UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange • Hacker News Board

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#41

Post by billswift » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:22 PM UTC

philwelch wrote: post #32

billswift wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This is just conspiracy theory. Somewhat, which is why I never weighed in on it before. But if the UK is threatening something as unusual as invading an embassy, that is evidence that there is likely to be something more to the issue.

If the embassy is doing something as unusual as harboring an accused rapist, isn't that enough?

No. I remember a situation, though no longer the details, where someone was accused of spying during the Cold War and fled to an embassy. He was effectively trapped there, just like Assange, but whoever was after him didn't violate the embassy. Like I said, I can't remember the details, not even the country involved, but I think he ended up spending several years confined to the embassy.

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#42

Post by runako » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:22 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #18

philwelch wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would use the same terms to describe any fugitive on the run from rape charges. What on earth does Sweden have to gain or lose from this? This is just conspiracy theory.

[deleted]

>> he doesn't have an outstanding arrest warrant

According to Wikipedia he is the subject of a European Arrest Warrant (this is presumably why he's hiding in a non-EU embassy).

Edit: arrest warrants don't always/usually imply that any charges have been filed. This is not unusual. The unusual part is a person accused of rape hiding out in the embassy of a country of which he is not a citizen, in a country of which he is not a citizen, while people cheer him on for being righteous.

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#43

Post by jakeonthemove » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:22 PM UTC

Eh, even if they get him, it's not like it's going to change much for WikiLeaks - the platform will go on, probably stronger than before. The politicians will pat themselves on the back for a "good job" catching Assange, while the leaks go on and people find out stuff they weren't supposed to know (and most of them don't even care either way).

The UK should be like, "well, whatever, he'll come out eventually" instead of issuing threats against other countries. Maybe they'll send in the SAS next - that would be interesting to watch...

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#44

Post by billswift » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:24 PM UTC

elemeno wrote: post #24

billswift wrote: post #4

If the UK really is threatening that, then that is more evidence that the Swedish charges are politically motivated rather than being from an actual crime.

Granting someone asylum is a politically motivated act, wanting to arrest someone who's in breach of their bail conditions - not so much.

Threatening to invade an embassy is.

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#45

Post by nickperry » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:24 PM UTC

Why does Ecuador even want to stand its ground on this? Why do they want to harbor Assange in the first place? Seems silly to escalate this to the national level when they don't seem to benefit from it in any material or practical sense.

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#46

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:24 PM UTC

runako wrote: post #42

[deleted] wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

>> he doesn't have an outstanding arrest warrant According to Wikipedia he is the subject of a European Arrest Warrant (this is presumably why he's hiding in a non-EU embassy). Edit: arrest warrants don't always/usually imply that any charges have been filed. This is not unusual. The unusual part is a person accused of rape hiding out in the embassy of a country of which he is not a citizen, in a country of which he…

[deleted]

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#47

Post by mc32 » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:25 PM UTC

flogic wrote: post #28

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you honestly believe Ecuador will initiate hostilities against NATO in order to protect a foreign citizen from due legal process in that persons home country? It would surely be less effort and risk to lift him from the roof by helicopter and whisk him to a waiting jet James Bond style. The second option seems far more likely to me.

There's what you say and what you do. I wouldn't be surprised if they called it an act of war. However, a violent response is highly unlikely.

They probably would not call it an act of war without backing it up --so I doubt they would. If they did bluff and get called, next time hostilities flared up with Peru or Columbia, they might not be taken seriously.

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#48

Post by fleitz » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:25 PM UTC

cobrausn wrote: post #34

Did anyone not see this coming? Does he actually think they won't go after him to the full extent they are capable? The thing about being a martyr for a cause is that they usually don't walk away from the experience unscathed. I think this man thought he was untouchable and acted accordingly, deciding to be a celebrity instead of a quiet hero. Well, the hammer is dropping. Good luck, Julian, you completely unlikable…

If you walk away with your life you're by definition not a martyr.

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#49

Post by philwelch » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:27 PM UTC

billswift wrote: post #41

philwelch wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the embassy is doing something as unusual as harboring an accused rapist, isn't that enough?

No. I remember a situation, though no longer the details, where someone was accused of spying during the Cold War and fled to an embassy. He was effectively trapped there, just like Assange, but whoever was after him didn't violate the embassy. Like I said, I can't remember the details, not even the country involved, but I think he ended up spending several years confined to the embassy.

Well the victim of espionage is the state, and the state has nothing to gain by imprisoning the spy themselves rather than letting the spy imprison himself in a foreign embassy. With rape, there's an actual victim.

Re: UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

#50

Post by estel » Wed, Aug 15, 2012, 10:27 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #18

philwelch wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would use the same terms to describe any fugitive on the run from rape charges. What on earth does Sweden have to gain or lose from this? This is just conspiracy theory.

[deleted]

Wasn't evidence gathered by interviews on foreign soil inadmissible, or something?