Assange accuser may have ceased co-operating

[irishspirit]

Anna Ardin, one of the two complainants in the rape and sexual assault case against WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange, has left Sweden, and may have ceased actively co-operating with the Swedish prosecution service and her own lawyer, sources in Sweden told Crikey today.

The move comes amid a growing campaign by leading Western feminists to question the investigation, and renewed confusion as to whether Sweden has actually issued charges against Assange. Naomi Klein, Naomi Wolf, and the European group Women Against Rape, have all made statements questioning the nature and purpose of the prosecution.

Ardin, who also goes by the name Bernardin, has moved to the West Bank in the Palestinian Territories, as part of a Christian outreach group, aimed at bringing reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis. She has moved to the small town of Yanoun, which sits close to Israel’s security/sequestration wall. Yanoun is constantly besieged by fundamentalist Jewish settlers, and international groups have frequently stationed themselves there.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/12/09/rundle-r-pe-case-complainant-has-left-sweden-may-have-ceased-co-operating/

[Anchor]

I love Naomi Wolf's post


Dear Interpol:

As a longtime feminist activist, I have been overjoyed to discover your new commitment to engaging in global manhunts to arrest and prosecute men who behave like narcissistic jerks to women they are dating.

I see that Julian Assange is accused of having consensual sex with two women, in one case using a condom that broke. I understand, from the alleged victims' complaints to the media, that Assange is also accused of texting and tweeting in the taxi on the way to one of the women's apartments while on a date, and, disgustingly enough, 'reading stories about himself online' in the cab.

Both alleged victims are also upset that he began dating a second woman while still being in a relationship with the first. (Of course, as a feminist, I am also pleased that the alleged victims are using feminist-inspired rhetoric and law to assuage what appears to be personal injured feelings. That's what our brave suffragette foremothers intended!).

Thank you again, Interpol. I know you will now prioritize the global manhunt for 1.3 million guys I have heard similar complaints about personally in the US alone -- there is an entire fraternity at the University of Texas you need to arrest immediately. I also have firsthand information that John Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, went to a stag party -- with strippers! -- that his girlfriend wanted him to skip, and that Mark Levinson in Corvallis, Oregon, did not notice that his girlfriend got a really cute new haircut -- even though it was THREE INCHES SHORTER.

Terrorists. Go get 'em, Interpol!

Yours gratefully,

Naomi Wolf

[Ross]

Excellent, Thanks John.

[Celine]

I love Naomi Wolf's post

Great post John.

Made me laugh while still feeling the burn of anger inside.

[astrid]

Excellent stuff... Huff post got hold of this and the headline was


Julian Assange Captured by World's Dating Police

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-wolf/interpol-the-worlds-datin_b_793033.html

[Ahkenaten]

I love Naomi Wolf's post

John this is excellent............I haven't had such a laugh in a long time!;)

*Now I wonder what happened to the other woman? They acted as a team on this one, so what will #2 do since #1 skipped town?

*What will the Swedish Govt. do concerning the charges? Will they feel legally compelled to continue with their investigation even if the two 'victims' back down - due to the horrific nature of the 'crime' of course? Will they be concerned about how their citizens feel if they permit JA to be swept up and perhaps even disappeared?

*What will the British judge do concerning bail - just today apparently some young Brits were so angry at the tripling of college tuition that they took to the street rioting, and even threw rocks and paint at Prince Charles' limo!

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/violent-u-k-protesters-attack-car-carrying-prince-charles/

http://news.antiwar.com/2010/12/08/uk-judge-to-seek-actual-evidence-in-assange-bail-test/

*What will the Swedish Govt and the British Govt. do for damage control since the whole story has become a lightning rod for public dissatisfaction about many issues, and is turning into a big embarrassment for all concerned as more facts about the way leaders conduct themselves come forward?

http://news.antiwar.com/2010/12/08/us-officials-look-to-extradite-assange-from-sweden/

What will the US govt. do as its standing and credibility has been seriously eroded, mostly by its own actions however, NOT the Wikileaks - and can they actually extradite J.A.? And if so, what would he be charged with? How could they charge him with crimes WITHOUT also charging the NY Times and others who actually released the info to the public?

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/12/08/assange_prosecution_theories/index.html

*What will the Australian Govt do to look out for one of their own? Will they apply some pressure on the US Govt, especially since a poll revealed 90% of the public support J.A. as compared to the opposite positions taken by their leaders?

*How will the US deal with the unravelling of international diplomatic relationships as it is revealed as being heavy-handed, autocratic, and worst of all, even rude and snippy?

This is beginning to look like a big mess for everyone! Looks like an 'accident' or worse are not options now because the thing has blown up in everyone's faces and it would be pretty obvious. If something like that were to happen now the USA would be transformed overnight from a laughing stock to a menace of unimaginable proportions.

[Ross]

This is beginning to look like a big mess for everyone!

Indeed, egg on more than one face:p

Ross

[Ahkenaten]

And here is a link to the manifesto posted by Anonymous

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/12/09/18666107.php

and this incisive piece by Justin Raimundo

http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/12/07/julian-assange-in-the-honey-trap/

and just for you, Mr. Zook - here is a piece that might satisfy some of your concerns about bias

http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/12/02/wikileaks-exposes-israeli-mafias-growing-influence/

[astrid]

Excellent thanks Ahk, i just found this ...http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/12/07/wikileaks/index.html

Flashes out a few of the papers erroneous reporting.

[Corncrake]

'Wikileaks is a Feminist Issue'

For those interested in the Naomi Wolf article this may be of interest.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-..._b_793033.html

[Banshee]

*Now I wonder what happened to the other woman? They acted as a team on this one, so what will #2 do since #1 skipped town?

This is beginning to look like a big mess for everyone! Looks like an 'accident' or worse are not options now because the thing has blown up in everyone's faces and it would be pretty obvious. If something like that were to happen now the USA would be transformed overnight from a laughing stock to a menace of unimaginable proportions.

Perhaps we ought to consider whether the "victims" and Asange conspired to arrange for his arrest? What better way to secure one's safety than to be arrested for a victimless crime versus being extradited as a "terrorist" or worse yet, hunted by mercenaries and assasinated? In doing such, perhaps the three have succeeded in proving their captors inept and rendering future retaliation impossible, as the eyes of the world watch the "minor drama" unfold and as new cables are released daily? We humans love our minutia. This little saga has captured the attention of the lesser informed who are more interested in Asange's sex life than in the content of the cables and perhaps have rendered TPTB impotent? Just an observation on my behalf, I could be completely off base.

[Carmody]

Always a sign of intelligence to think paranoid and try on other scenarios. However, that's a bit convoluted and may be a bit too far out there to fit the capacity of logic and forward thinking for that crew..as well as probably being a situation that would be a bit too difficult to control.

IMO, 'paranoia' for some, usually intelligent people, is just prudence in hypothetical modeling of potentials.

For others, of limited capacity to model or limited experience in outcomes vs starting points, paranoia is applied in its usual derogatory context. And thus, they self limit their own potential.

"Think Paranoid" - For Evil does. Conclusion: If not, you miss many potential answers. The situations one misses are usually coming from a different mindset, which shows the inadequacy of attempting to find answers among the known methods and information, with standard models of thinking and acting. The missing part is usually among the "motive and origin" areas of the hypothetical data sets. Therefore, the desire to keep things hidden is the big point of clandestine operation. But we could go on and on here for weeks, months..years..

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I heard that the young lady may have direct CIA connections and that she tried to loose the tweeted data bout her complicity on the situation... but forgot to remove the tweets from her alternate blog, and those came up, so her case is blown.

[Banshee]

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[irishspirit]

Johns thanks for that mate. I needed to laugh that hard. Well done you sir!

[Ahkenaten]

Perhaps we ought to consider whether the "victims" and Asange conspired to arrange for his arrest? What better way to secure one's safety than to be arrested for a victimless crime versus being extradited as a "terrorist" or worse yet, hunted by mercenaries and assassinated? In doing such, perhaps the three have succeeded in proving their captors inept and rendering future retaliation impossible, as the eyes of the world watch the "minor drama" unfold and as new cables are released daily? We humans love our minutia. This little saga has captured the attention of the lesser informed who are more interested in Asange's sex life than in the content of the cables and perhaps have rendered TPTB impotent? Just an observation on my behalf, I could be completely off base.

You could be right but have you ever been in jail Banshee? I don't think anyone can be assured they will be safe in jail!

[Banshee]

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[Banshee]

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[Ahkenaten]

Well the Mafia have kitchens in US jails where they prepare elaborate Italian meals for their pals if we are to believe what we have been told. NOTHING AT THIS POINT WOULD SURPRISE ME NOTHING!! Pandora's box has been opened - lord knows what will fly out!!

[irishspirit]

[QUOTE= - lord knows what will fly out!![/QUOTE].

Hopefully it all. I ptay that it all comes out.

[fifi]

I am still very concerned for JA. Who knows what the PTB will do to him, now that he is in their hands.