About a month ago I asked a former colleague in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office what Hague saw as the endgame in the Julian Assange asylum standoff, and where the room for negotiation lay. My friend was dismissive – the policy was simply to wait for the Presidential election in Ecuador in February. The United States and allies were confident that Correa will lose, and my friend and I having both been senior diplomats for many years we understood what the United States would be doing to ensure that result. With Correa replaced by a pro-USA President, Assange’s asylum will be withdrawn, the Metropolitan Police invited in to the Embassy of Ecuador to remove him, and Assange sent immediately to Sweden from where he could be extradited to the United States to face charges of espionage and aiding terrorism.
I have been struck by the naivety of those who ask why the United States could not simply request Assange’s extradition from the United Kingdom. The answer is simple – the coalition government. Extradition agreements are government to government international treaties, and the decision on their implementation is ultimately political and governmental – that is why it was Teresa May and not a judge who took the final and very different political decisions on Babar Ahmad and Gary Mackinnon.
CIA supporters in the UK have argued vociferously that it would be impossible for Sweden to give Assange the assurance he would not be extradited to the United States, with which he would be prepared to return to Sweden to see off the rather pathetic attempted fit-up there. In fact, as extradition agreements are governmental not judicial instruments, it would be perfectly possible for the Swedish government to give that assurance. Those who argue otherwise, like Gavin Essler and Joan Smith here, are not being truthful – I suspect their very vehemence indicates that they know that.
Most Liberal Democrat MPs are happy to endorse the notion that Assange should be returned to Sweden to face sexual accusations. However even the repeatedly humiliated Lib Dem MPs would revolt at the idea that Assange should be sent to face life imprisonment in solitary confinement in the United States for the work of Wikileaks. That is why the United States has held off requesting extradition from the United Kingdom, to avoid the trouble this would cause Cameron. I am not speculating, there have been direct very senior diplomatic exchanges on this point between Washington and London.
There was confidence that the Correa problem would soon pass, but the State Department has since been shocked by the return of Hugo Chavez. Like Correa, senior US diplomats had convinced themselves – and convinced La Clinton – that Chavez was going to lose. The fury at Chavez’s return has led to a diktat that the same mistake must not be made in Ecuador.
CIA operations inside Ecuador are in any case much less disrupted than in Venezuela. I learn that the US budget, using mostly Pentagon funds, devoted to influencing the Ecuadorean election has, since the Venezuelan result, been almost tripled to US $87 million. This will find its way into opposition campaign coffers and be used to fund, bribe or blackmail media and officials. Expect a number of media scandals and corruption stings against Correa’s government in the next few weeks.
I do not have much background on Ecuadorean politics and I really do not know what Correa’s chances of re-election are. Neither do I know if any of the opposition parties are decent and not in the hands of the USA. But I do know that the USA very much want Correa to lose, were very confident that he was going to lose, and now are not. From their point of view, the danger is that in upping the ante, their efforts will become so obvious they will backfire in a nationalist reaction. My US source however is adamant that the Obama adminstration will not actually use the funds to incite another military coup attempt against Correa. That has apparently been ruled out. Assange being expelled into the arms of the CIA by a newly installed military dictatorship might be a difficult sell even for our appalling mainstream media.
The medialens board doesnt need to put up with shenanigans from self proclaimed dangerous intelligences who spam Psych-K blurbs on how to use attennas in the plasma membranes to “download information from the universe”
I have never espoused Psych-K – Lipton’s work as a cell biologist was where I was ooming from.
Too bad you missed the point that mainstream biology hasn’t caught up with quantum physics but you didn’t grasp that,did you?
Scouse Billy, I see that you’re back on your usual IP, from which you have consistently commented as “Scouse Billy”, except for once, when, it appears, you posted as “Cecil Rhodes”.
There are five comments from the IP of “Inside Mann”; three of which carry your screen-name and e-mail address. Here are links to them, for inspection:
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2012/09/the-al-hilli-conundrum/comment-page-12/#comment-359133
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/08/why-we-must-leave-nato/comment-page-1/#comment-320443
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/08/why-we-must-leave-nato/comment-page-1/#comment-320401
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/07/new-norwegian-killing/comment-page-1/#comment-316349
Komodo he is “dangerously intelligent”, surely capable of a little change in style. IP spoofing is difficult, matching someone elses ip is even harder. That character has been gaming boards for years. A total plonker.
Correction.
This one has pulled out as have several others.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/is-police-candidate-a-trojan-horse-for-rightwing-american-thinktank-8219877.html
He, Mervyn Barrett, has not pulled out. His campaign team has. He should be reported to the Electoral Commission if he has taken money from a foreign source which is illegal. Isn’t it wonderful that you only give details of campaign funds up to 90 days after the date of the election.
Komodo, Sorry. Blair is dead right this time on not voting.
The IP of “Inside Mann” appears to be a TOR exit router.
My apology for not checking that earlier. Scouse Billy’s total disregard for checking facts, his advocacy of medical quackery, fake physics, ludicrous conspiracy theories, etc. etc. etc. led me to jump to a conclusion.
But you do use TOR, then Billy? But you then post under your own e-mail address? And yet “an organisation that was closely linked to the CIA/NSA” called you “dangerously intelligent”? I think you’re just a liar.
As well as IP address, the web server has access to at least client Operating System, Browser, Processor and Screen resolution/depth and whether certain options are disabled or enabled. Oh and Cookies…
If Scouse Billy and “Inside Mann” had all of the above in common and were not the same person (especially if the combinations were particularly unusual ones) then I’d think they were possibly sitting near each other in some place where the PCs are locked to a standard build/configuration.
Cookies could be the smoking gun that the same PC was used (barring skullduggery).
Of course the above can be anonymised to a degree the more trouble is taken as the comments about TOR imply. Still I suspect using TOR might just as well draw attention as hide it. If I was an intelligence service I would want to control or monitor as many exit nodes as possible.
PCC…if I see a competent independent I’ll vote for it. Otherwise I’ll stay away, Mary. Promise.
Fair enough, Anon. Didn’t know how much was available, my bad. Cancel the above.
“I asked a former colleague in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office what Hague saw as the endgame in the Julian Assange asylum standoff, and where the room for negotiation lay. My friend was dismissive – the policy was simply to wait for the Presidential election in Ecuador in February.”
As others have commented there are many reasons the US wants to be rid of Correa. I cant think that Assange is a major one.
Who actually needs an endgame here?
(1)Assange himself obviously, and his supporters.
(2) Ecuador presumably.
(3) the UK probably.
The US is probably quite happy for this to drag on indefinitely. Assange is tainted without any need to actually try him, imprisoned indefinitely without expense to the US, and could always be turned into an asset or executed if so desired if circumstances change. Its a bit like having Bin Laden holed up in Pakistan.
Although the methodology was different, Christopher Boyce was a kind of whistleblower. Boyce melted down after his disillusionment with American mischief in foreign elections.
Primarily, in his job, deep in the bowels of a civilian contractor whose satellite transmissions were inadvertently seen by his eyes. It culminated on 11 November 1975 with the removal of the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam of the Australian Labor Party .
Perhaps more like Manning than Assange,, Boyce went rogue-nutz using a defunct operation known as ‘Pyramid’ and sought to sell to Soviets. His case was clearly defined as espionage, and the publicity around drug smuggling and spying drew attention away from the linchpin of his rage.
He had already seen the signs behind the poorly disguised coup in Chile after Allende was legally elected to office. The CIA continues their disinformation campaigns with impunity because the population of America, as well as those in other countries worldwide, don’t really give a shit, as long as they have sufficient Big Macs and gasoline to burn in their tar-machines.
I found Inside Mann’s position overstated, but i have sympathy with it. I found wikileaks websites to be unusually poor at presenting the leaks, and the association with the IBC’s shameful undercounting of war casualties very problematic, and Julians obvious errors with telling a journalist the live database passcode which was subsequently released, and his flawed intimate relationships – are very unimpressive.
But, there are still standards of ideas and justice to stand by regardless of the flaws and possibilities arising from them. Julian probably is brave and sincere and hopefuly learning and will hopefuly improve. Even if he is in on ‘divide and rule’ we should still keep to the good side of the divide, instead of uniting with those who abandon trust.
Anon,
I use at least five browsers depending on… each with their own cookie file – TOR allocates stupid IP addresses so I agree it attracts attention and is insecure to boot according to a poster here (forgotten who it was).
Yes I agree with whoever; a continuous ‘technical’ thread might be in order. I’ll propose it to Clark/Jon.
“Julian probably is brave and sincere and hopefuly learning and will hopefuly improve. Even if he is in on ‘divide and rule’ we should still keep to the good side of the divide, instead of uniting with those who abandon trust.”
Crab; I’ve often wondered why an anonymous purveyor needs a public face. It seems contradictory, and since he has been sequestered, perhaps the baton should be handed off, but I question the need.
Interesting that Inside Mann should know my e-mail address, Clark.
Please note I am not using TOR nor have done for many months.
In any case, I am neither Inside Mann nor a liar – I’ll thank you to desist from such defamation.
If someone’s using TOR, that means that someone else using TOR actually connects to the target site. Am I right so far? If so, whose IP is actually on the packets? Enquiring minds, and that.
If the email address is visible, what good is TOR? I notice it has only about one or two dozen ip’s which rotate in and out, but how does that equate to ‘anonymizer’?
Whilst we’re talking about defamation. Looks like Frankie Boyle won his libel case against The Mirror.
They and others were trying to diminish him when he was speaking up for Palestinians.
Funny how these racist scumbags are the biggest players of the race card.
Same goes for anti-semitism too. It’s always the biggest scumfilth who are readiest to play these cards.
There’s a lesson there for those who are too enamoured of identity politics. All ain’t what it seemed.
Oops. Looks like somebody’s been caught at the porkie pies again.
Why is there a picture of Jack Straw there?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/22/british-cia-rendition-9-11
Ian Cobain did a Q&A at The Graun today on rendition. It’s all becoming too easy now. Craig did all the heavy lifting and paid the price.
Komodo, the web-server sees the IP address of the TOR exit node you are being relayed through. Some sites block TOR and other proxies from any access (GodLikeProdutions – enough said) and some partially block access.
How can someone who was an ambassador to the UK write so much baloney? Seriously, the US and UK don’t give a rat’s ass about Assange or Correa, for the publicity is like oxygen
Good lad Komodo. btw do you retreat to your underground lair at weekends? I can’t be sure but don’t think your licking tongue is seen around here Sat/Sun.
Seriously, the US and UK don’t care to be reminded how Assange and Correa outwitted them.
There, fixed it for ya.
Thing is Jorge. You’re on a boat, and it’s sinking.
Thanks Herbie – Bush to CIA: ‘Leave No Marks’ – a torture primer.
http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-08-14/news/bush-to-cia-leave-no-marks/
Torture UK: why Britain has blood on its hands
How did the British government get involved in the torture of its own citizens?
guardian.co.uk/law/2012/oct/19/torture-uk-britain-blood-government
O/T from an e-mail this morning.
Gaza
“F16’s still very low in the sky. Schools evacuated, Land incursion east of Jabalia ( 5 tanks), air strikes in Erez, Beit hanoun areas, Many injured , and confirmed fatalities. Gaza under attack.” Also that white phosphorous is being fired on East Gaza.
Later reported on BBC as two ‘militants’ killed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20027813
@Ben Franklin (Anti-Intellectual Colonial American Savage Version)
22 Oct, 2012 – 4:06 pm
I was reading about him only two nights ago and wanted to mention him in relation to whistle blowing.
S-P-O-O-K-Y!
The larvae that became the LibDems gorged themselves as infants on the very marrow of the Labour Party, they were the Gaitskellites who Wilson ill-advisedly did not deal harshly enough with to drive them out. The treachery of Williams, Jenkins and friends, consistently anti-union, anti-state, pro – US, EU, freemarket, big business – empowered only Mrs. Thatcher; look at the embrace the SDP and Liberal/SDP Alliance was given by the media, considered immediately an equal of the two other parties; without the SDP Micheal Foot could well have become PM in ’83, at the head of a fractious but still leftwing Labour party.
That this opportunist LibDem rabble offer the tiniest glimmer hope to anyone indicates to me that despair has a multiplicative effect on gullibility.
I’ve read an estimate that ‘the 1%’ of low repute are those who can find £500,000 after clearing any major debts, mortgage etc. Hope this dispels doubts for anyone who is unclear which side of the divide they’re on.
O/T sorry,
I have written to the BBC, via John Hamer- BBC Trust Unit- stating I will not pay a license fee to a Charter that covers up pedophilia.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2012/oct/22/jimmy-savile-panorama-newsnight-video
@Komodo Connections routed through Tor reveal only an exit nodes ip, like an anonymous proxy, or moreso a chain of them to make retracing even harder.
@all Clark didnt say Inside mann used SBs email address. He said sb used it while using Tor in the past.
Inside Mann was just using Tor and SB happened to do so in the past and by chance had the same exit node.
SB regularly talks and links to such frustratingly unscrupulous and weird rubbish that Clark was confused by the coincidental exit nodes.
Thatcrab, thanks. Yes, that seems about right.