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Martin Alipaz / EPA file
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, left, and Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, right.
Updated at 6:55 p.m ET: Ecuador's president Rafael Correa on Twitter Tuesday denied reports in the British media that he has decided to offer Wikileaks founder Julian Assange asylum.
"Rumors about asylum for Assange are false," Correa tweeted in Spanish hours after the Guardian newspaper reported the president had already made up his mind. He said in the tweet he was awaiting a report from the Foreign Ministry.
Earlier this week, Correa had said he hoped to announce a decision on Wednesday.
An offer may amount to little more than a symbolic gesture since Assange, holed up in Ecuador’s London embassy since June 19, has no guarantee that he could escape United Kingdom arrest and fly to the capital, Quito.
Assange, 41, has been trying to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning on sex-crime allegations.
The former computer hacker, who enraged Washington in 2010 when his WikiLeaks website published thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables, says he fears he could be sent to the United States, where he believes his life would be at risk.
Assange is in breach of his British bail conditions and the British police have said he is liable to arrest if he steps out of the embassy, which is located in London's ritzy Knightsbridge area, miles away from any airport, Reuters reported.
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It appears unlikely that the British government would give Assange safe passage to an airport as that would mean going against the Swedish arrest warrant and a ruling by Britain's own Supreme Court that the warrant was valid, Reuters reported.
Earlier Tuesday, an official in Quito, who is familiar with the government discussions, told the Guardian, "Ecuador will grant asylum to Julian Assange."
A WikiLeaks spokesperson, Kristinn Hrafnsson, could not confirm the asylum offer, Reuters reported.
"I cannot confirm. I just spoke to him (Assange) and he said he had not been notified either," Hrafnsson said.
Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said that Assange's grounds to request political asylum are that he thinks he is being politically prosecuted and that he Sweden will extradite him to the United States.
Patino, who has led Ecuador's analysis of the case, told Reuters the Andean country was also looking at how the 41-year-old Australian might travel to Ecuador if he is granted asylum.
"Beyond the international treaties, the right to asylum etc, and the autonomy or sovereignty the national government has to take a decision of this nature, we have to look at what will happen next," he said before an event in the highland city of Ambato.
"It's not only about whether to grant the asylum, because for Mr. Assange to leave England he should have a safe pass from the British (government). Will that be possible? That's an issue we have to take into account."
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Correa, a self-declared enemy of "corrupt" media and U.S. "imperialism", said he sympathizes with Assange but also feels respect for the British legalsystem and for international law.
Assangehasnot been charged with any offense in Sweden or in the United States. Swedish prosecutors want to question him about allegations of rape and sexual assault made by two WikiLeaks supporters in 2010. Assangesays he had consensual sex with the women.
This article includes reporting by Reuters.
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Leave a Comment:
Doesen't the UK have snipers that could pick him off while he is still in their Embassy
Can you say Act of War? Does the US condone assassinations? You must of found that out through a leak if we do, was it wiki leaks?
Ah, the hypocrisy about wikileaks...
If it's some Chinese guy publishing his government's secrets, we call him a champion of freedom and transparency.
If it's some guy doing the same thing to us, we call him a dangerous terrorist who needs to be sent to Gitmo...
@liberal This is according to you, there are countries that believe we are. They consider us to be imperialistic, and a country IMPOSING democracy on other countries whose core ideals do not match ours.
garbageman, I doubt there is a country out there that doesn't agree with you. except we don't impose democracy unless it is of, by, and for the corporations.
By your scenario, the Chinese guy is exposing his own government's state secrets.
Assange isn't an American - why didn't he expose Australia's government's state secrets instead of the US's? Of course, you can say Manning had the right, but Manning took an oath and was bound by that oath as a member of the military. Still, had Manning come forward himself to a US paper and exposed the crap that came out, it probably would have been ignored. Who cares if a US diplomat thinks someone from another country has bad breath? Instead, he passed it along to a sniveling little weasel who gets off embarrassing others - probably because he was regularly bullied and beat up on the playground and thinks this is his big chance to get back at all those meanies!!
As for the rapes - well, as it's been pointed out before, you can't apply US law to what took place. Every country has their own laws and it's up to the individual to obey them - or not. If you choose not to obey them, you answer to that country. Not knowing the law isn't an acceptable excuse for anyone - just try that the next time you get caught speeding! "Sorry, I didn't know it wasn't legal to drive 95 MPH here?" Yeah, that'll work. Call it a set up all you want, but if it was, then he was genuinely stupid enough to take the bait and got hooked, just like any fish. That makes him a dumbass.
And, if Assange really did have anything on big banks of any real worth, he'd release it just to get back at the world for his 'persecution'. He said a lot of things, but none of us have seen anything to back any of it up - he's got the fame, now follow up and prove the claim. If he really had anything worthwhile he'd find a way to get it out to the public, if for no other reason than to be hailed the conquering hero and feed his sorry little ego.
At this point, does anyone really care about this loser? Sure, I commented - why not? But if Assange disappeared off the face of the Earth tomorrow, my life wouldn't change one way or the other. To quote Stephen King's The Stand - "No great loss." Someone could say the same about me - so what? Again - doesn't change my life one way or the other. Arguing about his guilt or innocence at this point is moot - even if he was innocent, his behavior has shown him to be far less noble than he's portrayed himself to be with his righteous decrying of the need for truth and transparency.
Here come all the liberals to offer their support to whatever enemy of America surfaces next.
I have never seen so many people happy about a sex offender getting away with it....I guess there is a price to pay to be a liberal.
"Has he been found guilty? was he charged? or simply wanted for questioning. I thought that was a principle we enjoyed in our country, innocent until proven guilty.
He's not in this country - so that principle may very well NOT apply. If I ever decided to go to Sweden, I'd learn their laws and how things work, until then, if that's not how their system works it can't be compared to the US system of law, so quoting what we follow here is worthless.
Bradley Manning did something illegal; the guy who published the information didn't; it's a subtle distinction, but an important one.
did bradley manning do the rapes and sexual assult?
Did Assange? He's wanted for questioning on an international warrant for having consensual sex without a condom. (talk about your oppressive socialist government..)
Though Manning is a different case... he's a criminal, if the allegations are right.
"international warrant for having consensual sex without a condom."
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
It's not a set up in any way .... ha ha ha
@ beachbum I wasn't there, were you? Was he found guilty?, you appear to believe he was, so I assume you have the proof to share with all of us. Please share....
How very different history would be if Nixon 's secrets weren't stolen and published by heroes.
...of course we had a free press back then... and "government leaks" were considered fair game.
Now we can convict a guy and call for his death on the word of authority.
Word they can't back up...as there were no security compromises... no deaths... just the threat of that list of prominent Americans with secret Swiss accounts..
Bottom line... Obama was on that list.
I think it's great that this coward is staying at the Ecuador embassy. Let Ecuador pay for this upkeep instead of the British government. He is as well as in prison while at the embassy.
It takes a lot of courage to threaten to publish the names of prominent Americans with secret Swiss bank accounts.
That list could feasibly empty Congress of Democrats.
In Ecuador it will cost him $20 a day to live like a king, alur. Ecuador's gorgeous. Guayaquil has recently become an international trade center. He can get anything he wants there. Ecuador is also online with connections all over the world. Sorry.
Isn't it a pity that American neocons don't control the entire world?
Congratulations Mr. Assange. Try Quito-- it's gorgeous. Guayaquil is nice too.
Liberal traitors should be dealt with accordingly. A bullet in the head.
WOW.... Mr. Testosterone has spoken.
If you mean Assange, I assume he's a traitor to uh... Australia? that's his country, you know... True...they do have a free press in Australia...much like we had in the US fifty years ago...
Back then, government leaks sold US newspapers all day.
Now... they'll kill you if you try it..or at least Obama's mob will be crying for your blood on the internet...
No. I meant the traitors in this country. Liberals. Like you.
I'm hardly a liberal... not even a little bit. I do like a free press... and the rule of law...and I do remember who was most mortified at Assange... I remember who started the rumors that he endangered American lives...
You remember who started that nonsense? It was Clinton and Obama.
And I can see they know how to jerk chains and incite a mob of pseudo "conservatives"
It always amazes me that people that are such proponents of the liberties of our country, are usually the ones that want people, that don't believe as they do, want them dead or to leave the country. They are so transparent they don't want democracy they want a dictatorship. We must all march goosestepping to their jingoistic ideals.
Siara: He is not in ECUADOR, he is in England. If you love Ecuador so much GO THERE, and don't let the door hit you in the a$$ on the way "it would slow you down" perhaps you can find some other Dummies to take with you. If he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy he is on his own, I do not know if Mr Assange Innocent or guilty; but I do know that Our laws do not apply in Scandinavia, or England for even though our system is based on English common law it is definitely not the same. I some countries you are Guilty until prov-en Innocent. (not nice but true) If England gets him it will prove that you can run but you can't hide. Ta ta Pip Pip and have a nice day on your way to ECUADOR. I hope you are nice and cozy down there
Exposing lies and atrocities is against the law !
Fall in line and shut up or you will be erased.
(Liberty : Freedom from Govt Control or Coercion.)
Advice to Assange , Manning and others .... learn to be sneakier , you know like when the Govt leaks "secret" info.
Julian Assange, Uncle Sam's Witch Hunt and I
Under the circumstances, British government would not allow Julian Assange to leave the safety of the Equador embassy.
The only way Julian Assange can leave is to surrender, be taken to the Sweden, face the court inquiry, if found liable on the charges of two women and held guilty, take the punishment and live happily ever after.
Government of America may or may not ask him to be extradited from Sweden. Take a chance, I say.
...and I am Sid Harth@webworldismyoyster.com
Good to hear , keep up the GREAT work but learn to be sneaky next time, when Govt types like Dick Cheyne do it they are called heroes. (try doing it that way it seems to always work)
For the people wondering about Cheney comment google Victoria Plame CIA operative outed by our own top govt. officials
if that's the only place the scumbag can go then let him go there and stay there and shut his dumb stupid mouth. i for one don't give a SH_t about his Wiki-leaks crap. it's like a bunch of gossip and means nothing to only a very few people.
Sweden has lost all its reputation for justice in this silly claim. Assange went to Sweden and in the course of two days had consensual sex with two women. The women got together and then the consensual sex was not consensual any more. The prosecutor explained to the women that what he did might not have been gentlemanly but it certainly wasn't illegal; he wasn't charged. He was allowed to leave the country. The women were told that when you put out it is just a normal whore on celebrity thing. Then the political process got rolling and the U. S. got involved. All of a sudden Assange is a rapist and they want him back. This has got Lady Clinton's fingers all over it. The Arkansas mofia is alive and well.
B.S.
If he does give it to him, skip buying fruits/vegs from them, money is the only impact they care about.
What will Wikileaks dig up on Correa if he declines Assange an offer of asylum?
This is stupid! Ecuador has so many weaknesses that it'll be easy for more powerful nations to goad them into releasing Assange to the U.S., Sweden, or British authorities (assuming he manages to escape). The only country capable of giving him Assylum, Sweden, is now his worst enemy. He's f*cked either way.
I hope they let him stay in the Ecuadoran embassy the rest of his life or until they can smuggle him out to another country that won't bow down to the United States. Our government simply wants to throw him in a gulag for the rest of his life, deny him a fair trial, and torture him for exposing the dastardly deeds of our government.
Shut up idiot.
Blind loyalty, dumb ass, is the sign of a real idiot.
Britain should demand the embassey hand Assange over...
Why is it that American lives are more important than anyone else's?
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Albright interview
On May 12, 1996, Madeleine Albright (then U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations) appeared on a 60 Minutes segment in which Lesley Stahl asked her "We have heard that half a million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?" and Albright replied "we think the price is worth it." Albright wrote later that Saddam Hussein, not the sanctions, was to blame. She criticized Stahl's segment as "amount[ing] to Iraqi propaganda"; said that her question was a loaded question;[70][71] wrote "I had fallen into a trap and said something I did not mean";[72] and regretted coming "across as cold-blooded and cruel".[73] The segment won an Emmy Award.[43][74] Albright's "non-denial" was taken by sanctions opponents as confirmation of a high number of sanctions related casualties.
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Typical, it's always "that's not what I meant," blah blah blah. Animal Farm at its worst.
And here you are talking about JUSTICE, good ol' American justice. For it's never about others, it's always about YOU!
Let him go wherever he wants,as long as he dies a lonely and painful death.
I wonder if there's anything in Wikileaks about the real reason we're still in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history. The latest reason, according to our government, after originally being there to get Al Quaeda and Osama, later changed to kicking the Taliban out, later changed to keeping them out, and now being told we're there to train the Afghan army and security forces. They could train us on the elements of fighting a war in a mountainous terrain, like Afghanistan.
We're in Afghanistan to keep our puppet ruler, Mr. Karzai, alive. If we left there, he wouldn't last 5 minutes. He's either end up on the gallows like Sadam, or end up with a bullet in his head on the way to the gallows, like Mohamar Ghadafi.
Why don't you go to afghanistan so you can join your radical islamic brothers, liberal.
I'm trying to get us out of there. Since you believe in that war, why don't you go there?
@ doug, another jingo, proving he believes in our countries right to freedom of speech. lol. That must be why they always want you to be killed or to leave the country if you are not on their side. We must all think the same and be of one mind. Sound familiar ...? Stalin, Hitler etc., See dictatorship in dictionary....sorry you are not entitled to absolute power....
I hope he can slip out of the Embassy and get a flight there. Maybe then we can get to see who had huge amounts of tax-free hidden monies in off-shore banks. I heard and believe Wiki-Leaks had documents pertaining to Americans including Politicians that had vasts holdings in banks in Switzerland , Bahamas , and the Cayman Islands. I also believe that that's the reason why the USA has such a hard-on about putting him on trail. Because the things that Wiki-leaks revealed didn't put anyone's life in danger nor did they reveal any American Top-Secret Intel . Just a big ole case of the "Red-Ass"... embarrassment !..PS Let Manning GO !
This guy J.A would never get a fair trial anywhere in Sweden, or the US.
I think he is going to be put in cuffs as soon as he steps outside that Embassy.
They want this guy really bad, and will not let him get out of the UK.
They wouldn't keep him in Ecuador for long, the hookers would have him in jail there for non-payment. It's not free there either Julian!
Through out this whole Assange/Manning/Wiki-Leaks circus what was revealed that gave aide and comfort to the enemy , what highly sensitive secrets were revealed , how many died ? For the the life of me I can't recall none of the before mentioned reported...can any of you that wish him dead or imprisoned for the rest of his life ? If so enlighten the rest of us...
Hiya Jeff
Thanks for your insight here. First thing, we have to think of a new name for our country. This aint America, and these aint Americans.
America had a free press that thrived, and was intended to thrive, on "government secrets".
America respected the rule of law. America was about due process. America was about freedom, justice and a balance of powers.
This is a self righteous mob with no respect for freedom, no respect for truth. and most importantly, no respect for law.
Obama and Clinton, I can see... they're just trying to hide their secret Swiss bank accounts.
These folks are their co-conspirators and their cronies. These are dark days when a President has this sort of power...and this sort of power of people who should, by all rights, know better.
Just a simple point, many people in other countries in North America, Central America, and South America believe that we, the United States of America have usurped the name "American". We are not America, we are the United States "of America". Just saying....