"Low-level Bush propagandist" Marc Thiessen calls for Wikileaks founder to be kidnapped

[Amerigo Vespucci]

‘Low-level Bush propagandist’ calls for Wikileaks founder to be kidnapped

By Stephen C. Webster
Monday, August 2nd, 2010 -- 8:03 pm

Low level Bush propagandist calls for Wikileaks founder to be kidnappedShould the founder of one of the world's most important Web sites be spirited away from his home country by the U.S. military? That's what one so-called "low-level Bush propagandist" advocated on behalf of in Monday's Washington Post.

Marc Thiessen, a former Bush speechwriter, claimed in a Post op-ed that because Wikileaks has published classified information, they should be considered in violation of the espionage act and taken down using "military assets," even if that means kidnapping founder Julian Assange from an undisclosed location within the European Union -- which would be a violation of international and domestic laws.

He writes:

Assange is a non-U.S. citizen operating outside the territory of the United States. This means the government has a wide range of options for dealing with him. It can employ not only law enforcement but also intelligence and military assets to bring Assange to justice and put his criminal syndicate out of business.

The first step is for the Justice Department to indict Assange. Such an indictment could be sealed to prevent him from knowing that the United States is seeking his arrest. The United States should then work with its international law enforcement partners to apprehend and extradite him.
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Assange seems to believe, incorrectly, that he is immune to arrest so long as he stays outside the United States. He leads a nomadic existence, operating in countries such as Sweden, Belgium and Iceland, where he believes he enjoys the protection of "beneficial laws." (He recently worked with the Icelandic parliament to pass legislation effectively making the country a haven for WikiLeaks). The United States should make clear that it will not tolerate any country -- and particularly NATO allies such as Belgium and Iceland -- providing safe haven for criminals who put the lives of NATO forces at risk.

With appropriate diplomatic pressure, these governments may cooperate in bringing Assange to justice. But if they refuse, the United States can arrest Assange on their territory without their knowledge or approval.

This is the same individual who once criticized the Army's field manual rules for interrogations because anyone can read it. He made the bizarre claim while simultaneously promoting the abuse of detainees through torture.

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0802/lowlevel-bush-propagandist-calls-wikileaks-founder-kidnapped/

[PDJane]

1. Assange is an asset.

This man is not, and the US is subject to the same international laws as everyone else....and they are a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, if not to the world court.

The US is not the best and greatest and most important nation on earth, although supporting that particular delusion is the reason for the current levels of military spending.