WikiLeaks Unites Democrats And Republicans
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (Photo courtesy United States)
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton reiterated the White House’s stance on the leaked documents, saying Monday that the “United States strongly condemns the illegal disclosure of classified documents.”
“It puts people's lives in danger, threatens our national security and undermines our efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems,” she added.
Likewise, Republicans have stated similar feelings, which is good news for President Obama. The lack of contention means the political fallout may be small at home. Abroad, however, is another story.
“I think the greatest harm ... is the loss of trust that other governments will have in dealing with the United States of America,” said Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a Republican from Michigan who sits on the House Intelligence Committee. Wikileaks and its founder, Julian Assange “is putting into danger our foreign policy and perhaps the lives of certain Americans around the world," Hoekstra said on "Good Morning America" today.
Despite the criticism coming from the United States and other World Governments, Assange defended posting the more than 250,000 documents, saying, “Every American schoolchild is taught that George Washington could not tell a lie. This document release reveals the contradictions between the U.S.’s public persona, and what it says behind closed doors.”
But many in power do not buy that argument. Republican Congressman Pete King of New York, who is the incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he thinks Assange should be tried for violating the Espionage Act. He also called on Secretary of State Clinton to “declare Wikileaks a foreign terrorist organization.”
Attorney General Eric Holder responded today by making it known he plans on holding Julian Assange responsible. He promised to prosecute any individual, regardless of nationality, who broke U.S. law by making the documents public.
“Let me be clear,” the attorney general said. “It is not saber rattling. This is an active ongoing investigation.”
While there is a great divide in opinions over whether leaking the documents was right, Secretary of State Clinton made her feelings on the issue known.
“Some mistakenly applaud those responsible," Clinton said. “There is nothing laudable about endangering innocent people… nothing brave about sabotaging peaceful relations between nations.”
Reach reporter Andria Kowalchik here.
Comments
In reading the info and quotes re: Holder "Attorney General Eric Holder responded today by making it known he plans on holding Julian Assange responsible. He promised to prosecute any individual, regardless of nationality, who broke U.S. law by making the documents public."
and,
"Attorney General Eric Holder responded today by making it known he plans on holding Julian Assange responsible. He promised to prosecute any individual, regardless of nationality, who broke U.S. law by making the documents public.
“Let me be clear,” the attorney general said. “It is not saber rattling. This is an active ongoing investigation.”
I find it amazing how dedicated Holder is, in committing the resources of USDOJ towards prosecuting a foreign national, when the incontrovertible evidence points to the culprit being Bradley Manning. While it is true Assange is a reckless scumbag and may well have risked many lives with the release of classified documents, he may well be getting his comeuppance in Sweden. Stay tuned for that one.
Do you find it as ironic as I, Assange is being charged with a sex crime in a country that is known for having fast, or if you prefer, sexually free spirited women? We'll just have to see if the evidence supports a conviction, where Swedish law will probably sentence him to no computer time on every third Wednesday of the month, as his punishment.
But, back to Holder and his dedication in rooting out the truth in the Wiki/Manning affair and his attempt to "discover" or "construct" the evidence, that will tie Assange to Manning, prior to the acquisition of said documents, which will them make him a co-conspirator in the acquisition of said documents, which will then give the government the legal justification to try Assange for espionage, coupled with Mannings treason and, the two shall walk hand in hand to the brick wall for their last cigarette. Or, perhaps that is wishful thinking. If, as and when, they find this link/evidence, i will believe it, as being legit, as much as I believed Colin Powell tell us about WMD's in Iraq.
If Holder/DOJ has not yet found the prior Assange/Manning link and I honestly don't think they ever will. Assange is way to clever for that and Manning is an ideologue, or he would have talked by now. Manning clearly had help as he lacked the technical expertise to download and copy the leaked info while listening to a GAGA DVD (Perhaps we should indict Stefani too?. I'd bet there are as many people who find what she does as offensive as what Manning did, I know I do!), but he did have help from someone, that much is clear.
Perhaps Holder ought on concentrate on cases where he does have absolute incontrovertible evidence of crimes against our constitution, like voter intimidation.
OH STUPID ME, I FORGOT, ASSANGE IS WHITE, MANNING IS WHITE AND THE BP INTIMIDATORS ARE BLACK AND HAVEN'T ALL BLACKS SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF THE WHITE MAN'S JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY ENOUGH?
Clearly and obviously anyone who thinks that, has never been to Africa! There you will find real suffering, in spite of Oprah's efforts!
It's sad that it took this situation to unite republicans and democarts. Only their own bottoms are on the line. There are so many better reasons to unite