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Bank Of America Drops Hammer On WikiLeaks

Kevin Douglas Grant |
December 18, 2010 | 2:42 p.m. PST

Executive Editor

In a move that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange denounced as "business McCarthyism," Bank of America announced Friday that it would no longer process transactions it believed were destined for the organization.

Couching its actions in those of other major financial players, the bank said in a statement: "Bank of America joins in the actions previously announced by MasterCard, PayPal, Visa Europe and others and will not process transactions of any type that we have reason to believe are intended for WikiLeaks."

In response, WikiLeaks tweeted: "We ask that all people who love freedom close out their accounts at Bank of America."

The relationship between WikiLeaks and Bank of America is likely to become much more volatile soon, given that Assange has announced his intention to publish a cache of secret documents belonging to major banks in January.

The Washington Post reported: "In recent weeks, speculation has swirled that Bank of America is the prime target. Those assumptions are largely based on an October 2009 interview that Assange gave to Computer World, in which he said, 'At the moment, for example, we are sitting on 5GB from Bank of America, one of the executive's hard drives,' he said. 'Now how do we present that? It's a difficult problem.'"

It is unknown whether the internet "hacktivist" group Anonymous, which has already attacked Visa, MasterCard and PayPal for similar actions and most recently the gossip blog Gawker, would launch a DDoS attack in response.  

On Thursday The Guardian dug deeper into Anonymous and its operations: "The attack on Gawker was dubbed Operation Overlord, which aims to carry out more damaging hacks into the systems and databases of the group's "enemies". Other activities include Operation Leakspin, which distributes US diplomatic cables from WikiLeaks that the group thinks are underexposed and embarrassing, and Operation Paperstorm, conducted in the physical world, plastering pro-WikiLeaks propaganda on lamp-posts and street signs."

The most recent reporting indicates that Anonymous may have been substantially weakened by the arrests of top leaders, and may no longer have the oversight to carry out an attack on BOA.

Assange, too, has felt the noose tighten around his neck.  It is now considered likely that he'll face espionage charges in the United States after he deals with rape charges in Sweden.



 

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