Summary: The CIA used to overthrow governments. Now they cannot even frame a rape charge against the leader of Wikileaks. For the details see the other posts listed at the end.
Update: This was the first post about this story. We now know more about it. In brief, it might not be a US government covert operation. If it is such, it’s working! See the additional chapters; links are at the end of this post.
Here are some useful sources about still-breaking story of what looks like an attempted frame of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Soon we’ll see what the US news media say; probably nothing as useful as we get from foreign news.
(1) An amazing interview by al Jazeera with Karin Rosanger, the spokeswoman for the Swedish Prosecution Authority. US journalists often quote from this interview, but they seldom mention it’s from al Jazeera (e.g., see this New York Times article}.
(2) From the Guardian: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in web furore over Swedish rape claim. Allegation apparently leaked to press by police. Story garners 1m hits before prosecutor steps in.
(3) From the Telegraph: A woman at the centre of the alleged smear campaign against the founder of the Wikileaks said she had supported a rape claim because she had experienced “unwelcome advances” from him.
(4) Glenn Greenwald reminds us of some relevant history. The US government has done this before:
There are a lot of lessons here, most of them obvious. In 2003, the ex-Marine and U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter — who had become one of the most persuasive opponents of the attack on Iraq, repeatedly and presciently insisting that there was no evidence of WMD — was the subject of a media smear campaign, accusing him of having engaged in criminal sex acts with adolescents. That led to commentary like this from the nation’s sleaziest bottom-feeders {Jonah Goldberg, posting at National Review Online}:
“A THEORY – Maybe this has already been discussed. But it seems to me this Scott Ritter kiddie-sex bust might explain Ritter’s sudden and inexplicable 180 on Iraq. Maybe they set him up in a sting? That sort of thing was standard op for the KGB. Just a thought.”
Maybe one day we’ll learn that an accusation is not proof of guilt. And the Swedish authorities who validated these charges and trumpeted them to the world — only for them to be withdrawn less than 12 hours later — ought to be investigated.
(5) Fred Reed (America’s only true guru) explains why the government will go to such lengths to stop Assange: “Wikileaks – Who’s Hiding What and Why“, 30 July 2010.
Other posts about this story
(2) The full story of the rape charges against Julian Assange of Wikileaks, a possible covert op.
(3) Update to the Wikeleaks rape story, and why it’s important – If a covert op, it’s working.
(4) New and strange developments in the prosecution of Julian Assange (Wikileaks) — New but not more enlightening.
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- Information & disinformation, the new media & the old
- Intelligence agencies – how they work, how they don’t
- Women and gender issues
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