Bad Day for WikiLeaks Prosecutors

Brisbane Times - US must prove Manning helped al-Qaeda

The US government must prove that Bradley Manning knowingly helped al-Qaeda by leaking secret documents to WikiLeaks in order to convict him of “aiding the enemy”, a judge has ruled.

The ruling by Judge Denise Lind at a preliminary hearing raises the bar for convicting Manning – who has admitted leaking the documents but denied aiding the enemy – of the most serious charge he faces.

Judge Lind said the prosecution in the military tribunal must show evidence Manning had “reason to believe such information could be used to the injury of the US”, by an armed group like al-Qaeda or another nation. . . .  (more)

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/us-must-prove-manning-helped-alqaeda-20130411-2hmob.html

Background on Manning

Assange prosecutor quits while accuser sacks lawyer

The top Swedish prosecutor pursuing sexual assault allegations against Julian Assange has abruptly left the case and one of Mr Assange’s accusers has sacked her lawyer. . . .

. . . Fairfax Media has obtained Swedish court documents that reveal high-profile Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny has unexpectedly left the handling Mr Assange’s case, effective from Wednesday, and has been replaced by a more junior prosecutor, Ingrid Isgren. The reasons for the change have not yet been disclosed. . . .

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/assange-prosecutor-quits-while-accuser-sacks-lawyer-20130328-2gwjk.html

 

 

Spy Merenaries (Stratfor) Target Artists, ‘Yes Men’ Team

MASSIVE LEAK REVEALS CRIMINALITY, PARANOIA AMONG CORPORATE TITANS

Dow pays “strategic intelligence” firm to spy on Yes Men and grassroots activists. Takeaway: movement is on the right track!

WikiLeaks begins to publish today over five million e-mails obtained by Anonymous from “global intelligence” company Stratfor. The emails, which reveal everything from sinister spy tactics to an insider trading scheme with Goldman Sachs (see below), also include several discussions of the Yes Men and Bhopal activists. (Bhopal activists seek redress for the 1984 Dow Chemical/Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal, India, that led to thousands of deaths, injuries in more than half a million people, and lasting environmental damage.)

Many of the Bhopal-related emails, addressed from Stratfor to Dow and Union Carbide public relations directors, reveal concern that, in the lead-up to the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, the Bhopal issue might be expanded into an effective systemic critique of corporate rule, and speculate at length about why this hasn’t yet happened—providing a fascinating window onto what at least some corporate types fear most from activists.

“[Bhopal activists] have made a slight nod toward expanded activity, but never followed through on it—the idea of ‘other Bhopals’ that were the fault of Dow or others,” mused Joseph de Feo, who is listed in one online source as a “Briefer” for Stratfor.

“Maybe the Yes Men were the pinnacle. They made an argument in their way on their terms—that this is a corporate problem and a part of the a [sic] larger whole,” wrote Kathleen Morson, Stratfor’s Director of Policy Analysis. . . .  (more)

http://theyesmen.org/stratfor

What Bradley Manning Said in Court

The Freedom of the Press Foundation has it. Details & audio file.

LINK – http://youtu.be/6L79wWAFUqg

Asia Times :: Cambodia helps squeeze WikiLeaks

Asia Times Online :: Cambodia helps squeeze WikiLeaks.

US, Mexican Officials Brokering Deals with Drug “Cartels” – WikiLeaks Docs

From The Narco News -

 By Bill Conroy

A high-ranking Sinaloa narco-trafficking organization member’s claim that US officials have struck a deal with the leadership of the Mexican “cartel” appears to be corroborated in large part by the statements of a Mexican diplomat in email correspondence made public recently by the nonprofit media group WikiLeaks.

The Mexican diplomat’s assessment of the US and Mexican strategy in the war on drugs, as revealed by the email trail, paints a picture of a “simulated war” in which the Mexican and US governments are willing to show favor to a dominant narco-trafficking organization in order to minimize the violence and business disruption in the major drug plazas, or markets. . . .  (more)

http://narconews.com/Issue67/article4621.html

 

Ecuadorian president: grave consequences if Britain storms embassy

Ecuadorian president warns of grave consequences if Britain arrests Assange at embassy

(Xinhua) – Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said Tuesday it would be suicide for Britain to force into the Ecuadorian embassy in London to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

“If Britain violates Ecuador’s sovereignty it would be suicide, because then British embassies in any part of the world could be violated,” Correa said in an interview with public channel Ecuador TV.

The move “would be terrible, a disastrous precedent,” said Correa, echoing what many legal experts have been saying of Britain’s threat last week to disregard diplomatic convention to seize Assange. . . .  (more)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-08/22/c_131800080.htm

Speak-In Continues Outside Ecuador Embassy

The Julian Assange support crowd outside the embassy in London has morphed into a free speech (24 hours) live worldwide webcast.

Watch democracy in action at

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/occupynewsnetwork

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