Nine days ago, Assange surrendered to British authorities. He reportedly did so out of fear that CIA operatives would snatch him off the streets to bring him under the vortex of American justice – just as they have done with countless suspected-terrorist collaborators around the world.
It came as little surprise, however, when his lawyers got him released on bail on Thursday after a British High Court upheld an earlier lower court ruling that the facts and circumstances surrounding the rape allegations in Sweden were insufficient basis to keep him locked up in Britain.
All the same, the court placed prohibitive restrictions on his freedom, including confiscating his passport and requiring him to wear a monitoring ankle bracelet. To his credit, the irony was not lost on computer-wiz Assange who described his situation as being under “hi-tech house arrest”.
But, as house arrests go, he will be doing his time in style – ensconced in the English countryside estate of one of his many rich patrons (some of whom also put up the $373,000 for his bail). He will reside there until the ruling on his extradition to Sweden is handed down early next year.
Meanwhile, reports are that U.S. authorities are plotting to deny him a get-out-of-jail free card if Swedish authorities are unable to extradite him or, if they do, are unable to convict him on the rape charges.
Specifically, the Justice Department is trying to determine whether Assange encouraged or enabled the Army intelligence officer who leaked the treasure trove of information at issue. (Incidentally, this officer, U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning, is now in military custody pending a court martial that is likely to end with him being sentenced to life in prison.)
In any event, they seem hell-bent on conjuring up some colorable charge under the U.S. Espionage Act to arrest Assange as soon as practicable.
Whatever his fate, though, his damage has already been done; i.e., the genie is out of the bottle. Indeed, it must have been particularly galling to U.S. authorities to have WikiLeaks releasing embarrassing, even compromising, cables on an almost daily basis while he was in jail.
Even worse, Assange seemed to be daring them to come after him by making a point of announcing yesterday that he has only released about one percent of the damaging information that Army officer leaked to him.
Game on….
NOTE: I am on record stating that I think these leaks are much ado about nothing. I also stated, however, that Assange should be either dead or in Guantanamo Bay – given that U.S. authorities have declared them a severe blow to national security. In any event, I’m convinced that when all is said and done, he will end up in a U.S. prison.
Related commentaries:
WikiLeaks more U.S. secrets
* This commentary was originally published on Saturday, December 18 at 7:17 am
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