Assange lawyer: Manning commutation doesn't meet extradition offer's conditions

[Jose Garcia]

Source: The Hill

The attorney for Julian Assange said President Obama's commutation of Chelsea Manning’s sentence does not meet the conditions of the WikiLeaks head's offer to be extradited to the United States if Manning were pardoned.

Obama on Tuesday commuted Manning’s sentence for leaking classified information to WikiLeaks, leading many to wonder whether that meant Assange was ready to surrender to the Department of Justice.

“Mr. Assange welcomes the announcement that Ms. Manning's sentence will be reduced and she will be released in May, but this is well short of what he sought,” said Barry Pollack, Assange’s U.S.-based attorney, via email.

“Mr. Assange had called for Chelsea Manning to receive clemency and be released immediately.”

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/314783-assange-lawyer-conditions-not-met-for-assange-manning-extradition-offer

[Zoonart]

1. Really?

SHOCKER

[LisaM]

2. Of course not!!!!

[bravenak]

3. What a bullshit artist

Nobody gets released immediately. Even the falsely convicted have to go through a process. Assange is a liar

[grantcart]

53. +1

[Scurrilous]

4. What a tosser.

[brooklynite]

5. So, he'll have plenty of time to fly to Sweden...

[Dopers_Greed]

6. What a weasel

I can't believe I was ever sympathetic to this asshole

[iloveObama12]

7. Well I'll Be

Damned!



Just like his boy Trump...He got us! smdh!

[nycbos]

10. Extra points for using two awesome characters from The Wire.

[Jake Stern]

8. Called it yesterday

Knew it would come when his devotees on FB were pushing the idea that he really meant pardon so he could weasel out of it.

[cloudythescribbler]

9. It's dump-on-the-left-fest (Assange, Greenwald, Lee Fang etc) time, but I support Assange

First, there was the defeat of HRC, where she got almost 3 million more of the popular vote than Trump. Further, the electoral "victory" was no fluke, but as Greg Palast has convincingly documented, totally ignored by the MSM and the elite of the Democratic Party, a decisive number of legitimate Democratic voters who were disqualified en masse especially by GOP controlled governments in swing states like MI, PA and WI. The exit polls IN THESE STATES showed HRC winning, based of fact that people thought their votes were being counted, which 1-2% of them weren't. So it turns out that the national polls in the days leading up to the election were right, but just as the Democrats in Congress did in 1993-4, and 2009-10, the Democrats rolled over or all but rolled over, even or especially in the face of GOP excess

Instead there has been an inordinate obsession with Russian interference, which was known about before election day and raised in the campaign, and in any case has NOT been shown to have had ANY likelihood of tipping the election unlike the cogent arguments of Greg Palast, raised initially in Rolling Stone in his article in August 2016. But Russia is a more convenient target (and hardly untarnished in this matter -- just its role has been vastly exaggerated w/no real new information of consequence becoming public since the election).

On the other hand, there is a festival of trying to dump the blame on the likes of Assange, Greenwald, The Intercept etc all as supposed effective pawns of Putin, while the GOP cheating, the UTTERLY LOUSY political strategy of the neoliberals, including blowing off progressives (as I warned about at the time repeatedly on DU), and THE DEMOCRATS' UTTER FAILURE IN THE FACE OF DECISIVE GOP CHEATING are all more or less sidelined (as politically not useful to the neolibs and the 'bipartisan' horde of GOP and Democratic leadership.

In this context, Assange made the (in my view UNWISE) suggestion that clemency for Chelsea Manning would inspire him to turn himself in (his lawyers have repeatedly asked for clarification of his status, whether he'd been secretly indicted or not, with NO response). He wasn't satisfied w/Chelsea Manning's delayed commutation (and there are MANY ways that someone who has NOT been pardoned is seriously hobbled for life in the US), WHICH IS HIS PERFECT LEGAL AND MORAL CHOICE TO MAKE

Unsurprisingly, here on DU, as in other venues of Democratic Party politics where Greg Palast is completely or all but totally ignored, that Assange, one of the bete-noires/scapegoats du jour, gets trashed by a chorus of devoted supposedly progressive-leaning voices

I don't buy it

[leftynyc]

13. Neither assange or POS greenwald

are on the left. Don't pretend otherwise. Both were quite open in their disdain for Hillary and their support for the degenerate.

[cloudythescribbler]

23. neither supported Trump even implicitly -- but both opposed Hillary as did many (not me) on the Left

=

[leftynyc]

34. The FAR left didn't like Hillary

And assange and greenwald never said one word against Donnie while trashing Hillary every fucking day. Don't try and snow people into believing they didn't want trump. That's a lie.

[cloudythescribbler]

38. wrongly, in my view, many of my fellow leftists argued the difference wasn't worth voting for

It is true that MANY honest, intelligent, well-meaning progressives failed to see the huge difference b/t neoliberalism (a lesser evil) and Trump. This was also true in 2000 (when I supported Gore at a time it was even less fashionable to support the Democrat). But this is NOT the same as rooting for Trump. It is true that some may indeed root for Trump w/the same logic that led a prominent Marxist to support W Bush in 04, that W's imperialism was less sustainable than Kerry's. In short, the notion is for SOME that the WORSE leadership for imperialism is better.

But just as it is simplistic to see all the leaders as "bourgeois" with one brush that fails to make key distinctions, so too, when someone like Assange says the choice is like that between incurable fatal AIDS and incurable fatal cancer, there is no reason to assume that he doesn't mean his 'plague on both your houses'

I do still remind many left colleagues that Trump as he unfolds will prove far worse than HRC, but there should also be an attitude of working together, with those who seriously oppose Trump, and not pushing the meme, as this resentment of their "trashing" Hillary does

I cannot say for sure who in their heart 'really' wanted Trump to win. But not assuming that is not a "lie" nor is it trying to "snow" people. I oppose this festival of recrimination against the Left, by the same folk who do not pay at least equal attention to the cogent reports of Greg Palast that I have been talking about

[Bradical79]

54. I'd hesitate to call them "left"

When the most extreme anti-Hillary people left to their own website (JR), I peeked over there and they loved the Russian news and propaganda. Never seen so many "leftists" explicitly support a right wing fascist regime. There seems to be a certain brand of self-described socialist who supports Bernie Sanders, Maduro (or Castro or any so called leftist in this hemisphere), and Russia despite each of the three having wildly different politics on the spectrum. Then you have guys like Assange and Snowden. Anyone who calls Assange, Snowden, and Greenwald "leftists" is either not being honest, or is using a lot of terms without knowing what they mean. I've defended each of those guys in the past, and there are certain aspects of libertarian philosophy that works well with my idea of social democracy. These people are libertarians, or in Wikileak's case, whatever leaning is most convenient to harm/destabilize America with.

[True_Blue]

52. Assange absolutely did want Trump to win

Here's an interview with James Ball, a former Wikileaks associate, from Showtime's series The Circus. He explains here why Assange wanted Trump to win.
https://m.

[uhnope]

15. Palast is a sensationalist hack & Assange never intended to face his rape charges or any other

Assange & Snowden & Wikileaks had plenty of defenders on DU before it became impossible to ignore they were puppets/useful idiots for the fascist Kremlin regime

[cloudythescribbler]

22. it is NOT self-evident to me (especially ur throwing Snowden in the list) that they're useful idiots

I think that Palast's report is VERY convincing, judging the reporting on programs like CrossCheck and not an ad hominem about the man.

As for Assange -- his revelations all other things being equal, exposed stuff in the Democratic Party of interest to the cognoscenti, which in my arrogant opinion (imao) had virtually no effect on the election, far less than eg Comey.

Since Assange and others are being scapegoated for HRC's defeat, there are many fewer defenders here on DU. Plenty of progressives still respect him and the Intercept and Greenwald.

That you throw in Snowden w/the list suggests that you really don't like the leaking of dirt altogether, not just when it ostensibly helps the RW (as I haven't seen the case made about Snowden)

[uhnope]

32. I don't blame them for HRC's defeat

But you should realize that the issue of the hack is separate from the effect of the hack.
It's a colossal issue that Russia conducted such an effort against the US elections. Surely you agree?

Also, a new book is coming out about Snowden. Up to now, most of the things we thought we knew about Snowden came from Snowden. The new book makes a strong case that he's not at all valiant. Have you heard about it?

[cloudythescribbler]

39. I've read about the trashing job of Snowden but have no plans to read the book itself

Clearly, anyone (including myself) who discredits the powers that be in any significant way is necessarily going to have their image attacked by the best credentials you can find. And the very same Democratic Party elite that rolls over (in the face of cogent reports like those of Greg Palast and UNLIKE the attacks on Snowden's motives (that he wasn't doing as well as he hoped in his profession), tho they go "high" against the RW when the latter go "low" in fact are not so "high road" in their general approach to those authentically on the left, as a general pattern

It is utterly perverse (tho a s*****ting down to be expected even if also appalled by) to trash many of the key people who are part of the progressives opposition, all while an inordinate focus on Russia (and yes, it is still "colossal" if unsurprising that Russia would try to influence the election outcome) while ignoring 'colossal' issues like the PROBABLY DECISIVE mass disqualification of voters in key swing states controlled by the GOP, or even Comey's selectively (not about Russia) baiting the public with email scandal stuff at the 11th hour. More than 1/2 the attention being focused on Russia over the last two months should have been focused on the Greg Palast reports, in a real democratic and free society, which underground unfortunately is not the case

[uhnope]

40. a lot of focus is on Russia hack & interference because of Trump's Russian ties

you understand that, right? I agree that Comey and other factors are significant, but it's understandable that the focus is on Russia because of the traitor/puppet/blackmail possibilities among other factors like Russia's general anti-democracy agenda that it is putting into effect throughout Europe in conjunction with far right political parties.

In terms of Palast, people like me with limited time don't spend it on these somewhat clownish self-styled muckrakers who make sensational claims without sensational proof. If he had real proof of anything, do you really think that dozens of legitimate news sources (Mother Jones for example) would not run with it? Feel free to link to one succinct Palast report on the subject and I will read it. But the only recent link I've seen is him on RT, which pretty much disqualifies him anyway.

Here's a link for you, I urge you to read it www.newsweek.com/why-obama-wont-pardon-edward-snowden-nsa-538632

[cloudythescribbler]

42. here you go --- Palast Linx w/discussion of each

If you only want to examine a single link -- the podcast link w/David Swanson is best tho others go more into the weeds as far as evidence

Appearing on RT (along w/TruthOut, Rolling Stone, David Swanson and others) does NOT automatically disqualify him -- gaining access to MSM w/issues that aren't 'getting w/the program' is problematic to say the least

http://www.gregpalast.com/election-stolen-heres/

overview of stolen election, from his blog (nov 11)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


https://soundcloud.com/davidcnswanson/talk-nation-radio-greg-palast-on-stripping-7-million-voters-from-rolls-swinging-election

(later broadcast of Greg Palast in lengthy interview w/David Swanson -- best single overview link)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://www.gregpalast.com/no-bs-inside-guide-presidential-recount/#more-12964
Going into the weeds at Palast's blog on recount
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://www.gregpalast.com/the-republican-sabotage-of-the-vote-recounts-in-michigan-and-wisconsin/#more-13045

also going into weeds on recount, focus on MI especially


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-gops-stealth-war-against-voters-w435890

(feature piece in Aug 24 2016 Rolling Stone re: CrossCheck type programs to disenfranchise Democratic voters)

[uhnope]

49. thank you but

I just don't go to people's personal blogs for news. I already read the RS article--it's from well before the election. The voter suppression in the US has been well-covered in regular, more legit news sources.

What did you think of the chapter from the new book on Snowden?

[Cha]

24. assange and greenwald dump on themselves by pimping for putin.

[bravenak]

26. Bingo! You know it, I know it, Msanthrope told us loooooooong time ago...

So did Blue Tires. So did Tarheel Dem. So did 1sbm. Number23. On and on.
These people are clowns.

[Cha]

28. poor assange & greenwald..

Jonathan Chait
✔ ?@jonathanchait
Tucker Carlson and Glenn Greenwald unite to dismiss Russian hacking story http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/12/glenn-greenwald-tucker-carlson-unite-to-dismiss-russian-hacking-allegations.html …
12:15 PM - 29 Dec 2016
162 162 Retweets 181 181 likes

‘This is forensic! It’s indisputable’: Former CIA operative slams Trump for dismissing Russian hacks

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/this-is-forensic-its-indisputable-former-cia-operative-slams-trump-for-dismissing-russian-hacks/

[bravenak]

30. Are people still stupid enough to believe that GG

was ever ever ever doing anything to help us on the left? I know they still love him at JPR but, I remember not geing able to call GG GG because??? I still dont know why he was so special.

[JI7]

33. because what they have in common is wanting democrats defeated

i keep seeing the same stupid attacks from those on the "left" and right with the establishment crap. it has no meaning at this point.

just repeat the same stupid words and think they are doing something. establishment, oligarch, and now it seems to be neoliberal.

[bravenak]

37. I remember when it was third way/turd way

It was juvenile then as now

[dionysus]

35. Douchewald is a libertarian. Nt

[La Lioness Priyanka]

41. lol.

[Renew Deal]

51. Assange and Greenwald are right wingers

And anyone "on the left" that supports them deserves to be dumped on.

[msanthrope]

11. Sweden can have the rapist. nt

[Gothmog]

12. Who believed that Assange would keep his word?

The man is a liar and crook

[leftynyc]

14. Someone right on this thread

is whining about both assange and greenwald getting a raw deal. Pathetic.

[geek tragedy]

16. what days are these when we can't trust rapists working for Vladimir Putin? nt

[JCanete]

17. While I feel like we need rogue sources like wikileaks, I don't have to think that the people

running them are saints, or even, not egomaniacs. The world is a lot grayer than that.. On this one, I would have defended Assange's position had he demanded a pardon for Manning, not just clemency. Shaving a quarter of a century off her sentence and making it a manageable seven more months, would kind of rise to the level of clemency.

He must have been really confident that Obama was going to pass Manning up entirely to say something that was going to make him look like a total tool within days of his statement.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

18. Is the U.S. interested in seeking extradition?

Are there any charges that we want to try him for?

If the Swedes want him, let them extradite him. Otherwise, he can stay in Colombia or Honduras, wherever he is today.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

29. No. Just trying

to seem relevant.

[cstanleytech]

44. The US hasnt expressed any interest in extraditing Assange ever but it refuses to issue any

statement officially declaring it wont ever try to extradite him because no sanely led country is going to let itself be painted into that kind of corner and Assange knows that he is simply exploiting that so as to avoid his own legal problems in Sweden.

[old guy]

19. This comes as a complete surprise.

I thought for sure Assange would honor the agreement..... never mind. I'm lying.

[Skittles]

20. I doubt what they wanted was a consideration in the decision

[pnwmom]

21. LIARS!! The words "released immediately" were nowhere in the Wikileaks statement.

And Manning is receiving clemency. Obama cut off 28 years of his sentence.

[dionysus]

36. Watch out, may want to edit...

[JohnnyRingo]

25. There's the loophole.

We all knew he'd find one, but this one is a tight squeeze indeed.

"I meant immediately." hahaha
Maybe Manning will turn it down too because she has to wait a couple more months.

[Squinch]

27. LOL! If it looks like a weasel, and smells like a weasel, and acts like a weasel.....

[Lil Missy]

31. Snowshit never intended to follow through anyway - he could come up with something.

[GliderGuider]

43. Who cares? The USA and the world have a REAL problem at the moment.

Assange, Manning and Snowden are sooo far down the list now...

[cstanleytech]

45. I doubt Assange is even a mild blip on the list and Snowden isnt much better since

he cant steal anything new to help Russia, Trump on the other hand mind be extremely helpful to them there but lets hope not.

[canetoad]

46. May be wrong here

And please correct me if I am. In my understanding, at no time has Assange been threatened with extradition to the US. Yes, it was discussed in the media; one of his reasons for not attending hearings in Sweden was that he may be arrested and extradited to the US following the Manning leaks.

Now, while he is a lowlife, grovelling to Putin, I'd also like to remind you that although he is accused of rape, I personally have doubts about the validity of those claims and consider the 'rape' charges to be calculated to enrage opinion against him. I have no opinion either way on his guilt or innocence regarding the allegations of rape. What is known is that the woman in question willingly had sex with him, the point of contention is whether consent existed the next morning when the act was repeated.

We can all jump on the outrage bandwaggon, but until facts are exposed, the whole Assange story is a great deal of speculation, accusation and a tiny bit of reporting the truth.

[susanna]

47. I guess he likes his digs in the Ecuadorian embassy. Russian tool. n/t

[tammywammy]

50. Since the US has never requested his extradition the whole declaration was for publicity.