Transcript - Assange - Title: Counter-terrorism strategies targeting Muslims will affect the wider population | VIDEO Feb 2014 | Cage

TRANSCRIPT [For quotation purposes, confirm audio] Julian Assange: Counter-terrorism strategies targeting Muslims will affect the wider population VIDEO [14:33] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emfncWOhXw8&feature=youtu.be Published on 10 Feb 2014 Good afternoon. My name is Julian Assange. I am the founder and publisher of WikiLeaks. Today, I am proud to help Cage launch their Prevent report. It has been often said to me by my Muslim friends (and some of you,  I'm sure, have heard it), that there exists one law for Muslims and one law for everyone else, here in the UK, in the United States, in Australian, New Zealand, and in some of continental Europe.  That used to be true. Unfortunately, for everyone else, it is no longer true:  and the experiences that I and my staff (and other journalists) have gone through, in relation to the Edward Snowden affair; our big publications in relation to the US military intelligence sector; the activities taken against Associated Press, in United States, [and] Fox News; show that, in fact, it is no longer true. That what happens to the Muslim community, sure enough, sooner or later, happens to everyone else as well. In fact, we can go back and look at the origins of the famous mass spying efforts in the United States that affect the domestic population. EDIT - INSERT While mass spying of fibre optic cables, as they go from one country to another, has been something that the United States, the United Kingdom, [and] GCHQ, have been involved in for many years, the ramp-up in the amount of funding available to them, and to the invasiveness of that spying (and to it taking place at a domestic level), is something that occurred shortly after 9/11; although the programs were attempted to be put in place shortly before. That was meant to monitor only a few people connected to suspicious terroristic activities and, yet, within a few years, secret interpretations of that legislation had led to it being enacted for every single person in the United States. There is not a single person in the United States who has made a telephone call in that country, who has not had that call swept up into that mass surveillance system and stored. In fact, the entire community structure of the United States — from the most powerful politician or industrialist to someone in a payphone in the gutters of San Antonio calling their uncle for help — has [now] been incorporated into that system. And what does that mean? Well, if you understand who calls who, how frequently, and when, you can map the degree of social relationship between any two people; and when you do it for all people, you have the social relationship structure of the entire nation; and when you engage in worldwide spying and monitoring, you have it for most of the world. And what does it mean if you have the entire community structure of a nation? Well, it means that you end up in a similar situation to the Muslim community here in London, right now, which is:  understanding the relationships between people, allows you to affect the relationships between people; it allows you to push society in one way or another, and predict people's behaviour across a wide range of areas; in fact, in almost any way that people's behaviour is predictable. And the Prevent Strategy enacted by the United Kingdom is most often associated, or linked, to the policies of McCarthy. In fact, this room behind me is from 1943. It is J Edgar Hoover's room.  It is the FBI records office. If you were to construct a similar room using similar technology (where we didn't have computers, but we have people going from file to file), that room, for the United Kingdom, would be nearly the size of London. In fact, nearly all of us would be physically inside that room, because of the amount of information that's being collected. Now, what has happened with that Prevent Strategy: it's not just the electronic monitoring. To a degree, this room reflects an earlier stage, which is somewhat like what Prevent is doing. It is penetrating the social structure of people: their relationships with their GP; with their lecturers; with other people in their community (even schools). So there is no escape. Prevent means that the social structure of people is susceptible to whatever concern the major power factions of the day have in the united Kingdom. The precedents are all set there — enacted for the Muslim community - just like the precedents were set in the United States for mass domestic spying, by using the Muslim community as an excuse. So we're all in this together. Injustices which affect the Muslim community, soon enough, expand out to the rest of the community at large. They do that by creating policies, laws, institutions and industrial lobbies that seek always to expand their ambit to as many people as possible, to expand their domestic and international power, and lobby hard to prevent their powers being contained. We can see that, for example, with Section 7 of the Terrorism Act, which, surely most people thought, here in the UK, would only apply to those people genuinely suspected of terrorism and, if not, perhaps just Muslims. The reality is, Section 7 of the Terrorism Act, as we have seen in the David Miranda case, affects journalism. It is used to try and stop revelations of the abuses being conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) and GCHQ, here in the UK. It is the reason why our journalist, a British subject, Sarah Harrison, is in self-exile (on the advice of her lawyers), in Germany, and not here in the United Kingdom: because for her to return, she would subject herself to an interrogation under Section 7, without any ability to say that, no, she doesn't want to answer the question in relation to her journalistic work. Prevent is a human intelligence gathering system, and I think we need to see it in terms of:  it is a modern form of making people into informants, a modern regulated system of 'ratting' each other out. It is a system which turns doctor against patient, teacher against student, and neighbour against neighbour. Those people you should be able to trust the inner core of your life to ([eg] your doctor, to seek advice from), are now swept up in a system of inducements and coercion that means that they can't be trusted, debilitating the basic social fabric of society, which is that we all trust one another. What happens when Prevent expands out, as it must do, from is abuses on the Muslim community to those people involved in holding power to account? Cage itself is an institution — a very important institution — here in the UK — which is holding power to account for the abuses it conducts on the Muslim community, and yet Cage — Cage's Board and bank accounts — have been subject to interference by UK authorities. The Prevent system is almost done entirely outside of any court process and any meaningful ability to have an insight into how those people who are affected by this system may seek redress. That is the construction of a human intelligence system. What I have spoken about before and what has been reported with the Snowden revelations is the construction of an Orwellian, mass, global, surveillance system — an electronic system. So, we have here a pincer attack on basic human liberty. On the one hand, an electronic system that prevents us communicating privately with those people who are close to us; from engaging in private economic transactions; from preventing us enjoying, securely, the fruits of globalisation — the fruits of globalised interaction, the fruits of non-localised interaction, even within a country.  And, on the other hand, with Prevent, we have the construction of the remaining area of — a surveillance system for the remaining area of life that is free from mass electronic surveillance: our basic human interaction with our doctor, teacher and so on. And these two things are coming together. So, what does that mean? Does that mean all hope is lost when we have a titanic, global surveillance system and a local human intelligence system that turns one person against another? No. The existence of Cage, as an organisation that has been subject to unjust scrutiny; the existence of WikiLeaks, as an organisation which has fought a long battle against this sort of thing; demonstrates that it somehow possible — despite this excess — to succeed and grow. How was it that WikiLeaks was able to stand up to the Pentagon and the State Department, despite a very public, aggressive, engagement: the largest investigation against a publisher ever? How was it that we were able to spirit Edward Snowden out of Hong Kong to a place of safety, in the greatest manhunt the world has ever seen? How could we do that? It is not because of some extraordinary sophistication and power of WikiLeaks as an organisation. It is the result of extraordinary dedication; not extraordinary wealth. How is it that dedication is able to win against a much superior force? Well, let's remember what this game is about: mass surveillance — systems like Prevent — are all about diverting money from the tax base. It is about securitisation. What do I mean by securitisation? I mean: when the Muslim community, or WikiLeaks — or activists — are used to create fear amongst people in the establishment who have the ability to determine what money goes where. So we are used as an excuse to divert money to Booz Allen Hamilton (a contractor for the National Security Agency); G4S (which was responsible for maintaining an electronic bracelet around ankle when I was under house arrest); Serco (a similar multinational contractor, who maintained the electronic bracelet around my ankle in another house arrest location). These organisations are lobby groups, who lobby to get the maximum amount of wealth transfer from the bulk of the population, into their pockets. It's a way of transferring income, predominantly from the middle class, to these wealthy security organisations. And Prevent is no different. The people running these organisations, they're not actually concerned about preventing anything. They're not actually really concerned about stopping WikiLeaks, and that's why they're unable, so far, to stop us. What they're concerned about is engaging in a process of wealth transfer from the tax base, and gaining political support for their activities, and they can do that with smoke and mirrors. In the security industry, we call this 'security theatre': looking like you're doing something, without doing it too much. And that's why, through the assistance of organisations like Cage, actually the Muslim community in the United Kingdom — and the rest of us — stand a chance. So, I encourage you very strongly to not be frightened of what is going on. It is a concern.  But, remember: these people are deeply incompetent;  they don't have a passion for their work;  the people at Cage have a passion for their work — they are from the community; and you should support them and organisations like them. Thank you. ------- end audio | 14:32 ------- EDIT - red text insert (above).  Must have inadvertently deleted paragraph when formatting. (Lucky discovery nitpicking over a word here or there.  lol) USEFUL LINKS Prevent Strategy Presented to UK Parliament | June 2011 PDF https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/97976/prevent-strategy-review.pdf  CAGE, formerly Cageprisoners Ltd, is a London-based advocacy organization with an Islamic focus  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAGE_%28organisation%29 McCarthyism Joseph R. McCarthy http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/joseph-mccarthy David Miranda UK Court: David Miranda Detention Legal Under Terrorism Law Miranda’s attorneys argued that the stop was unlawful and a violation of Miranda’s right to freedom of expression. And they said his detention marked the first time the terrorism act had been implemented to seize journalistic materials. https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/19/uk-court-david-miranda-detention-legal-terrorism-law/ On the UK's Equating of Journalism With Terrorism he UK Government expressly argued that the release of the Snowden documents (which the free world calls “award–winning journalism“) is actually tantamount to “terrorism”, the same theory now being used by the Egyptian military regime to prosecute Al Jazeera journalists as terrorists. Congratulations to the UK government on the illustrious company it is once again keeping. British officials have also repeatedly threatened criminal prosecution of everyone involved in this reporting, including Guardian journalists and editors. https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/02/19/uks-equating-journalism-terrorism-designed-conceal-gchq/ Sarah Harrison Britain is treating journalists as terrorists – believe me, I know http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/14/britain-journalists-terrorists-edward-snowden-nsa Booz Allen Hamilton HQ Tysons Corner, Fairfax County, Virginia core busines: provision of management, technology & security services to civilian government agencies / a security & defence contractor to defense & intelligence agencies civil & commercial entities https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booz_Allen_Hamilton G4S plc (formerly Group 4 Securicor) British multinational security services company HQ Crawley, West Sussex world's largest security company https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G4S Serco Group plc British outsourcing company HQ Hook, Hampshire operates public and private transport and traffic control, aviation, military weapons, detention centres, prisons and schools on behalf of its customers. "There has been a history of problems, failures, fatal errors and overcharging." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serco The Prevent Strategy: a cradle to grave police-state http://www.cageuk.org/publication/prevent-strategy-cradle-grave-police-state Apologists for terror or defenders of human rights? The Cage controversy in context Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 ... government has drawn the entire public sector into its controversial counter-extremist agenda, meaning that public servants once responsible for the welfare of citizens – including children – must now monitor their behaviour, appearance and political views, feeding into the most unaccountable and repressive elements of the state. Increasingly marginalised by a media smear campaign, Cage has now achieved the status of public pariah once reserved for critics of government policy on Northern Ireland before the peace process. https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/tom-mills-narzanin-massoumi-david-miller/apologists-for-terror-or-defenders-of-human-righ CAGE to sue David Cameron for calling it 'extremist' ISIS and Jihadi John supporting group ... seeking legal advice on whether Mr Cameron is "guilty of defamation". As well as potentially launching legal action against the Prime Minister, CAGE also announced today it has applied for a judicial review against UK charity watchdog, the Charity Commission. CAGE says the commission "exceeded its role as government regulator" by pressuring donors to stop funding it and claims the Charity Commission "spread false information based on misleading reports in certain sections of the media". It said the commission "demonised" CAGE because Jihadi John approached it for advice before he left to fight for ISIS in Syria. The organisation is not stopping there on the warpath against the establishment — it has also complained to the United Nations (UN) about "sustained attacks on its ability to do its advocacy work", which it says involves campaigning for the rights "of those adversely affected by the war on terror" http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/592855/CAGE-sue-David-Cameron-called-extremist-ISIS-Jihadi-John-supporting-group Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/6/contents/enacted ꕤ

Intelligence Trivia - USA

Intelligence Trivia World War II close cooperation b/w USA & British intelligence began / Allen Dulles selected by Dwight Eisenhower to run CIA Allen Dulles, CIA later managed ops in Switzerland, a neutral operating ground for agents of the Allies & Nazis USA 1967 amid civil rights & anti-Vietnam War protests US Army Gen. William P. Yarborough, initiated Army intel + CIA + NSA domestic surveillance 1970s USA Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho curtailed extensive USA domestic surveillance program http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865635176/Arthur-Cyr-Intelligence-involves-art-along-with-science.html?pg=all Arthur I. Cyr Professor Carthage College author of four books on international relations and British politics prior:  vice president of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations & other 1966 UCLA Ph.D. with distinction in political science from Harvard University in 1971. ꕤ

Sudan - New Min Defence - Gen Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf - ex Military Intelligence

Bashir appoints U.S. sanctioned general as new defense minister August 23, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir issued a decree today in which he named a new defense minister to replace Mustafa Obeid who served in this role temporarily following the cabinet reshuffle of last June. The incoming top military chief General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf was the former head of military intelligence and also chairman of the joint chief of staff before he was relieved in June 2010. Following his military tenure, Ibn Auf was chosen to be Sudan’s ambassador in Oman. He is also on a list of individuals sanctioned by the United States in May 2007 for his alleged role in the Darfur conflict along with other figures. A US State department Wikileaks cable from 2008 says that Ibn Auf “has acted as liaison between the Sudanese government and the Government-supported Janjaweed militias, which have attacked and brutalized innocent civilians in the Darfur region”. “He has also provided logistical support for the Janjaweed and directed attacks,” the cable reads. The appointment comes days after Bashir offered a two month ceasefire to rebels in order to attend the national dialogue process initiated by him in early 2014. On Sunday, Bashir paid visits to military areas of Khartoum in which he pledged to improve living conditions of army members in terms of pay, housing, health coverage and social services. The Sudanese leader also reiterated that 2016 will witness the end of the insurgency. Bashir’s decision to bring a retired general into this position rather than an active service member may suggest his desire to mitigate the risk of a military coup. He has waited almost three months after the new post-elections cabinet formation in early June to pick a new minister. Since 2000, Bashir has picked only his closest confidants for this position including his current 1st VP Bakri Hassan Saleh and current governor of Khartoum Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein who held the defense portfolio since 2005 until last June. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article56160  ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- COMMENT Keeping the army happy by improving their conditions is probably a good move, if this guy is currently doing some fancy footwork to avoid a military coup. Don't understand how appointing an non-active / retired military guy is a coup-blocker. I don't often look at this region, so it doesn't mean a lot to me. ꕤ

Foreign Updates - Middle East, Asia, Random

Random #Diplomatic US press attaché Johann Schmonsees has denied reports embassy in Riyadh shut down over security concern http://www.arabianbusiness.com/us-saudi-embassy-denies-security-shutdown-603700.html Iran protests - UK embassy reopening - counter-revolutionary both to continue operating by charges d'affaires Iran critics say: UK embassy has record support for spying ops, organisation of street unrests & assassination of scientists http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/199789 New Chapter Tehran-London Ties: Iran’s Envoy all diplomatic activities to be gradually re-established http://www.tasnimnews.com/english/Home/Single/838016 #Lebanon Kuwaiti embassy issues Lebanon travel warning / Daily Star #Thailand #presse Hong Kong photojournalist detained at Bangkok airport for carrying bulletproof vest in luggage one of the highest gun homicide rates in Asia / on par with USA / pop 67 million 3.48 murders per 100,000 http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/hong-kong-photojournalist-detained-at-bangkok-airport-for-carrying-bulletproof-vest-in #Vietnam #Diplomatic #Spain NGO Pazy Desarrollo in co-operation with Spanish Embassy run gender equality project http://vietnamnews.vn/society/274879/project-promotes-gender-equality.html Michael Lynn - #Ireland fled Ireland in 2007 with debts of €80m extradition #Brasil #Brazil #LatAm http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/michael-lynn-should-be-back-by-year-end-to-face-charges-lawyer-1.2326185 #Turkey Albayrak Group to operate Mogadishu Interl Port / re-opened in 2006 by Islamic Courts Union, who control South Somali / dailysabah USA Spirit Lake police chief TAKES job as a bomb-sniffing dog handler US embassy in #Iraq or #Afghanistan http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Spirit-Lake-police-chief-steps-down-to-take-US-embassy-job-322627872.html #Afghanistan Kabul vehicle bombing 10 dead 60 injured Taliban fighting to overthrow foreign-backed govt http://www.dispatchtimes.com/at-least-10-dead-in-kabul-vehicle-bombing/59556/ #MiddleEast US Embassy Warns Against Travel to Upper Galilee & Golan Heights Rockets launched from #Syria territory #Israel: points finger at: "Iran-backed Islamic Jihad from territory under the control of the Assad regime" http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/319634/us-embassy-warns-citizens-against-travel-to-upper-galilee-and-golan-heights/ #Pakistan Removes 5,000 names from Exit Control List (ECL) Passports Directorate Blacklist contained 52,000 names http://tribune.com.pk/story/943345/nisar-announces-removal-of-5000-names-from-ecl-in-major-overhaul/ #Pakistan Intelligence agencies rescue: Chinese tourist kidnapped 2014 in an area close to insurgency-prone regions. Kidnapped China tourist rescue: faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility http://tribune.com.pk/story/943345/nisar-announces-removal-of-5000-names-from-ecl-in-major-overhaul/ #Australia #Syria US request to extend campaign Julie Bishop says Australia is seeking legal advice on Syria strikes USA has asked for Aussie support manned strikes, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, air refuelling etc http://forexreportdaily.com/2015/08/24/7334-julie-bishop-says-australia-is-seeking-legal-advice-on-syria-strikes/ #Nigeria Zone 6 Police took delivery of #surveillance helicopter in Calabar / combat of militancy & kidnap http://nationalaccordnewspaper.com/2015/08/police-receives-surveillance-helicopter-to-boost-fight-against-militancy-in-cross-river/ ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- COMMENT Names being removed from a travel blacklist in Pakistan is rather intriguing.  Don't really understand why they've got a blacklist.  Maybe this is normal?  A bad guy travel blacklist? Action hotting up Syria / Israel border, by look of things? Turkey might be a player in Somalia. Islamic Union control in south.   That's a look-up job; don't know what this is. Photojournalist arrested Thailand sounds interesting, but it's probably routine. Thailand no longer sounds safe.  Well, it never did to me; but I'm weird like that.  ;) Pakistan definitely doesn't sounds safe.  Thailand a better bet.  lol This just random stuff that caught my attention ... nothing exciting. ꕤ

USA Intelligence Contractor - Mantech International Corp

USA Intelligence Contractor Mantech International Corp | Profile ManTech International Corporation is a provider of technologies and solutions for national security programs for the intelligence community; the departments of Defense State Homeland Security Energy and Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation ... It supports national security programs for around 50 federal agencies through over 1,100 contracts. Its solutions and services include cyber; software and systems development; enterprise information technology; multi-discipline intelligence; program protection and mission assurance; systems engineering; test and evaluation; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; training; global logistics and supply chain management and management consulting. http://www.octafinance.com/professional-analysts-at-thestreet-cut-mantech-international-corp-nasdaqmant-from-buy-to-hold-rating/ ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- ManTech International Corporation co-founded by George J. Pedersen 1968 purpose:  IT & technical services to US federal govt customers one of USG'S leading providers Intelligence DOD State Dept Homeland Sec DOJ Space + other ManTech has supported telecommunications use in Operation Iraqi Freedom HQ:  Fairfax, Virginia over 10,000 employees operations in 40 countries Revenue $2.582 billion (2012) Net income $95.019 million (2012) 2012 announced purchase of HBGary, Inc support the US Army in southwest Asia, Iraq and Afghanistan, as lead subcontractor to the VSE corporation specialization in communications and technology equipment is helpful to the ground and air soldiers ManTech’s personnel often placed inside the units of troops which they support contract -  mine-clearing and other systems for US Army in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ManTech_International VSE Corporation technical services company formed in 1959 2008 and 2009 annual revenues surpassed $1 billion 2013, VSE operations   structure = 2 groups  (3 wholly owned subsidiaries/LLCs) Federal Group International Group Energetics Incorporated (Energy) G&B/Akimeka (Information Technologies) Wheeler Bros., Inc. (Supply Chain Management) provides engineering, logistics support, supply chain management, sustainment, foreign military sales, management sciences, information technology, energy and environment support, and facilities management. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSE_Corporation ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- COMMENT It's amazing how big these companies are.  I find huge companies like this sort of intimidating. Can't get a handle on how enormous they are and how powerful these organisations must be. ꕤ

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT - 'John Pilger on WikiLeaks, Julian Assange & Jeremy Corbyn' - Radio NZ National

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT  [For quotation purposes, confirm audio] Title:  John Pilger on WikiLeaks, Julian Assange & Jeremy Corbyn "John Pilger is an Australian born journalist and film-maker who has twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year award." Originally aired on Sunday Morning, Sunday 23 August 2015 PROGRAM LINK | http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/201767629/john-pilger-on-wikileaks,-julian-assange-and-jeremy-corbyn DIRECT LINK AUDIO | http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201767629 ---------------------- ꕤ  ---------------------- Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National For 3 years, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, has sought asylum within the Ecuadorian embassy, London, at a cost of millions of pounds. He has been facing sexual assault allegations, which actually expired this past week, although he can still face charges on a rape allegation for a further 5 years. John Pilger is an Australian-born journalist & film-maker. He's twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year Award. And he says it's been an unrelenting campaign by Sweden and the US to deny Julian Assange justice and, of course, his freedom. John Pilger is in no doubt about the impact that Julian Assange and WikiLeaks has on society. John Pilger Investigative Journalist I think it's had a huge impact on both society and on journalism. I mean, the best of journalism, in my experience, always relied on what we called 'whistleblowers.' People from inside who can tell us the things that vested interests and governments don't want us to know; and I think they've done that with such a dimension that we now have quite a different standard of investigative journalism, now, to reach. And as far as society is concerned, I think they've told people what so many people — millions of people — suspected anyway: that their governments weren't telling them the truth; and that vested interests weren't telling them the truth; that they were being deceived; that democracy wasn't working properly; that there wasn't the kind of accountability that they suspected. WikiLeaks' contribution to that, I think, has been quite extraordinary. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National It's been compared, hasn't it, to Daniel Ellsberg's revelation of the Pentagon Papers (US war related secrets of 1971). Do you think that's a fair or valid comparison? John Pilger Investigative Journalist Yes, it is. Absolutely. I know Dan Ellsberg and I've talked to him about it and he makes that comparison. That he's very much a supporter of WikiLeaks now. And Ellsberg — what Ellsberg released (and this was a whistleblower from within the system), he — the Pentagon Papers actually told the truth about the Vietnam war. It told the truth — the kind of official truth that people didn't know. They were official documents, and they really had an extraordinary impact then on public opinion. They supported that all-truth that information is power. People then had information. Now, what people do with information is up to them. But to be able to get it — as they got it through Ellsberg, and they got it through WikiLeaks, and they got it through Chelsea Manning, and they got it through numerous other very courageous whistleblowers. That's very important, and it's a lesson for us journalists. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National The nature of the whilsteblower. Let me ask you this, then, John. Daniel Ellsberg over 40 years ago, Julian Assange now — to some, you know, to many he's a hereo (people like Yoko Ono & Ken Loach have visited him at the Ecuadorian embassy) — but what was the - what did people think of Daniel Ellsberg at the time, because there's been quite a level of vitriol to Julian Assange. How was Daniel Ellsberg treated by the public and by the establishment. John Pilger Investigative Journalist I think Ellsberg was also, really, was subjected to a certain level of vitriol. Usually, whistleblowers are. I remember Ellsberg actually being called a traitor. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National [Interjects] Really? John Pilger Investigative Journalist — and, indeed, he won his court actions, which were really based on that broad allegation that he'd committed some form of treason. So, you know, his character was called into question and so on, in a different way from the attacks on Julian Assange. Another great whistleblower — long forgotten — who's now the subject of a movie called, interestingly, 'Shoot the Messenger,' whose name is Gary Webb:   Gary Webb disclosed, in the United States, that — how the CIA was involved in drug trafficking into the United States. Now, Gary Webb's greatest enemies were the rest of media, who hadn't got the story and attacked him. Something similar has happened with Julian Assange. It's certainly muddied by the fact that he was caught in a situation in Sweden, which those who were his enemies, anyway, were able to exploit. And — but, my understanding (and I've known Assange for quite some time and I followed this case very quickly) is, that the amount of vitriol comes down to the degree of truth-telling: truth-telling about great power. There is — and I've found this in my career — there is a real ruthlessness in great power:   be it in governments, big corporations, vested interests — particularly in very, very powerful governments.  There is a ruthlessness in their response, if you expose what they are doing, and if it's something they don't want the public to know about. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National And you've experienced it yourself? John Pilger Investigative Journalist Yes, I have, most certainly, in a lot of the work I've done right throughout south-east Asia and in investigative work in the UK. For example, I had a lot to do with revealing the thalidomide — the extent that thalidomide, the drug, was was damaging children. I found myself subjected to all kinds of abuse and smear. Smear. Smear is probably an investigative journalist's greatest enemy. There was a very interesting document that WikiLeaks got hold of in 2008 which foretold everything — [laughs] almost everything - that has happened to Julian Assange. It said that (and I paraphrase it) - that if - that, because WikiLeaks was revealing so many of these truths, the only way to deal with it was to discredit it, and to discredit Assange. To smear, in other words. I mean, it really spells it out, in very plain English, that there's going to be a campaign of discrediting against anyone like Assange who dares to tell the public the kinds of secrets that it needs to know, that it's prevented from knowing. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National Well, in fact, you say on Julian Assange — you write that in Alexandria, Virginia, a secret grand jury spent 5 years attempting to contrive a crime for which Assange can be prosecuted. Can you explain a little bit for us, what do you mean by that? John Pilger Investigative Journalist Well, yes. I mean, that's, that's — they've admitted that now. There is, in Virginia, which — the grand jury in the United States— The grand juries draw from the area in which they sit. Now this area [laughs] has in it the US Defence Department, the Pentagon, the CIA, and all the great institutions of American power, so that determines, really, the character of the grand jury. And the grand jury can then issue indictments. Now, this grand jury has been sitting in secret, now, for several years, and the problem it faces in trying to bring a charge against Assange and WikiLeaks is that the constitution (the US constitution), says very clearly that whistleblowers — truth-tellers — are protected it (by the Constitution) and, ironically, it was President Obama (a professor of constitutional law) who said, very early in his presidency, that whilstleblowers had the protection of the constitution. Now, I say 'ironically,' because more whistleblowers have been prosecuted under Obama than during all the presidents of the past. So, this grand jury has an uphill task, and the one charge it seems that it might be able to come up with is a First World War espionage charge, which was really directed at conscientious objectors during the First World War, all those years ago: a century ago. That's all it can find. The problem there is that Julian Assange isn't an American. That never seams to bother American courts that people — there are some people in the world who are not Americans. So, it's a difficult thing. But there's no question that what the documents show — the FBI has something like a 50,000 page file on him — what all these documents that have come out have shown, and what they've virtually admitted: that the moment Assange sets out the door of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, in some way — in some way — the United States (with help from its so-called allies) will get its hands on Julian Assange. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National And is that why the 24 hour around the clock police cordon? There are police appearing — John Pilger Investigative Journalist Well, no because [laughs] — they don't prevent people going in, but Assange isn't going anywhere. All that is, this 24-hour cordon, it's theatrical. It's a show of force by the state. It's the British government saying — and the Metropolitan Police in London — saying: Well, we're not having this. How dare this man go and seek political refuge and be granted it by another government. It's pointless — Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National [Interjects] John — John Pilger Investigative Journalist — one policeman outside the door is more than enough because, as everybody knows, Assange isn't going anywhere. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National I'm speaking with Julian As— John Pilger. And there are those who listen to this, too, who will say that there — these, you know, these charges — these allegations — they— John Pilger Investigative Journalist [Interjects] You've got to be careful with that. That's a very common slip. And I understand you make it.  There— Assange has been — The disgrace about all of this is this man has not been charged with anything.  What's more, that the original prosecutor in this case in Sweden, threw it out — threw allegations out — and the second prosecutor, who has perused him, allowed him to leave Sweden, and said that's fine. The second prosecutor has been offered every facility to question Julian Assange over 5 years. The British government has pleaded with her, virtually, to come to London. It's a normal procedure. At the same time, Sweden has (in London) interviewed something like 44 other people connected with allegations in Sweden, but not Assange. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National So what's going on here — why? John Pilger Investigative Journalist Why? Well, I think it's a combination of reasons, here. There's no evidence — that's number one. I've seen the evidence; there's no evidence. Both these women have said they were not raped. They've both said it's consensual — it was consensual sex. Their SMS messages — one says the police have tried to railroad them into this. The pressures on these two women have been extraordinary. One can only have — one can only have sympathy for them. It's a combination of whys. There's an obsession about this prosecutor, and my sense is that the Swedish authorities haven't quite known what to do about it. The Swedish High Court has reprimanded her for not getting on with the case. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National Is this Marianne Ny? John Pilger Investigative Journalist Yes, Marianne Ny. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National What's the relationship, John, between Swe— Washington and Stockholm?  Is, because Sweden is, you know, meant to be something of a liberal bastion, isn't it? So what is— John Pilger Investigative Journalist [Interjects] Well— Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National —what sort of relationship do they have? John Pilger Investigative Journalist Well, Sweden is not a liberal bastion. Sweden has basked in its—   It is in some areas, yes.  It has enlightened social policies towards the vulnerable and the elderly, and so on, although these have been much broken down over the years. But, in a cultural sense, that image of Sweden going back to the 1960s, as a great libertarian country, no longer exists. Sweden has rather a dark side. It's not a member of NATO, but it's almost a much more committed associate of the United States in that part of the world, and the last government in Sweden had very close links with the extreme right in the Republican party, and it has various associations in the arms business, and so on. So Sweden has a— Swe— Swe— I suppose Sweden plays the same games that countries within a certain sphere of do these days. It is no different from that. But what it does have, as I mentioned, is a very close relationship with the US, and The Independent newspaper, here, revealed that there had been discussions between the Swedish authorities and the US on Assange. I don't think that anyone really has any serious doubts that should Assange go to Sweden (where there is no bail —therefore he goes— would go straight into prison regardless of having not been charged with anything) — that once confined — that something similar would happen to him, as has happened to other people who have been subjected to rendition to the United States from Sweden. This is all guess work, of course, but the assumption has a great deal of credibility. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National John Pilger, how do you think, then, this will all play out? He's been, what, 3 years inside the Ecuadorian embassy. As I understand it — you might have gone and visited him — but, as I understand it, no sunlight, small room. Ken Loach, the film director, he gave him a walker, I think, one of those exerciser machines, didn't he? John Pilger Investigative Journalist Yes. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National So, what's going to happen, is my question? John Pilger Investigative Journalist I see Julian Assange regularly, and I've been to the embassy many times.  And, it's really — inside, it's like your living room and my living room.  Yes, sunlight comes in through the windows, but with the police pretty well outside, you have to keep the curtains closed, otherwise you have a member of the constabulary looking in on you and, so, it's a very confined space. And it's the kind of thing that no human being should have to go through. It's the sort of detention that, really, is against all the post war covenants of human rights and so on. But it is a place of refuge, and that's why he's there. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National Finally, John Pilger, I just — before you go, I just wonder if you've got a couple of thoughts on the Labour leadership in the UK — Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader contender - he continues to do well in the polls. In fact, the press has dubbed it 'Corbyn Mania.' His views are very much to the left of the Labour mainstream: he wants to, you know, withdraw from NATO; abolish the UK's nuclear arsenal. So, where, can I ask you, where is he drawing his support, and why do you think it's happening? John Pilger Investigative Journalist It says something about the mainstream [laughs] when you describe it that way. Jeremy Corbyn is actually the mainstream. And who these people are - it's such fun to watch them so hysterical over somebody who might be democratically elected by ordinary people. What a terrible thing to happen. They used to call this democracy. But because they've stitched up the system for such a long time; especially, since the rise of Tony Blair and his evangelical followers, who dominate the Labour party, still; because this man who has rather moderate views and old fashioned views (the kind of old fashioned views that most people subscribe to), and because people are so frustrated all over the world — I'm sure it's true in New Zealand, as well (it certainly is in Australia) — are frustrated that there isn't a functioning democracy; that the views of people - the frustrations of people — are not reflected by their politicians. Suddenly, out comes a man who, first of all, he's completely incorruptible; he's decent; he doesn't abuse people; he doesn't play all their games; he doesn't want to go to war with countries; he doesn't want to bomb countries; he doesn't want to see people impoverished; and he doesn't want to see extremely rich interests make off with billions of pounds. So having these outrageous views — thoroughly 'outrageous,' 'extremist' views - Jeremy Corbyn has attracted an enormous support from people. I was in Edinburgh recently and I gave a talk, and I would have thought that, probably, most of the people in the audience had voted for the SNP — voted for Independent — gee, were they interested in Corbyn, even up there. So, don't know. I think it's very likely the elected leader of the Labour party whether he can get through and keep that rather corrupted organisation in a shape that it might win the election, I have no idea. But he's certainly given people — he's cheered people up. He's given them a sense that maybe some things are possible. Wallace Chapman Presenter, Radio NZ National Journalist and film-maker, John Pilger, thank you very much for your time. John Pilger Investigative Journalist You're very welcome. Bye, Bye. ——— end audio ——— Please Support journalist Julian Assange Under Siege Ecuador embassy London (3 Years) Detained 5 Years No Charge FAQ & Support https://justice4assange.com/ ꕤ

"How Sweden Collaborated With CIA on Renditions & Framing of Assange" | Saley, Osewe & Goss

How Sweden Collaborated With CIA on Renditions and Framing of Assange By Feature Article    NEWS JUNKIE POST Dec 19, 2012 at 5:54 pm By Rafik Saley, Okoth Osewe, and John Goss By his own admission, Sweden’s Ambassador to Australia Mr. Sven-Olof Petersson had advance knowledge of the CIA rendition flight that took place on December 18, 2001 from Stockholm to Egypt. This flight ended in Egyptian nationals Ahmed Agiza and Muhammad al-Zery being illegally rendered and tortured. Mr. Petersson’s admission comes from a statement to the Swedish Parliament’s Constitutional Committee, confirming that he attended a briefing on December 17, 2001 at which the rendition process was finalized. Moreover, the Constitutional Committee’s report shows that he knew about the renditions at the end of November and probably even in mid-November. In fact, it was he who kept Minister of Foreign Affairs Anna Lindh updated on the progress of deportation arrangements with the CIA in November 2001.[i] Petersson was then Sweden’s Director General for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[ii] Illegal and unconstitutional decisions of this sort, made behind closed doors, show contempt for the Swedish legal system, which has been further denigrated by attempts to get Wikileaks founder Julian Assange flown to Sweden on flimsy allegations of a sexual nature, from where, concerned parties believe the CIA would pick him up and put him on trial in the United States. Ironically, it was through Wikileaks that the world learned about the diplomatic tiff between the US and Sweden that brought an end to Swedish rendition in 2006.[iii] As the Director General for Political Affairs, Mr. Petersson was in regular contact with the US Embassy in Stockholm and was aware of the US request that two Egyptian nationals be illegally rendered.[iv] The rendition went ahead without protest or representation on behalf of the victims, and no one in the Swedish government has been made accountable for this flagrant breach of the law. An admission of Sweden’s culpability can be found in the SEK 3 million (about $458,000) compensation paid to each of the two men after their eventual release.[v] This “hush money” appears to have paid for the non-disclosure of the identities of the Swedish representatives who sought assurances from Cairo prior to the men’s rendition.[vi] Not only Petersson, but also Minister of Justice Thomas Bodström and then Foreign Minister Anna Lindh knew about the renditions.[vii] Thomas Bodström spent a year in the US between 2010 – 2011, purportedly for rehabilitation in connection with alcohol and substance abuse, while he was a partner in the legal firm Borgström & Bodström. It would be lax not to point out to readers that Claes Borgström is the lawyer who was called upon to prosecute Julian Assange over allegations that had previously been dismissed. Further, Borgström is known to be friendly with Irmeli Krans, the police interrogator who took SW’s original statement against Assange. Irmeli Krans, in turn, is friendly with the other complainant, AA, who, it is said, illegally sat in on Irmeli Krans’ interview of SW. [viii] The rendered Egyptians, both of whom were asylum seekers, were returned to Egypt despite Sweden’s Aliens Act (1989) that forbids repatriation to a country where nationals are likely to be tortured. It was well known even then that Egypt uses torture against political prisoners.[ix] The torture of both men on the flight to Egypt, included them being hooded, handcuffed and strapped down. The brutality of the torture in Egypt was captured in a comment by Mr. Agiza who noted that the interrogators routinely beat him, strapped him to a wet mattress and subjected him to electric shock through electrodes attached to his ear lobes, nipples, and genitals.[x] Mr. Petersson´s statements to the Australian media on the impartiality of the Swedish legal system ring hollow when judged against his prior personal involvement in renditions. Even more disturbing is the fact that they have been echoed by Australian Foreign minister Bob Carr. The adoption of the statements shows a lack of judgment on Carr’s part and brings the Australian government’s foreign policy under scrutiny. Carr has urged Assange to travel to Sweden and claimed that it was unlikely that he would be extradited.[xi] Recent statements by EU Home Affairs Minister Cecilia Malmström, urging Mr. Assange to “just go to Sweden” have the same hollow ring.[xii] Malmström has worked closely with US interests in Sweden and elsewhere in adopting harsh measures to stifle free speech in Europe. She purports to know nothing about the Assange case. On the other hand, her partiality and close affinity to the United States are demonstrated by her recent joint briefing with US attorney general Eric Holder.[xiii] She has also co-authored an article with him.[xiv] The question on every reasonable person’s lips is: why can’t the Swedish government “just give Mr. Assange the diplomatic guarantees that he has asked for?” In light of Sweden´s complicity in illegal rendition right up to 2006, a diplomatic guarantee to Assange that he won’t be extradited to the US is of integral importance. After all, the Swedish government has the final say in the matter and, if its past history in illegal renditions is anything to go by, Assange’s fears about extradition or rendition to the United States are justifiable. The Swedish Ambassador accuses Sydney Morning Herald columnist Elizabeth Farrelly of having no knowledge of Sweden.[xv] It is imperative that the columnist learns about Sweden and its foreign policy of the past 20 years, so she might pass on the sinister dealings to her readership. Until recent years, Sweden had a peace policy of which to be proud. For 150 years, the country abstained from war and, in 1966, to celebrate this highly-enviable record, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) was established. After Sweden started cooperating with NATO, the situation began to change.[xvi] Not long afterwards, the Swedish military became involved in world conflicts, and more recently it has looked poised for greater involvement.[xvii] This is not the old Sweden but a new country that demonstrates an unparalleled hypocrisy in its international relations. This trend continues in the refusal by authorities to grant Assange the reasonable assurances that he seeks. Prominent international supporters of Mr. Assange, like Baltasar Garzon, John Pilger, Michael Moore, and Jemima Khan are ridiculed in Sweden today. In addition to the recent changes in foreign and domestic policy, the third largest political party in the country, called Sweden Democrats (SD), has made massive gains during the last elections, despite openly calling for the repatriation of immigrants from Sweden. The SD party enjoyed a 10%  parliamentary share of the vote, which translated into 20 Parliamentary seats. The Swedish government seems to be following the direction of the SD party, especially in its foreign policy positions, which are increasingly pro-American and anti-democratic. Because of Sweden’s pro-American stance on key political issues, a legal system has developed with multiple loopholes that could easily be exploited to Assange’s disadvantage. This legal framework is constitutionally racist against foreigners, especially when they contest ethnic Swedish nationals of the cherished blond-haired, blue-eyed Nordic model. Most worrying of all, Sweden’s history of hypocrisy, lopsidedness and double-speak in dealings with the international community highlights the risk that Julian Assange would be in physical danger if extradited to Sweden from the UK. Under such circumstances, it is reasonable for him to seek unequivocal diplomatic assurances that he would not be extradited to the US if he agrees to go to Sweden for questioning. Despite the pressures from the United States and other pro-western governments, the Republic of Ecuador has granted political asylum to Mr. Assange. On the other hand, the United Kingdom has hindered the free movement of Mr. Assange even though the same government blocked the extradition to Spain of the late Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Mr. Pinochet was wanted for the murder of 94 Spanish citizens and many other charges of torture and rape against his own people. Although Julian Assange is an Australian citizen, the Australian government has refused to protect him and has instead accommodated Swedish Ambassador Sven-Olof Petersson, who supports rendition and torture. This is unacceptable in a free, democratic and transparent society. Editor’s Notes: Rafik Saley is general secretary of the African Committee for Development in Stockholm, Sweden; Okoth Osewe writes for Kenya Stockholm Blog; John Goss is a writer and researcher, United Kingdom. SOURCE (WITH CITATIONS & LINKS) http://newsjunkiepost.com/2012/12/19/how-sweden-collaborated-with-cia-on-renditions-and-framing-of-assange/#sthash.VTKJNK95.dpuf  ---------------------- ꕤ  ----------------------  COMMENT  This article totally blows me away.  ꕤ