WikiLeaks: Google & Al-Jazeera Encouraged Civil War In Syria

Article SOURCE http://www.mintpressnews.com/wikileaks-google-al-jazeera-encouraged-civil-war-syria/215163/ http://www.mintpressnews.com/wikileaks-google-al-jazeera-encouraged-civil-war-syria/215163/ WikiLeaks: Google & Al-Jazeera Encouraged Civil War In Syria Together with Al-Jazeera, Google developed a tool to track defections in Syria, hoping to encourage more former Assad allies to join the civil war. By Mint Press News Desk | March 29, 2016  MENLO PARK, California — Tech giant Google collaborated with Al-Jazeera to develop an interactive online tool to encourage defections during the Syrian civil war, according to emails in WikiLeaks’ archive of Hillary Clinton’s emails.  [Comment:  Al-Jazeera Qatar state & partial Thani ruling family funding] “Please keep close hold, but my team is planning to launch a tool on Sunday that will publicly track and map the defections in Syria and which parts of the government they are coming from,” wrote Jared Cohen, the founder and director of Google Ideas, of the proposed online tool in a July 25, 2012 email sent to Jacob J. Sullivan, deputy secretary of state under Clinton. “Our logic behind this is that while many people are tracking the atrocities, nobody is visually representing and mapping the defections, which we believe are important in encouraging more to defect and giving confidence to the opposition.” “We believe this can have an important impact,” Cohen added. The archive reveals that Sullivan forwarded the email onto Clinton, adding, “This is a pretty cool idea.” Clinton, in turn, sent it to an assistant with instructions for the email to be printed. In his email, Cohen revealed that Google Ideas was collaborating with Al-Jazeera, which published the tracker in English and Arabic shortly after Cohen’s email was sent. Although it was offline when this report was written, an internal analysis by Google called it “one of the most viewed visualizations on their site” and the tool later won an Online Media Award for the TV news network based in Doha, Qatar. Google Ideas, which was renamed Jigsaw in a major company reorganization last year, is a think tank which maintains close ties to the State Department, according to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in his 2014 book “When Google Met WikiLeaks.” [here] Before leading Google Ideas, Cohen served at the State Department from 2006 to 2010 under Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Clinton. Assange wrote: “It was Cohen who, while he was still at the Department of State, was said to have emailed Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to delay scheduled maintenance in order to assist the aborted 2009 uprising in Iran. His documented love affair with Google began the same year when he befriended Eric Schmidt as they together surveyed the post-occupation wreckage of Baghdad. Just months later, Schmidt re-created Cohen’s natural habitat within Google itself by engineering a ‘think/do tank’ based in New York and appointing Cohen as its head. Google Ideas was born.” An op-ed published on Saturday by RT criticizes Western media for largely ignoring the story of collaboration between Al-Jazeera, Google, and the State Department, although a few mainstream sites like U.K.’s The Independent did cover the story. Michael William Lebron, a media analyst that publishes under the name “Lionel,” told RT: “I don’t expect a reaction from Western media because Western media hasn’t even read this, has no idea about this … But can you imagine if the same set of facts were involved with the different countries, different corporations around the world depending upon your frame of reference. This would either be an outrage or ‘well, maybe this is a delightful and benign cooperation, an independent tech giant … and all for the common good of liberty’ and whatever. It depends upon your perspective.” http://www.mintpressnews.com/wikileaks-google-al-jazeera-encouraged-civil-war-syria/215163/ Other "Clinton emails leak – on Syria, Regime Change & Other" LINK | Hakawi ---------------------- ---------------------- Book:  'When Google Met WikiLeaks' ---------------------- ---------------------- LINK | Hillary Clinton E-Mail Archive WikiLeaks COMMENT There's nothing 'benign' about the American state and American corporate aggression against the sovereign state  of Syria and Syria's government:  in particular its leader, Bashar al-Assad.  Actors who wish to further Saudi, Gulf oil states, Israeli and allied American and Western corporate and geopolitical interests have been involved in the concerted attack on Syria by proxy and by every other means possible (for years now), in order to attack not only Syria, but ultimately Syria's ally, Iran, which the American camp and its followers (especially the powerful pro Israeli camp) have been targeting with sanctions (to weaken) and lobbying hard to attack for years now. Libya sanctions were lifted in 2003, just as the Iran sanctions have recently been lifted. It took the Western alliance 8 years to set up opposition in the Libya and to attack Libya in 2011, in the guise of 'protecting' the civilians:  a population that was then pitched into civil war that still continues. We know that these parties are also not averse to civil war or to sectarian war in Syria, just as they weren't in Iraq or in Libya, as their intentions are *not* benign:  these countries are targets of conquest and internal dissent, violence, Balkanisation -- internal weaknesses -- serve their purposes. So I'm guessing that the lifted sanctions re Iran (and Cuba) are more of the same.  They're lifting sanctions to get close enough to build up opposition in those countries, to the point where *defending* the activities of the 'opposition' (ie their proxies) & 'defending' 'hooman rights', can then be used as an excuse for what is war of aggression planned by the West. That's my theory so far, but I'm taking wild gut instinct guesses instead of knowing all the ins and outs of this (I've yet to read my copy of The WikiLeaks Files). Syria should be supported in view of this brazen, concerted, aggressive US & friends led campaign to destroy and Balkanise a nation, much like they did Iraq,  by illegal conquest, for perverse exploitation by the same coterie of American-led aggressors. PS ...  Check out how close the Twitter & Google tech mob are to the US Department of State:  no wonder all we get is controlled media propaganda and CENSORSHIP of real voices on these communication and information platforms that have been hijacked and monopolised by those that are engaged self enrichment, along with US state political agenda pushing.

Transcript - Julian Assange Interview - Hamish & Andy, Oct 2015

ꕤ Assange Transcript Source Hamish & Andy Audio - Oct 2015 http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/c/f/ecf7164bb3b333a5/Julian_Assange_Interview.mp3?c_id=9990803&expiration=1444478324&hwt=a6576deb465d02a68cbd40bd7149d0c3 JULIAN ASSANGE ꕤ  Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- TRANSCRIPT [for quotation purposes, confirm audio] Updated Assange Interview Hamish & Andy Show Podcast http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/e/c/f/ecf7164bb3b333a5/Julian_Assange_Interview.mp3?c_id=9990803&expiration=1444478324&hwt=a6576deb465d02a68cbd40bd7149d0c3 [skip intro] Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy Hello. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks G'day, this is Julian Assange here. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy Hey, Julian, this is Hamish from the Hamish & Andy Show. Mate, thank you so much for taking the time. I'm just about to put you through to Andy. You'll just be talking to Ando. This is actually part of a segment where each of us tried to find a person that the other person would love to interview. Julian Assange WikiLeaks Uh-ha. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy I'm brining you to Andy as the gift. Julian Assange WikiLeaks I see. I see. I've gotcha. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy He got me Jeff Probst from Survivor. Ummm, absolutely no offence to you. I think your story's fascinating. But I've already used my interview up. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks The other one has to do the leg work. Hamish Blake Hamish & Andy Yeah. That's right. He got me Jeff. I've had a great time. Available for download [ skip ] ... But I won't chew up any more of your time. I'm going to pop you through to Andy. And best of luck. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Julian. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks G'day Andy. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Hey, thanks for taking the time. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks You're welcome. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Ummm, I'd imagine you've had a lot of in-depth political conversations with extremely informed interviewers. Ummm, I'm just letting you know that this is probably not that interview. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Rarely. Rarely. [Laughter] Andy Lee Hamish & Andy OK. Good. Good. [Laugher] But I am certainly fascinated about your story, and also obviously the new book, The WikiLeaks Files, which is out now -- which we'll cover off. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yes. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy But I want to start, if I may, with the asylum thing and the fact that you are there in the Ecuadorian embassy. What is the set up? What is the set up, where do you live and what's the set up there? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, right now, I'm in the Ecuadorian Embassy of London, in a police siege -- the longest running police siege ever -- surrounded by a hundred (100) full-time equivalent police from the British government. I've been detained (without charge in any country) in the United Kingdom, for five (5) years. And there's a series of court cases proceeding. Criminal court cases, civil court cases, in different countries: in the UK, in the United states, in Sweden, in Saudi Arabia, in Germany, in Australia, Denmark [and] Iceland. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Mmmm-mmmm. And they're the one-- --and so, I suppose that's the reason why you sought asylum. You obviously don't want to face those charges at the moment. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I have not been charged. It's an important thing to remember. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes, I'm sorry. They want you for questioning. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, there's quite a large number of cases. The serious one is the US case, where there's a pending prosecution for espionage; in relation -- you were talking the Swedish case -- in relation to the Swedish case, I have already been cleared in that quote 'preliminary investigation' unquote. The state of play now is it's still a 'preliminary investigation'. They have refused to take my statement in five (5) years. Nothing has happened in the case in five (5) years. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy So, how long do you plan to wait, if those investigations around the world and those case -- like you mentioned, the one for espionage? Did you you have a plan when you sought asylum? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks My plan was to-- It was a very dangerous and difficult environment outside the embassy. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks And, so, yeah. There was a strategic plan, which is to-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [interjects] Avoid them [laughter]. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks --seek and receive asylum, both in a legal sense and in a practical sense -- and get into a country that was safer. The first part of that has been successful. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, I've won the asylum case. Ummm, and that then changes a little bit the legal and political character of everything else that happens, because it has been a formal founding that I have been politically persecuted by the United States. But we still now have to achieve the practical component. The UK's in violation of international law. But so was the Iraq war, right? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, it's a bit hard to force a big state to obey the law. That's a matter of politics. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy So, on that point, how does one go about trying to seek asylum? Was Ecuador your first choice? Do you ring around a number of embassies? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks We looked at about twenty (20) different countries and we were negotiating with a variety of them. Ecuador just got its boots on the ground first, as a kind of practical measure. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. And as you mentioned, I mean, British police have been out the front of that building for so many years. Ummm, they're waiting for you to come out in-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks [interjects] Well, they've been around the building and in surrounding buildings, which are owned by Harrods, which they have struck a deal with. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks They've been inside the building. They hide behind the toilet on the exit stairwells. On the rooftops they have surveillance teams all over the place. It's a big operation. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy So where do you think-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks -- They admit that they've spent more than twelve (12) million pounds on it so far. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Wow. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks More than fifteen (15) million Australian dollars. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy And, so, where is safe for you within that building, and what's your sleeping arrangements like? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Within the building? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, nowhere is safe. They have managed to gain control from time to time of the floors above and below. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, wow. And, and-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks And they've been caught doing that. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, OK. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Ummm, they've even planted bugs in the ambassador's office. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Could they release [???] to us now? 6:57 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Almost certainly. I mean, the United Kingdom -- it's come out in the Snowden revelations -- intercepts everything passing in and out of the UK automatically, regardless of whether it was me or not. But, specifically, the GCHQ, the UK's electronic spy service was revealed to be spying on us. Yes. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Wow. I mean, you're probably used to that now, but that seems quite exciting -- err, for me [laughter]. Ummm, lets-- 7:30 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I mean, it is exciting, generally speaking. But it's, you know, it's a bit difficult on my family and a bit -- well, frankly, it's bloody unjust being detained without charge for five (5) years-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy And intrusive, I'd imagine. Well, talking of your family-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks -- it's just not right. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy --how do you get a chance to meet with family and friends? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks With extreme difficulty. Because of the surveillance operation, people who come to the embassy run the risk of being exposed. Very likely to be exposed. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So, people who I don't want the UK government being able to -- and its allies to have some pressure on -- obviously can't come to the embassy. 8:12 Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Of course. For their own safety. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. So how do you pass your days? Do you have the internet in there? I imagine it would be tapped as well. Is there a gym? Is there sunlight? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, it's-- it's very interesting that people have that question. It actually reveals something about the way people think about what people do and that doing is somehow coupled to progressing through the physical environment. There's that assumption, but-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. 8:40 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks --you know, I'm a -- which I like to do. But I do intellectual work, so I write books and I manage an organisation that's spread out all over the world, and its involves really serious stuff, and is fighting all these court cases and banking blockades and so on. So, actually, there's more work to do when you're stuck in an embassy than when you're not stuck at an embassy. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [laughter] I understand that. But, I mean, a lot of people to do their work -- and need to be stimulated, you know, by some things -- the idea of exercise can stimulate the brain. These things, I mean, do they come readily to you every day, or are there ways that you can tune out? 9:20 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, I mean, it's like being on a submarine, right? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Maybe Australian navy people [???] submarines-- It's very-- Well, they don't go down for three years. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy No, three (3) years would be a long dive [laughter]. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Three (3) years, no sun. They don't do that. But on the other hand, they don't have such interesting visitors, either. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. I mean, WikiLeaks the website, a global phenomenon. It's divided people, as you are well aware and I think all our listeners would be well aware. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Not really. [Laughter] Not really. It's divided some bullshit commentators. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughter] 9:55 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks It's certainly divided the Pentagon and it's divided some politicians that have been exposed, but we have global polling across twenty-four (24) countries, so it's not really divided. We have overwhelming support across twenty-four (24) countries. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy No doubt. And amazing that you've obviously been able to win these awards, even though there's allegations against you of espionage, or at least an interest in that area from the US government. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy But, you know, it is a divisive topic. Explain to our audience-- 10:22 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, even in the US -- we have forty percent (40%) support in the US. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Well, explain to our audience then why you think it must exist. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Why WikiLeaks must exist? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, it's existed nine (9) years now. We actually have the most effective argument -- not the best argument, the most effective argument -- which is: it's now part of the status quo. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes, it is. 10:44 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks That the world has a place for WikiLeaks, simply by the fact that we've been around for nine (9) years. But in terms of something more interesting than that: well, look the results. We've published ten million (10,000,000) documents now, about every country in the world. And it's about basic education. That if you don't know what's happening in the world -- you can't escape reality, you can't stick your head in the sand -- sooner or later, reality will catch up with you, just like it did, say for example, in the Iraq war. And while often it is because it happens to someone else, eventually, it will happen to you. I mean, we're seeing that, for example, with this terrible mess that has been produced in Syria, which is starting to affect Australia now. So it's not just something that can happen over there. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy No, I understand that and I think people would understand that freedom of information means that people will hide less and be better informed to make decisions. Ummm, are there issues, do you think-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, it's the risk. It's also the risk. Ummm, that if people in governments and major corporations can't be certain that they can keep their plans secret, that has a really powerful deterrent effect. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Even if they think the chance of their stuff -- you know, of us getting hold of their stuff is maybe only one in ten thousand, say -- that one in ten thousand chance really does have a deterrent effect. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, it will probably hold people to kind of a higher moral code. But do you think there are issues that need hiding? If I threw an example to you, and I'm sure you've had this question before, but if you came across a document that's outlining a way to stop a terrorist plot and by posting it that might alert terrorists, is that where something where WikiLeaks would show discretion there? 12:41 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks We have got a lot of experience. We've done thousands of cases and ten million (10,000,000) documents, and we have a record of never having got it wrong in relation to a single document, in terms of its accuracy, and no-one being physically harmed as a result; that even the US government has been able to find, and it was forced to say that -- the Pentagon was forced to say under oath in court. So there are decisions to be made in relation to -- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Well, this one wouldn't be people [skip] ... Like, this would be potentially alerting people so we don't catch them, I suppose. 13:22 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah, it's something that's on people's minds. But there's a reason it's on people's minds, which is because every time the press exposes the Pentagon or, you know, an equivalent agency, killing people, they try to distract on the issue; and they try to change the topic and start talking about what journalists have done. But there's, you know, a long history in the press of -- I'm not aware of a single case where the press has published national security related information and this has led to retribution that has resulted in physical harm of anyone ever. Now, of course, one can theorise that maybe there are some cases. But, in practice, it doesn't happen. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Well, many people agree with you. You've won so many awards for your work while being in the Ecuadorian embassy. Who accepts those awards for you on your behalf -- at the actual events? I mean, do you do a little 'piece de video' [??], or send in someone along with a note? 14:29 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Sometimes we send someone along, sometimes they bring things back here. Sometimes it's, you know-- it's really the whole team that deserves the award. It's why I am most prominently getting the lightning, there's quite a big team of people who do the actual work. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Do you feel there are days where the cause that you're fighting-- You know, it's obviously taken over your life in every extreme because you are confined to the embassy. I mean, there would be days you yearn for normality. What are the key things you miss, do you think? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, I often get that question. I'm not going to give the bastards the pleasure of saying what I miss. They want very much to turn me into some kind of deterrent. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I'm someone who has not even been charged, so I'm not going to get into the business of deterring people from following in my footsteps. I want to encourage people to follow in my footsteps. But, ummm-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy I appreciate that. 15:35 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks -- so [inaudible]. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yep. Let me play on then. Like you mentioned, there are so many cables and documents on WikiLeaks, it makes sense to me to put them in a book. I'll tell you why. It's because I don't know where to start sometimes. If I went to WikiLeaks the website, there's just so much information. So if it's a little bit easier to consume, potentially more people are going to do that. Is that where you see the benefit of The WikiLeaks Files? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, we ended up with so much information. Now we've done what Google has done. We have a sophisticated search engine which is on the front page. So you can put in some guy that your sister is about to go out with, or something, in the name. We see quite a lot of that. Yeah, so there's that way of doing things and that's fast. But in terms of something more nuanced, yeah, that's why we wrote this book. Because we wanted to see something much more in depth, in terms of looking at the structural relationships between countries. Not just a little nugget here and there, but, you know, what's happening in Syria, for example, as far as our material is concerned -- does it give an insight into what is happening? And it does. I mean, it shows very clearly that we have, if you like, part of the plan the US started erecting from at least 2006 to overthrow the Syrian government. Well before the problems in the Arab Spring. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Is the book available in the US? 17:15 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks It's available in the US, it's available in the UK, yeah. The US is an interesting country. In some ways it's better than the United Kingdom. OK, it's a militarised country, which is problematic; a very large and powerful country. On the other hand, if you look at concentrations of power, there is New York, Washington, California, broadly speaking, and the South. Texas. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yes. 17:49 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Now, to make that more concrete, seventeen percent (17%) of corporate registrations are in New York, whereas if you look -- and that's the max -- the city with the most. Whereas, if you look at the United Kingdom, more than eighty percent (80%) of corporate registrations are in London, [inaudible ???] are in London. Just imagine how bad the US would be, if for the past four hundred (400) years, Washington was in the same place as New York, as LA, as Houston. UK's a very tightly integrated society, with a conformist, controlling social structure. So we see, in the US, a lot more support for me and WikiLeaks than we do here in the UK, because there's more freedom to be your own thing in the US -- somewhere in the US. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy OK. And in their Constitution. And they feel that and fight for those rights vehemently. 18:54 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, they're rapidly eroding. But, yeah, part of the social make-up has the idea that there should be such a thing as free speech. Obviously, it's being very quickly eroded, but yeah we have-- In practice that is translated to on the ground support -- significant support for us -- within the United States. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy You used to be (or, I read) -- and whether you like the term, I'm not sure -- a hacker. And I read that you were hacking for good, not evil; and that's why authorities were lenient back in the day. What type of -- again, the term 'hacking' -- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks No good deed goes unpunished, right? Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughter] Yes. What type of hacking did you get up to and what made it good? I couldn't really quite understand that bit. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, there's-- I don't like this term. I mean, it's used as a propaganda term. Steve Jobs was also a hacker. Bill Gates was also a hacker. At the same age -- which is, you know, when I was a teenager. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Is there another term you'd like to replace it with? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks No, I don't. I think it's a perfectly nice term. It's been bastardised because now you've got these, you know, Eastern European mafia hacking your grandmother-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughing] Yeah. 20:12 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks So people don't like it. But in terms of exploring the early internet, before, you know, normal people were allowed on the internet, while it was still a military and research object, yeah, I was there, you know, reading Pentagon generals' e-mails each night when I was seventeen. And it starts to give you a-- You know, Australia's a pretty isolated place, so it starts to -- it allows you to, sort of, see a little bit about how the world is actually structured from the inside. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Can you remember that feeling, when you first got in and you realised that you could go in and read the Pentagon's e-mails? Can you remember that feeling? 20:56 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Yeah, it's a sort of buzz that you get that is like, you know, like any kind of -- like parachuting or something like that. The same adrenalin producing activity-- Andy Lee Hamish & Andy --exhilarating. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks --but -- but, also has an intellectual and political side. So it's also a buzz associated with learning, not just the risk of the experience but, you know, that you're learning about the world in some important way. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy For someone so-- Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks It is a-- it is quite an amazing thing to be involved in, especially then. Now everyone can go onto the internet. You know, you can get half that. Half that. But, you know, reaching out into the world and understanding information. You know, we can all log onto the internet and do a lot of that now, but back then the internet in Australia was only available to computer hackers and a couple of research institutes. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy [Laughter] Which is incredible. For someone so well informed about the cyber world, do you think our society is too exposed online and, you know, the lay person here and people that aren't super into it -- and our audience may or may not be -- but, from my perspective, I never really know how exposed we are. What do you see the threats there for just everyday people? 22:12 Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Look, it's really serious in the long-term. For everyday people, there's a practical reality. The big American internet companies -- Google, Facebook etc -- are constantly recording and intercepting what you're doing. Because if you think you're just using Google when you go to Google search pages, it's not true. It has trackers embedded in most websites, because it has deals with most websites to supply the ads of those websites, or tracking software that the websites use to collect statistics and so on, and it powers most smartphones. So the activity on your smartphone goes to Google. It collects all that. And then the National Security Agency ('NSA') and the FBI in the United States then stick their fangs into Google's data repositories and Facebook's as well, and they also have their own massive surveillance operation, and the Australian government through the ASD -- the Australian Signals Directorate -- also intercepts a lot of information as it goes in and out of the country -- in bulk -- and then exchanges this through what is known as the Five Eyes alliance, which is the alliance of intelligence agencies led by the United States, the NSA, in the Anglo-Christian countries. It's probably, you know, unfamiliar with your listeners, but one of the great structuring principles of the world is what the relationships are between the deep states of various countries. So between the intelligence agencies of the countries. 24:03 And there's a really intimate integration between Australia, the United States, the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, that has been around for -- well, essentially, since post World War II -- that has developed an ever stronger bond as time has gone by. So, in some sense, we should look at those five countries on a geopolitical level as the one country. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Yeah, I understand that. So everyday use of our smart phones is essentially writing files on us and giving it straight to them. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Well, yeah, either because the traffic from your phone is going through these mass interception points that these various countries have set up, where data ingresses or egresses a country, goes across some fibre optic cable under the ocean, or because -- and the second factor, is starting to become more of a problem than the first one -- or because, Google is running your smartphone or you're using Facebook services. And those large data repositories are accessible, not only by those companies and their affiliates, but by those jurisdictions. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Ah, Julian, I know I've gone over time but I just want to warp it up. A couple of things. Has your Spanish improved being there at the embassy? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks A bit. But, you know, I'm someone who, unfortunately, is constantly working in English. So it does distract your language ability when you're focused in one so heavily. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy And, I know that you were at North Queensland, when you were in Australia -- when you grew up -- ummm, are you aware that the North Queensland Cowboys won the NRL final? Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks I am not. I am not, but I'm pleased. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy They did on the Weekend. On Sunday. So I thought -- I was hoping I'd be the first person to tell you. I know you're not number one ticket holder, but congratulations to you and your people up there. [Laughter] Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks Thanks. Andy Lee Hamish & Andy Julian, thank you, mate. The WikiLeaks Files, out now everybody. Published by Verso and available at Booktopia and also in good bookshops. Have a great day, and you're a very fascinating man. I can very much appreciate how you've stuck to your guns. It's inspiring. Well done. Julian Assange Publisher WikiLeaks OK. Thanks, Andy. Bye, Bye. Take care. --- end: 26:25 --- ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Other UKUSA Agreement multi-lateral secret treaty between intelligence agencies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKUSA_Agreement LATEST BOOK Assange, Co-Author The WikiLeaks Files (2015) | here POLITICAL PERSECUTION  JULIAN ASSANGE Australian Journalist FAQ & Support https://justice4assange.com/  JULIAN ASSANGE Transnational Security Elite Carving Up the World Using Your Tax Money (2010) | here ꕤ

Assange: US Will Do Everything to Overthrow ‘Unwanted’ Governments

ꕤ Article SOURCE http://sptnkne.ws/Kd7 US Will Do Everything to Overthrow ‘Unwanted’ Governments - Assange 15:04 16.09.2015   http://sptnkne.ws/Kd7 The United States uses all its available resources to overthrow “undesirable” governments in other countries, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said, according to German website NEOPresse. Washington uses everything from military intelligence to commercial organizations to remove foreign governments that it considers unwanted. At the same time, the United States keeps increasing its firepower, establishing military bases across the world. The current American "empire" consists of over 1,400 military bases in more than 120 countries. Meanwhile, Russia has only 12 military bases, one of which is in Syria that the Americans are currently trying to close down. Washington tried to do the same in Crimea, Assange said. The American government doesn't act on behalf of its people, but serves to the interests of largest US corporations, the WikiLeaks founder said. The US government uses unorthodox methods to achieve its objectives — such as the use of mercenaries and other third parties to fight its wars, Assange said.  Thus, if there is a government that the United States doesn't like and considers to be a threat to its perception of the world, Washington will do everything to try to get rid of it. Assange, who has been residing in the Ecuadorian embassy in London under asylum for over three years, has been wanted for questioning by  Swedish authorities since 2010 over accusations of unlawful sexual coercion and rape. The activist has denied the accusations, stating that Swedish extradition attempts are aimed at sending him to the United States, where he faces espionage charges for publishing thousands of leaked top-secret military documents and diplomatic cables online. source http://sputniknews.com/us/20150916/1027076965/us-spends-lots-of-resources-to-overthrow-foreign-governments-julian-assange.html ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT So that's 12 Russian military bases versus over 1,400 American military bases, in 120 countries. And this is the staggering amount of American military spending versus what other nations spend - combined: It's worthwhile considering these factors when the US, British, NATO and EU propaganda machines, in the service of the US empire, start making media noise about the threat of 'Russian aggression'.  lol WikiLeaks have just published a book on the American empire and its geopolitical impact, and it sounds a really good read: BOOK: The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire http://www.versobooks.com/books/1931-the-wikileaks-files Transcript: Assange - UK-US Special Relationship - War On Syria, Corbyn, & The WikiLeaks Files  |  here ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- Julian Assange Australian Journalist FAQ & Support https://justice4assange.com/ ꕤ

Transcript: Assange - UK-US Special Relationship - War On Syria, Corbyn, & The WikiLeaks Files

US WAR on  SYRIA Afshin Rattansi goes underground  with the world's most wanted publisher the founder of   WIKILEAKS   JULIAN ASSANGE BOOK Assange, co-author: The WikiLeaks Files (2015)  |  here VIDEO SOURCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztai31ZpTCk&feature=youtu.be TRANSCRIPT [for quotation purposes, confirm audio] AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT Welcome to Going Underground. I'm Afshin Rattansi. We're outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in Central London. As the Tories try to convince us into bombing Syria to save it, we're going to speak to the world's most wanted publisher, the founder of WIKILEAKS, JULIAN ASSANGE, under siege from UK police at a cost of millions of pounds to the UK taxpayer. [Book]  The WikiLeaks Files has just been published, and it paints a picture of US destabilisation of the lives of billions of people, right around the world. And, as David Cameron finally admits that the UK is involved in extra judicial killing, using the most infamous of ISIS recruitment sergeants, the Reaper Drone, we look at the British connection to US atrocities. For all this, and the analysis of critical US State Department cables from the millions published by WIKILEAKS, let's go Underground. AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT Julian, thanks to you and the Ecuadorian Embassy for letting us in again. So, how do you think this book will address the censoring of WIKILEAKS in mainstream media and academia? You outlined that it's banned in the Library of Congress, university students at Columbia being told not to tweet or Facebook some of the cables. JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Well, when I was writing an introduction to this book, I thought: well, we really need to describe why people should read the book. So what's new about it? Didn't the newspapers already cover all this material? OK. Well, the Cablegate cables -- that's 251,000 cables -- we released them in 2010-2011. But subsequently, right up through this year [2015], we've published ten times as many cables. We've now published 2.7 million and another 7.3 million documents altogether. So, ten (10) million documents in total. And why haven't newspapers covered all that? Well, it's a lot of material, but also they engage in censorship; and they do it for a variety of reasons. The cables are very interesting, because the way we dealt with the media was that we had a hundred (100) different media groups we were involved with, and they got the same material. So, we were able to compare The New York Times to Le Monde, to Greenpeace, to all different groups working with our material, and see that they all have their particular biases, and they select some material and also redact other cables, for other reasons. 2:48 The big surprise to me, was not the media censorship. We've worked out ways to smash through that in certain cases. In other cases, it's become very normal, and I think there's even a -- the general public understands now, that each media outlet censors things in its own particular ways. The surprise, to me, was the academic censorship. And the academic censorship is not uniform, even within the US and the UK. The academic censorship is not, for example, in epidemiology  It's not, for example, in computer vision. It's, not for example, computational linguistics. It's not, broadly speaking, in the sciences or medicine, where there's some thirty thousand (30,000) citations, to material in WIKILEAKS. epidemiology:  pertaining to discipline of medicine | study:  patterns, causes & effects conditions & diseases - here computational linguistics:  discipline between linguistics and computer science. Cognitive sciences branch, overlapping field of artificial intelligence (AI) re computational models of human cognition - here [3:35] It's not even in the courts. European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) used that material, international tribunals, even UK domestic courts. It's in foreign relations academic journals published in the United States and, perhaps, in the UK. AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT They're trying to erase what you've been publishing from the field of international relations. JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks That's right. And even worse than the US media. The New York Times, for all its problems, published about 100 of our cables. OK, we've published 2.7 million, so 100 isn't great. But it has at least done 100. La Times publishes.  Every couple of days there's one media outlet in the US that will publish something. But international relations journals, no. So, what's going on? [4:22] It turned out that there is, in fact, a formal policy at the largest -- or the most prestigious international relations journal -- International Relations Quarterly (IRQ), and the editor admitted that he'd been placed in an untenable position by the umbrella organisation (the ISA: International Studies Association) and, as a result, there's the policy of not accepting anything derived from WIKILEAKS cables, because they're nervous about classified material. But, other journals in the United States are not nervous. 4:59 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT Well, I want to get into why that might not be so surprising as we go through some of the relations outlined in the book. Let's turn to the subject of -- according to the media at the moment -- imminent war on Syria and imminent vote (who knows?) in Parliament again, for British bombing of Syria. You outlined - or, the book outlines -- how there's been little change between George W. Bush and Obama; how the US policy, all through, had little to do with human rights in Syria and much more to do with sponsoring Iraqi style sectarianism that led us to ISIS and, of course, the refugee crisis, which is making headlines now. JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks That's right. Our Syria chapter goes back to 2006. There's a very important cable, in 2006, from Ambassador Roebuck, stationed in Damascus and he writes back discussing a plan for the overthrow of the Assad government in Syria. And that plan is not: well, we should, you know, support the opposition and so on, through better media planning and so on. It's to use a number of different factors to create paranoia within the Syrian government, to push it to overreact, to make it fear that there's a coup, to use its manoeuvres against the Islamic extremists against it. So, when Syria says: we have a problem with Islamic extremists crossing over the border with Iraq, and we're taking actions against them to take this information and make the Syrian government look weak, [given] the fact that it is dealing with Islamic extremists at all. And then, most seriously, to foster tensions between Shiites and Sunnis. And, in particular, take rumours which they know to be false -- and say in the cable they know to be false or exaggerations -- and promote them, that Iran is trying to convert poor Sunnis; and to work with Saudi and Egypt to foster that perception, in order to make it harder for Iran to have influence, and also for the government to have influence in the population. 7:20 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT This man, Roebuck -- now Ambassador to Bahrain -- so caught there, deliberately trying to foster the kind of destruction that's led to the refugees crisis? JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks I mean, there's a number of cables that speak about it, in the Syrian chapter. But, that particular cable, it is really concerning. I mean, it -- You know, often cables are written in such a way where you have to read between the lines, or look at what is not said. In this particular cable, it's just all hanging out. A whole lot of Machiavellian schemes to overthrow the Syrian government. 7:53 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT And it's pre-dating any of the human rights demonstrations against the Assad government? JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks It pre-dates the demonstrations in 2011. AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT How do you think, despite -- as the US book says -- the US laid the foundation for sectarianism in places like Syria, causing bloodshed on a national scale. JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks What's happened in Syria is really very serious. I mean, there's hundreds and thousands of people now dead in Syria. 8:20 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT But some countries manage to still succeed despite the destabilisation by all these agencies. Iran and Venezuela. Ecuador. We're in the embassy here. How do these countries seem to be able to work their way through it, unlike the Syrian government? 8:36 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Well, I mean, the Syrian government has managed to survive -- just. I think we need to look at regional alliances. Part of the problem in Syria is you have a number of US allies surrounding it (principally Saudi and Qatar) that are funnelling in weapons (Turkey, as well. A very serious actor.) who each have their own hegemonic ambitions in the region. Israel also, no doubt, is. If Syria is sufficiently destabilised, it [Israel] might be in a position where it can keep the Golan Heights forever, or even advance that territory. So, you've got a number of players around Syria that are looking to bite off pieces. Whereas in Latin America -- if you look at Ecuador, for example -- it has relatively supportive states around it. Same with Venezuela. Relatively supportive states. And this book documents, for instance, the United States going to Brazil, and saying:  we want to rein in Venezuela; we want to isolate Venezuela; we think Venezuela's a problem for the region. And Brazil's saying, no:  our relationship with Venezuela's important; it's an important regional player; we don't want to compromise that relationship by doing anything against Venezuela. 9:53 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT OK, the book details genocidal US policy right around the world, from Latin America to Asia, all in the name of liberalism, which you write about in your introduction. How does all the torture and killing work, with the free market and the use of free markets? 10:10 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks This interplay between big American companies and the State Department, and the US military, is something that's all documented in the cables. I mean, you can see -- all over the world -- US embassies acting as a sales agent for Boeing, for Monsanto; lobbying to adjust European law; even to create sanctions or other penalties, in relation to Europe, for not accepting genetically modified organisms (GMOs), or forcing labelling. 10:41 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT Now, we know that, maybe within a few miles of this embassy, secret negotiations on TTIP, the free trade agreement, are going on. You've issued a reward for information. So, one shouldn't see TTIP in isolation to all the killing at torture that's mentioned in the book? 11:00 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks The US empire -- and it is correct to use that word -- is not an empire in the classical sense. It's not like the Roman Empire. It's a little bit like the British Empire, but different. It's a modern empire. You wouldn't expect an empire in a modern age to look like an old empire. Now, there's a continental expansion of the United States. Yes, it has grabbed other territories like Hawaii and, effectively, Puerto Rico, and Alaska. But the predominant form the US empire has, is an empire of US bases -- now more than fourteen hundred (1,400) US military bases in over a hundred and twenty (120) countries dotted around the world -- and an empire of trade. And it uses these mechanisms of its embassies, of its military bases, of its presence in organisations like the UN [United Nations] and IMF [International Monetary Fund], in order to secure advantageous deals and structures for the largest American companies. [12:01] Interestingly, not for the average American worker. So, all you hear about is 'American interests'. It's not the interests of the average American that are being pursued. Of course, it's the interests of the companies that are close enough to the government to be able to have their interests reflected in what US ambassadors do around the world. 12:21 [music] AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT In Part 2 of GoingUnderground JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Corbyn. I have thought a lot about this: whether he can survive in a Labour Leadership position. AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT We speak to JULIAN ASSANGE about the 'special relationship' and when he's going to be free. [music] AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT In Part 2 of our interview with JULIAN ASSANGE, we investigate our liberal values, crushed dissent, and whether the WIKILEAKS founder will ever be able to leave the Ecuadorian embassy and regain his freedom. AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT And hand-in-hand with the banning of information that you were talking about earlier, the WIKILEAKS fatwa which, I think is mentioned in the book, there's a mass subversion of information using the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID -- they have lots of different non-military (at least on the surface) sounding organisations that are massaging the sovereignty, as it were. 13:23 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Well, yeah. One of the most important documents we've ever published is the Unconventional Warfare Manual [here]. And, what is unconventional warfare? So, unconventional warfare is warfare performed through the use of surrogate forces to overthrow a government. That's essentially to infiltrate, train, and overthrow. It's what happened, for example, in Afghanistan. It's what happened in Nicaragua. Now, that manual, which I mention in this book [here], it is active policy now in the united states. It's active military doctrine and it describes that when the United States needs to do something, it pulls together the various arms of American power. Yes, those include the military arm, which we're very familiar with. The also include the intelligence arm, the financial arm, the commercial arm, its informational power, and it's diplomatic power. They bring all of these together in order to push on a country -- in order to get it do do what the US government wants it to do -- to work in tandem. Under financial power, yes, the IMF is explicitly listed. Under power connected to the State Department, USAID is explicitly listed. What I found very interesting about this convergence of different forms of American power brought together to achieve an end result is that there's different theories of government: different theories of how the United States works. So, one theory is you have various rivalrous agencies, and rivalrous people within agencies, and rivalrous corporations; and, so, it's actually very hard to get anything done. And there's no doubt there are cases in the past where that has been true. It's hard to get this mass together, but the formal policy - and it comes together in practice - is, actually, to pull together all these different agencies, which might seem like they're working different beats, and push them together in a sort of pincer formation on a country to achieve a result. 15:41 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT What President Obama says that -- I mean, he obviously doesn't admit that holistic approach of all these different government agencies -- but, he does say (and he said it in his speech as regards Russia and Ukraine), that for all the criticisms of the United States and the European Union, there is the differences; they don't crush dissent. Is President Obama lying? 16:09 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Well, Obama is definitely lying, as it varies across the European Union. But, Obama has prosecuted more whistleblowers, under the Espionage Act [1917], than all previous presidents combined -- 16:21 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT He probably wouldn't say it's dissent. He'd probably say it was leaking of secrets. JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks -- in fact, more than twice as many. Now, of course, he says that that's espionage. But there's no allegation that any of these people have given their secrets to a foreign government or were working with a foreign government. The allegations are they were working with the media. 16:42 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT Israel is pretty central. You mentioned Israel there. Do you think -- do you think de-nuclearising, as it were, ending the nuclear weapons program of Israel is really the only way forward, because the chapter in the book about Israel seems to suggest US duplicity involving Israel as regards Palestinians will always be a roadblock to peace. 17:07 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks It's very serious, the duplicity of the US in relation to Israel and protection of Israel again and again through its veto power at the UN. It's one of these situations where it is only really the United States who has an ability to affect Israel and, so, the Palestinians feel that they have to deal with the United States because no-one else has the ability to affect Israel, because the US keeps exercising its veto. Now, we've seen some interesting and clever moves by Palestine around that. For example, pulling in the ICC [International Criminal Court]. The ICC has been kind of an emasculated organisation. Every single prosecution it's had is of an African and no-one else. We detail -- I think, in some ways, in one of the most interesting chapters in the book, because it looks at not a country or a region (which all the other chapters do), it looks at an international institution -- the ICC -- and how the US has tried to subvert the ICC by signing secret agreements around the world to prevent extradition of its soldiers for war crimes and other violations. Palestine now becoming part of the ICC, and people monitoring that process, it is putting pressure on Israel; and you'll see a number of the cables mention extreme Israeli concern at the prospect that Palestine might join the ICC. It now has joined the ICC. 18:40 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT So, do you think that the tide is (turning away from your personal circumstances for a sec), or whether their deployment of missiles -- the United States now, on the borders of China, borders of Russia. Do you think that there's a recognition there that they're going too far: that the global south -- Russia, China, together -- could now start to mount attempted neutralising [of] American power, that has gone too far now? 19:06 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks It's very hard to say. If you look at it in raw terms, post WWII, the US had fifty percent (50%) of global GDP. And, as a result, it was able to set up post-war multilateral institutions with significant control, because it set them up and rules that were skewed to its favour. US GDP is now down below forty percent (40%) of global GDP. It's military spending, which traditionally has been over fifty (50%) is now down to about forty (40%). It's intelligence expenditure is still up past sixty (60%). So, in some ways, it is more than a military superpower: it is an intelligence superpower, if you look at the relative spends of the United States compared to others. Now, that said, there is increasing integration occurring between states the US does not control -- for example, along the Silk Road [here] -- but I wouldn't discount the effect of the United States. There's no country that has anything like fourteen hundred (1,400) military bases spread over a hundred and twenty (120) countries around the world. No-one is in anywhere near that. 20:22 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT There's some fascinating chapters in the book about how you document dissent in Japan and South Korea being crushed by US hegemonic power. Of course, all the talk here is of Jeremy Corbyn, who obviously dissents from US hegemonic power. Do you think the United States will be able to crush his Labour leadership, let alone his British premiership, if he is elected prime minister. 20:49 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Well, it looks like he's going to win the Labour Leadership election. Now, Corbyn's an interesting fellow. I had experience with him in 2011. He protested in relation to my treatment in the UK Parliament, saying it was unnatural (in terms of natural justice), for someone to be extradited without charge -- they should at least be charged in the United Kingdom -- and he proposed amendments (which eventually were accepted in 2014) to ban that practice in future. Corbyn -- I have thought a lot about this -- whether he can survive in a Labour leadership position, taking his historically quite critical line in relation to the UK-US relationship. And, to give you an example of just how different that is, a quote from a cable sent by the American Ambassador to Washington DC, after meeting William Hague, who was the Foreign Minister in this government. 21:55 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT Lord Hague, probably now, as we been [ ... ] JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Oh, yeah, he's still an important person in the Parliament. Hague said he -- David Cameron (that's the Prime Minister) -- and George Osborne (the Treasurer), were: "... children of Thatcher and staunch Atlantisists." "America is the essential country." "Hague said whoever enters 10 Downing Street as the prime minister, soon learns of the essential nature of the relationship with America." "He added, "we want a pro-American regime. We need it. The world needs it."" We might go, he's just telling the Americans what they want to hear, but look at the degree of language. I mean, they're not complete fools, they expect payback on these promises, and Corbyn is not speaking like this. And there is a real -- I think there's a real risk to his leadership long-term. Interesting question: if Corbyn could not be kicked out, to political destabilisation or leaks to the media of intelligence intercepts, his long-term safety -- if he kept on a line of saying withdraw UK from NATO -- he has already weakened that line, saying: well, it's not the focus now, we need to talk about, you know, what is the role of NATO, and so on. Well, fair enough. But, if he maintained a very aggressive line of saying: we must scrap Trident; we must remove UK from NATO; I would be quite concerned about the risks that he would be intentionally politically destabilised by the United States, or something worse, because we're talking about the relationships between great powers. Between -- You know, about the UK's nuclear weapons system, which forms part -- effectively, part of the American empire. The US has bases here. It's largest interception base is up at Menwith Hill at Yorkshire. So there's six thousand (6,000) NSA (National Security Agency) personnel working in it, directly. It's quite hard to undo that relationship. I think -- my suspicion is that Corbyn will realise that, if he hasn't already, and will play it smart. NATO will be off the agenda. Maybe fine-tuning UK's role in NATO. And Trident will be off the agenda. I suspect that it's not possible to win an election in the UK unless that is done. But, then again, no-one thought that it would be possible for him to be Labour leader at all. 24:46 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT And, finally, your safety. I mean, when do you think you and Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, will again regain your right to freedom of movement. Well, Chelsea Manning has an appeal coming up later this year, or early next year. But she was sentenced to thirty-five (35) years in prison. That's longer -- for allegedly disclosing information to the media -- that's longer than any person who committed war crimes in Iraq, including those who raped and murdered a whole family. That's going to take significant political pressure; change in the politics in the United States before say -- AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT [interjects] And for you and Edward Snowden? 25:28 JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks -- before, say, Chelsea Manning is pardoned. Edward Snowden? It is not safe for Edward Snowden to be in the United States, or any of the allies of the United States, I believe until the National Security Agency is wound up. That is a core part of the intelligence community. The core part has about one hundred thousand (100,000) in Washington DC. Five (5) million people overall in terms of security clearances. But the inner core, about one hundred thousand (100,000) people. That's a very influential and powerful lobby that simply will not accept a pardoning of Edward Snowden. Not accept it at all. In terms of my particular case, well the pending prosecution is ongoing. They have five charges: (1) espionage; (2) conspiracy to commit espionage; (3) computer fraud & abuse; (4) conversion [here] ; and (5) general conspiracy. Decades, theoretically, in prison. But it's a matter of politics. It's hard for them to have a big case, during the run-up into the election. I don't think, probably, that's something that people want, although you never know, with Hillary [Clinton]. If it's Hillary versus Trump, and Trump's playing the national security trump card, maybe there is enough incentive then to create a very big case. But what is clear is it's politically impossible to drop it. It's just the State Department, Pentagon and so on, are simply such big lobbies in DC that it's not possible for the White House, which can be subverted by any of these big groups in terms of leaking their correspondences and policies to the press and so on, and, ultimately, literally overthrow them if push really came to shove with the White House and CIA. It's not possible for them to drop it under such circumstances. 27:27 AFSHIN RATTANSI GoingUndergroundRT JULIAN ASSANGE, thank you. JULIAN ASSANGE Publisher WikiLeaks Thank you. 27:30 [music | announcement] --- end --- ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- Julian Assange Australian Journalist FAQ & Support https://justice4assange.com/ Collateral Murder WikiLeaks Video Iraq https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0 Sunshine Press Uploaded: 3 Apr 2010 SEE ALSO Decoding the Current War in Syria: The Wikileaks Files http://www.globalresearch.ca/decoding-the-current-war-in-syria-the-wikileaks-files/5473909 LINKS WikiLeaks http://www.thisdayinWIKILEAKS.org/2015/05/7-may-2015.html USAID https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Agency_for_International_Development US & UK Relationship http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/euromyths/article/WIKILEAKS-and-the-not-so-special-relationship-uk-us.html Menwith Hill, Yorkshire http://www.yorkshirecnd.org.uk/campaigns/menwith-hill/ BOOK http://www.versobooks.com/books/1931-the-wikileaks-files Assange Transnational Security Elite, Carving Up the World Using Your Tax Money London  OCT8 Antiwar Mass Assembly (2011) Link  |  here ꕤ