[–] 15122577? 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
There is NO LAW that he was legitimately subject to and broke. There is no legal basis for charging him with anything. This is no different than if we went into a foreign country and rendered a known officer of that country's intelligence service who had never set foot in the U.S. back to the U.S. to answer for gasp doing his job as another country's foreign intelligence officer based over there. Which is not to say we'd never do such a thing -- we're bastards enough that we just might under the right circumstances. But it's to say that there would be no legal cover for doing so, and should rightly elicit Khashoggi levels of outrage the world over if we did.
It's only because Julian Assange has been such a colossal thorn in the side of the Deep State, and the DS is global, that this is even being contemplated, and countenanced as remotely legitimate in official circles the world over.
Best outcome: Julian is charged and brought to the U.S. under heavy protection to answer those charges. He gets a proper legal defense that does an awesome job showing how meritless, dangerous, and unconstitutional all the charges against him are. A fair court is forced to acquit him on everything. No double jeopardy. He's a free man. In the meantime, during discovery, he gets to present everything he's got, top to bottom on the Deep State, it all comes out into the open and is recorded in the court proceedings, and everybody implicated is royally screwed.
As much as I hate to see a good man hauled across an ocean to answer clearly bogus charges, if we could get that outcome, I'd consider it a blessing and an operation well done. Just give the guy Secret Service protection while it's happening, please. He's every bit as much a target as is POTUS.
because we are a nation of laws after all, even when it's inconvenient...
Unless you're talking about the 4th amendment right to privacy and the NSA with its illegal data collection. Or unless you're talking about BO handing out pardons like fucking candy.
One rule for plebs, another rule for the government.
Nation of laws my ass
[–] 15118521? 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
I don’t think he broke ANY laws. He published leaked info. He should be pardoned for anything they try to stick him with. He should be given a medal and set as the prime example for all journalists going forward. Wikileaks has never published a false document. Unheard of in today’s fake news world!
[–] 15117573? 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Excellent point. And perhaps ease him back into the world, i.e. transition him. That actually seems almost kind.