by America? Just ask David Hicks
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Good, Good, Good, Good Vibrations
'GGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was what Sunn O))) was like last night.'says my friend Tommy...
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