Better character assassination than assassination, but still bogus.

Poor strategy though.

Wikileaks will continue with or without Assange.

I saw this early this morning and my first thought was "set-up". While I guess it could be true, I just don't believe in that kind of coincidence. This info could probably make or break some people high up in the food chain. I hope he's got a back up plan. I'm sure he does, he had to know this was coming.

The plan is to probably not return to Sweden, release the remaining documents, and have private investigators prove he was never anywhere near the two women.

For a week or so there has been an encrypted downloadable file on Wikileaks that many speculate is an insurance. A final nuclear blast if our government did something stupid like start renditioning or assassinating Wikileaks personnel.

They are thinking ahead and expecting the worst.

BBE--This is amazing. I wish we knew all the facts, because I hope that the charges are not true. I assume, as you do, that it's a set-up, but I am also cynical enough to think that a man who thinks he is saving the world may indeed think he is entitled to rape a woman.
BUT, for now, I'm with you. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

What makes it even more suspicious is that it is two women who know each other, waited until all physical evidence either exculpatory or incriminating would be lost,and they are evidently professionals.

I have nothing against pros and think sex work should be legal, but I know my next sentence will rile you up. If you'll take money for sex - you'll be more likely to take money for making a false allegation or be more vulnerable to blackmail that forces you to make the allegation. And that goes for men and women.

The most fascinating news story of the morning, and I'm happy to see someone posted on it. Thanks, BBE.

I've no idea if our inclinations, in this instance, to think foul play, are correct. Would seem rather dumb, tho bc others could release any info he'd had planned for release, and the more charges, if false, the more people out there who can, soon/late, say they're false.
r.

From the profile of Assange that was in The New Yorker awhile back, he seems almost not human in his stoicism and lack of concern for things like home, friends and family. Kind of monk-like. Which is why these charges sound a little off, especially given the timing.

what scanner said---the two women was total overkill...

I am withholding judgement for now. It seems fishy, but people with power sometimes do strange things. If they are true, WikiLeaks will survive, but he won't. If they charges are false and/or drummed up, it could get really ugly during the "search for the guilty" phase. You have to remember that someone in government provided WikiLeaks with those documents. That is where it could get interesting. R-

BBE: You are right on top of this one. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Thanks. (monkey fingered)

One must wonder about the wild-eyed and impatient reasoning of visitors to this site when the vast majority commenting here assume a setup and do so with great certainty.

Why not wait for more evidence about the accusations of both rape and setup?

Un-minchia- believable!

Because I believe that rape is the most horrible crime imaginable, I am VERY leery of believing "iffy" charges like this. If he IS guilty he should be executed. If not guilty, the women that made these claims AND everyone who put them up to it should be imprisoned for a long, long time.

Nonetheless, the timing and personages sure aren't passing the "Sniff Test" very well.

This accusation is just too much of a coincidence even if it’s true. As far as I’m concerned it is totally separate from the information leaked except for the fact that it is almost certainly being used as an obvious intimidation tactic and they had to know it would appear this way which makes it foolish no matter what.

“If I were Assange, those 15,000 documents would be hitting the net at 0900 EST Monday.”

Ahem try 10:35 EST Saturday!!!

Just like when Scott Ritter revealed the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" fraud was accused of being a "child molester."

much more & many links on assuange in a recent blog of mine.
unfortunately the end game for assuange seems to be increasing paranoia.
the cia, now largely just a self-serving branch of the military since the massive bush headrolling "reorg", has a global reach as proved in a rendition case in italy where about a dozen agents were found guilty in absentia of kidnapping and/or torturing a prisoner.

its way too early to draw any conclusions, but on the early sniff test, it definitely stinks.

a very Rovian "dirty tricks" scenario.

assuange is very,very vulnerable to a passport revocation or suspension, its a big achilles heel for him. australian officials are already on record talking about it. probably the only thing stopping it is a fear of bad international publicity. its a very dangerous cat-and-mouse game, the stakes are rising, and I hope julian understands what he's getting into, although I doubt it.

21 August 2010 Last updated at 11:40 ET



Swedish rape warrant for Wikileaks' Assange cancelled

If you want to play with the big boys you better be prepared for almost anything.

As T.S. says, the warrant has been withdrawn.

Story here.

Assange is CIA. All of this is scripted. Believe nothing.

Just this morning, I asked myself, where is Michael Blomqvist when you need him? This could make another Millennium book!
But, even better, the rape charges are now retracted, and the Swedes have apparently clued in faster than anyone in America could that these things actually happen. Go Stieg Larssen, who has affected our consciousness so powerfully and beyond the grave.

People say and do just about anything. In my book, no one is a saint or a sinner. But whatever the facts disclose, it is damn good theater.

Thanks for keeping us abreast of the latest "satire" performed on the stage of life.

Thumbed.

This is a trick used by Lavely and Singer and Scientologists. There's even a name they give it, which I forgot for the moment.

This fat fingered clown, Marty Singer, needs to be stopped, but most people are abject cowards.

Rather than deal with the facts they will aim to annihilate the "opposition."

Suuuure he committed rape...and Oliver North is a national hero.

Now tell me the one about Washington throwing a coin across the Potomac.

Rated.

Behind Blue Eyes: Assange had to know what he was getting into when he started this whole thing. Unfortunately my favorite who song the only way we can win this is to make them kill and imprison enough of us (while the rest of us , like you are doing with this post, literally scream bloody murder) so that Americans will wake up and bring their own charges against their government: rape and sodomy of the people. After the American people shed their parasitical government then the reckoning can begin and you can bet that to be proactive right now insures that neither you nor I or Assange will ever see it. The only part I did not like in this post is the title “cast not your pearls before the swine and dogs of the earth” you, I and Assange are betting it all that “there are still a few animals left out in the yard” that are not swine's and dogs.