US doesn’t want Assange, says ambassador

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blog Remember those high-handed statements and protests which erupted last week in Australia about the possibility of Australian citizen Julian Assange being extradited from Sweden to the US? Well, it turns out the US actually has no interest in extraditing the Wikileaks founder, or so it claims. US Ambassador to Australia Jeffrey Bleich told the ABC last week:

“It’s not something that the US cares about. It’s not interested in it, having been involved in it. And frankly if he is in Sweden then there is a less robust extradition relationship than there is between the US and the UK. So I think it’s one of those narratives that has been made up. There is nothing to it.”

As I’ve written several times, there is a great deal of murkiness around the case of Julian Assange. Wikileaks supporters will likely be suspicious of Bleich’s comments here that the US has no interest in extraditing the Internet activist. But can the US really go back on its word so quickly and seek extradition of Assange, after publicly stating that it had no interest in such an attempt? I don’t think it’s very likely. In general, with respect to this case, I think people need to look beyond the rhetoric being put forward by the various players. The truth may be far less exciting than many commentators are making it out to be.

Image credit: Surian Soosay, Creative Commons

7 COMMENTS

  1. So this sealed grand jury indictment is really what, an invitation to Obama’s birthday party? LOL
    We all know uncle sam doesn’t like to be made a fool of, no government does.

    Must be a slow news day for this rant.

  2. And the US ambassador criticised our internet filter plans not so long ago too… Then they started filtering their own.

    • JEFF BLEICH, US AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRALIA : “We have been very clear: the internet needs to be free. It needs to be free the way we have said skies have to be free, outer space has to be free, the polar caps have to be free, the oceans have to be free. They have to be shared. They’re shared resources of all the people of the world.”

      He’s either a liar or just gets told rubbish.

        • The question he was asked [below] was about the Australian internet filter, it did reference China but only in the context of how we can we suggest a foreign country does one thing, but act differently ourselves;

          http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s2864512.htm

          TONY JONES: Okay, our next question also addresses American values. It comes from Erin Riley.

          ERIN RILEY: Thanks. Given the United State’s commitment to internet freedom, as articulated by Hilary Clinton in January, does Australia’s proposed internet filter threaten our relationship in any way and can the United States continue to put pressure on Iran and China over internet freedom if they don’t similarly pressure Australia?

          TONY JONES: Jeff, that’s obviously for you. It has been reported the State Department is quite concerned about the government’s plans for an internet filter.

          JEFF BLEICH: Yes. No, I was just noticing this seems to be hot seat tonight.

          LUCY TURNBULL: Yes.

          JEFF BLEICH: I didn’t think I could – you know, I went to the dentist today, so I thought I had already done this but my – well, look, on the issue of the internet, we have been very clear. The internet needs to be free. It needs to be free of the way the way we have said skies have to be free, outer space has to be free, the polar caps have to be free, the oceans have to be free. They have to be shared. They’re shared resources of all of the people of the world. To the extent that there are disagreements and trying to find the right balance between law enforcement and respecting that general principle, we work with our friends and so we’ve been working with Australia on this issue. We’ve had healthy discussions and we’re – I’m sure we’ll be able to find a path forward.

          JOE HOCKEY: What did you say to them?

          JEFF BLEICH: I said I’m sure we’ll be able to find a path forward.

          TONY JONES: Now, presumably, you have made the State Department’s argument, which is internet filters are essentially censorship and a bad idea?

          JEFF BLEICH: Well, what we’ve said is that we have been able to accomplish the goals that Australia has described, which is to capture and prosecute child pornographers and others who use the internet for terrible purposes, without having to use internet filters. We have other means and we are willing to share our efforts with them in order to allow them to at least look at a range of choices, as opposed to moving in one particular direction. It’s an ongoing conversation and, again, as Tanya was saying, we learn a lot from each other. We’re learning things from Australia in these discussions and they’re learning things, I hope from the United States.

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