[governance] WikiLeaks: Stratfor leak shows US's covert plan to prosecute Assange

[Riaz K Tayob]

  WikiLeaks: Stratfor leak shows US's covert plan to prosecute Assange

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks released the statement 
<http://wikileaks.org/Stratfor-Emails-US-Has-Issued.html> below on 
February 28.

* * *

Confidential emails obtained from the US private intelligence firm 
Stratfor show that the United States government has had a secret 
indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for more than 12 months.

Fred Burton, Stratfor's Vice-President for Counterterrorism and 
Corporate Security, is a former Deputy Chief of the Department of 
State's (DoS) counterterrorism division for the Diplomatic Security 
Service (DSS).

In early 2011, Burton revealed in internal Stratfor correspondence that 
a secret Grand Jury had already issued a sealed indictment for Assange: 
"Not for Pub --- We have a sealed indictment on Assange. Pls protect." 
(375123) According to Burton: "Assange is going to make a nice bride in 
prison. Screw the terrorist. He'll be eating cat food forever." 
(1056988) A few weeks earlier, following Julian Assange's release from a 
London jail, where he had been remanded as a result of a Swedish 
prosecutor's arrest warrant, Fred Burton told SkyNews: "extradition [to 
the US is] more and more likely". (373862).

Emails from Fred Burton reveal that the US government employs the same 
counterterrorism strategy against Julian Assange and WikiLeaks as 
against Al Qaeda: "Take down the money. Go after his infrastructure. The 
tools we are using to nail and de-construct Wiki are the same tools used 
to dismantle and track aQ [Al Qaeda]. Thank Cheney & 43 [former US 
President George W. Bush]. Big Brother owns his liberal terrorist arse." 
(1067796)

Ten days after the CIA reportedly assassinated Osama bin Laden, Burton 
writes in an email sent to Stratfor's "Secure" mailing list that he "can 
get access to the materials seized from the OBL [Osama bin Laden] safe 
house." (1660854)

Burton states: "Ferreting out [Julian Assange's] confederates is also 
key. Find out what other disgruntled rogues inside the tent or outside 
[sic]. Pile on. Move him from country to country to face various charges 
for the next 25 years. But, seize everything he and his family own, to 
include every person linked to Wiki." (1056763)

Along with the FBI, the Diplomatic Security Service and the Department 
of Defense (DoD) form a multi-agency US Government outfit seeking to 
criminally indict and prosecute WikiLeaks and Julian Assange. According 
to the Department of State, the DSS handles the investigation of all 
leads that involve the DoS and assists the DoD in forensic analysis of 
hard drives seized by the US government in its ongoing criminal 
investigation.

Burton also says he "would pursue [c]onspiracy and [p]olitical 
[t]errorism charges and declassify the death of a source someone which 
[he] could link to Wiki" (1074383). Burton's strategy is to: "[b]ankrupt 
the arsehole first," Burton states, "ruin his life. Give him 7-12 yrs 
for conspiracy." (1057220)

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said: "For over a year now, the US 
Attorny General Eric Holder has been conducting a "secret" Grand Jury 
investigation into WikiLeaks. This neo-McCarthyist witch hunt against 
WikiLeaks may be Mr Holder's defining legacy. Any student of American 
history knows that secret justice is no justice at all. Justice must be 
seen to be done. Legitimate authority arises out of the informed consent 
of the governed, not Eric Holder's press secretary.

"Secret Grand Juries with secret indictments are apparently Eric 
Holder's preferred method of dealing with publishers who hold his 
administration to account. Eric Holder has betrayed the legacy of 
Madison and Jefferson. He should drop the case or resign. Should he 
continue, however, the Obama administration may not --- Democrats and 
Republicans alike believe in the right to tell the truth."

As early as June 2010, after the release of the Collateral Murder video 
but prior to the Afghan War Diaries release, the emails talk of a sealed 
indictment. In an email conversation between Shane Harris, a National 
Security journalist, and Burton, Harris is surprised that Assange was 
reporteded to be attending a Las Vegas Investigative Reporters and 
Editors (IRE) conference. Burton remarks: "As a foreign national, we 
could revoke [Julian Assange's] travel status and deport. Could also be 
taken into custody as a material witness. We COULD have a sealed 
indictment and lock him up. Depends upon how far along the military case 
is" (391504). Julian Assange cancelled his appearance at the IRE 
conference due to security concerns.

In another email to Stephen Feldhaus, Stratfor legal counsel, about 
Ronald Kessler, a "pro-FBI journalist", Burton remarks: "I look forward 
to Manning and Assange facing a bajillion-thousand counts [of 
espionage]." (1035283)

In July 2010 alleged WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning was moved from 
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait to the Quantico Brig in the Military District of 
Washington at the request of Maj. Gen. Terry Wolff, then Commanding 
General of the 1st Armored Division/US Division -- Center in Iraq.

Wolff requested Manning's move, the Pentagon reported, "due to a 
potentially lengthy pre-trial confinement because of the complexity of 
the charges and an ongoing investigation." Three days before Manning 
arrived at Quantico Brig, Burton wrote to George Friedman, Stratfor CEO 
and founder:

"We probably asked the ASIS [Australian Secret Intelligence Service] to 
monitor Wiki coms and email, after the soldier from Potomac was nabbed. 
So, it's reasonable to assume we probably already know who has done it. 
The delay could be figuring out how to declassify and use the Aussie 
intel on Wiki... The owner [Julian Assange] is a peacenik. He needs his 
head dunked in a full toilet bowl at Gitmo." (402168)

The GI Files: http://wikileaks.org/the-gifiles.html

Please donate: http://shop.wikileaks.org/donate

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