WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Walks Out Of CNN Interview
Julian Assange, the man that feels comfortable disclosing America's military secrets at WikiLeaks, walked out of a CNN International interview Sunday because he didn't want to answer questions about his relationship with his employees or the accusations of rape and molestation involving two Swedish women.
When CNN's Atika Shubert continued to press Assange on these issues, he removed his microphone and walked out (video follows with partial transcript and commentary):
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But what I want to ask you is that, at one point, you said it was a dirty trick tactic.
JULIAN ASSANGE, FOUNDER, WIKILEAKS: I don't know what you're referring to.
SHUBERT: So you don't want to address whether or not you feel this is an attack on you?
ASSANGE: It's completely disgusting, Atika.
SHUBERT: I'm asking whether or not --
ASSANGE: I'm going to walk if you're going to contaminate us revealing the deaths of 104,000 people with attacks against my person.
SHUBERT: I'm not. What I'm asking you is if you feel this is an attack on WikiLeaks.
ASSANGE: All right.
SHUBERT: Julian, I'm happy to go on to --
ASSANGE: (INAUDIBLE).
SHUBERT: In what sense? I have to ask that question.
Coincidentally, the New York Times reported Sunday:
After the Sweden scandal, strains within WikiLeaks reached a breaking point, with some of Mr. Assange’s closest collaborators publicly defecting. The New York Times spoke with dozens of people who have worked with and supported him in Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Britain and the United States. What emerged was a picture of the founder of WikiLeaks as its prime innovator and charismatic force but as someone whose growing celebrity has been matched by an increasingly dictatorial, eccentric and capricious style. [...]
When Herbert Snorrason, a 25-year-old political activist in Iceland, questioned Mr. Assange’s judgment over a number of issues in an online exchange last month, Mr. Assange was uncompromising. “I don’t like your tone,” he said, according to a transcript. “If it continues, you’re out.”
Mr. Assange cast himself as indispensable. “I am the heart and soul of this organization, its founder, philosopher, spokesperson, original coder, organizer, financier, and all the rest,” he said. “If you have a problem with me,” he told Mr. Snorrason, using an expletive, he should quit.
In an interview about the exchange, Mr. Snorrason’s conclusion was stark. “He is not in his right mind,” he said.
I'd say his behavior with CNN's Shubert supports that.
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Comments
Openly putting on display a country's secrets --- OK.
Submitted by The Vet on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 7:51pm.
Putting on display a person's secrets --- Not OK. Yeah, whatever crybaby.
"We're talking about a five times greater kill rate in Iraq, really a comparative bloodbath compared to Afghanistan," he told CNN.
I seem to remember an insurgency and Al Qaeda going into Iraq.
Whereas Al Qaeda and the Taliban bugged out of Afghanistan and have engaged mostly in cross border attacks.
This is his big shocker? It makes sense to me. Didn't take stealing a country's secrets to tell me that.
ASSANGE
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 8:00pm.
Or is it Assflange?
Assange
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 8:08pm.
Etymology:
"ass" - stupid person, dark foul place
"ange" - messenger (as in "angel")
Assange: stupid messenger from a dark, foul place
I Just Knew It Was No Coincidence ...
Submitted by LibertyAtStake on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 8:26pm.
...that Assange looks so much like Col. Hans Landa.
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
"Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive"
More like Bill Mohair
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 8:48pm.
When I see Assange's mug shot that is used often here at NB, on Hot Air, and other places, my instant reaction is to think it's Bill Mohair.
http://www.michaelbradydesign.com/Sample_files/Mohair_assange.jpg
Assange's Ed Schultz moment
Submitted by MCLIJazz on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 9:05pm.
Frances Martel at Mediaite called this a Whoopi [Goldberg] moment. I wouldn't say that because Whoopi and Joy Behar came back for the rest of the O'Reilly interview. This was an Ed Schultz moment. In October '08, a few weeks before Big Ed signed up with MSNBC, he appeared on "Fox & Friends" to debate Steve Malzberg. After a few minutes of duking it out with Steve, Ed complained of being "torpedoed" each time he appeared as a guest and walked off the remote set in North Dakota: http://homepage.mac.com/mkoldys/blog/nsu245943793.html
As for Assange himself, what he has done at Wikileaks is sick.
An "Ed Schultz moment", as in
Submitted by CO2Maker on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 9:38pm.
a "Dan Rather moment," when the formidable Texan walked off the set of the live broadcast of the CBS Evening News in 1987 because a tennis match was running long:
Rather Walked Off Set of CBS News - New York Times
Which George Bush 41 reminded him of in a live TV interview during his first campaign for president in 1988 (at the 6:40 mark):
YouTube - George Bush Dan Rather Showdown
Target this dude
Submitted by tinydancer on Mon, 10/25/2010 - 12:17am.
He should just vanish.
Apparently he's against
Submitted by Thoreau on Mon, 10/25/2010 - 3:31am.
Apparently he's against killing people unless it's muslims doing the killing. Then it's just fine.
This man is absolutely
Submitted by Ruths husband Ben on Mon, 10/25/2010 - 10:45am.
This man is absolutely dispicable and he is showing his true colors. They are not interested in exposing the truth, they are only interested in bringing the US down. He doesn't care how many people have to die to make this happen, either. Why he can't be tried and executed for espionage is beyond me.
I'd like to send this guy to
Submitted by mattm on Mon, 10/25/2010 - 12:16pm.
I'd like to send this guy to meet Luca Brazzi.