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Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

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Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#21

Wasn't Wikileaks supposed to have been the means by which Russia took the election from Clinton? Why would the Trump administration be so unhappy with them? Were they perhaps continuing the previous administrations' "sweetness and light" approach?

Wikileaks owes no loyalty to Trump. Trump had nothing to gain from defending him, strategically.

Basic Realpolitik.

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#22

While we are at it, is Biden going to pardon Snowden?

Joe Biden had an innocent father and his 7 children killed as a way of distracting from his horrible, disinterested withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has yet to acknowledge this in any way other than calling it an “mistake” via his press bureau. He has spent his life lying about his credentials, and then selling the influence he gains in the us government to foreign countries. No, I don’t think Biden will be pardoning…

Don't forget that he wrote the bill that became the Patriot Act.

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#23
> Some senior officials inside the CIA and the Trump administration even discussed killing Assange, going so far as to request “sketches” or “options” for how to assassinate him.

> One of those officials said he was briefed on a spring 2017 meeting in which the president asked whether the CIA could assassinate Assange and provide him “options” for how to do so.

I don't understand how this can be legal. Cannot such a request be considered a conspiracy to commit a murder? Or some people are "more equal" and the law doesn't apply to them?

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#24
>Discussions over kidnapping or killing Assange occurred “at the highest levels” of the Trump administration, said a former senior counterintelligence official. “There seemed to be no boundaries.”

No idea why Assange feared to be extradited from Sweden to the USA./s

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#25

While we are at it, is Biden going to pardon Snowden?

As an outsider, I don't expect the American government to ever pardon people like him. Presidents come and go but they all play nicely with the military powers that remain after their terms. When presidents promise to do things the rest it the government doesn't like, those promises only get broken. Trump didn't complete his wall, Obama didn't close Guantanamo Bay, and so on. Presidents aren't kings, their actions will follow them and have consequences even after leaving office.

Biden might pardon Snowden at the end of his term, but don't count on it. I haven't seen a single sign that Biden (or any American presidential candidate for that matter) would side with anyone for leaking government secrets. The government is sitting on many more juicy details that'd upset the global political balance and transparency is not in the USA's interests.

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#26

It would be almost negligent to not draft and forecast the scenario. Intelligence work has to operate from worst case assumptions. Obviously the plan was never executed. I am sure that was a choice based on risk factors and not just professional ethics.

What is the worst case scenario of Assange being a free man, exactly?

That Assange is indeed compromised by foreign intelligence but is still able to receive exfiltrated American intelligence.

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#27

> Some senior officials inside the CIA and the Trump administration even discussed killing Assange, going so far as to request “sketches” or “options” for how to assassinate him. > One of those officials said he was briefed on a spring 2017 meeting in which the president asked whether the CIA could assassinate Assange and provide him “options” for how to do so. I don't understand how this can be legal. Cannot such a…

Part of the government's job is to have a plan to kill every/anyone. Or if there are too many people to kill efficiently, starve them in to compliance (which is the plan with a heavy sanctions regime). They are not nice people, but it isn't illegal.

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#28
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Joe Biden had an innocent father and his 7 children killed as a way of distracting from his horrible, disinterested withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has yet to acknowledge this in any way other than calling it an “mistake” via his press bureau. He has spent his life lying about his credentials, and then selling the influence he gains in the us government to foreign countries. No, I don’t think Biden will be pardoning…

Don't forget that he wrote the bill that became the Patriot Act.

And the Clipper Chip:

https://reason.com/2015/04/09/the-feds-want-a-back-door-into...

"One fine day in 1991, an ambitious senator named Joe Biden introduced legislation declaring that telecommunications companies "shall ensure" that their hardware includes backdoors for government eavesdropping. Biden's proposal was followed by the introduction of the Clipper Chip by the National Security Agency (NSA) and a remarkable bill, approved by a House of Representatives committee in 1997, that would have outlawed encryption without back doors for the feds."

The man is an authoritarian, him playing an absent minded nice man of advanced age and his empty SJW phrases don't change that. You can get real glimpses of the personality like him "losing patience with the unvaccinated" lately.

Firmly embedded in the swamp.

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#29

> Some senior officials inside the CIA and the Trump administration even discussed killing Assange, going so far as to request “sketches” or “options” for how to assassinate him. > One of those officials said he was briefed on a spring 2017 meeting in which the president asked whether the CIA could assassinate Assange and provide him “options” for how to do so. I don't understand how this can be legal. Cannot such a…

[deleted]

Re: Former U.S. officials describe details of the CIA’s proposals to abduct Assange

#30
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What possible advantage would there be in doing so? Biden would gain nothing but criticism, be accused of supporting a traitor and so on. Doing the right thing is rarely politically sensible.

Honorable people do the right thing even when they personally do not benefit.

Honorable people are not attracted to politics
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