Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

UK threaten to enter Ecuadorian embassy and arrest Julian Assange

bbc.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 287 posts

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

#51

Post by runako »

philwelch wrote: post #14
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.

It could always be both. Assange is probably persona non grata to the British authorities, but even if you wanted to manufacture some cause to imprison him, you wouldn't go for fabricating a rape charge in Sweden. At most, the British authorities are reacting opportunistically to an otherwise valid, legitimate charge.

I agree 100%. I wonder if those defending Assange would do so if he were accused of raping someone they care about.

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

#52

Post by [deleted] »

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?

[deleted]

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

#53

Post by elemeno »

julianz wrote: post #40

So, just to make sure I'm keeping up, the UK is threatening an act of war against Ecuador in order to extradite an Australian who's wanted by the US to Sweden. okithinkigotit.

It's not an act of war - it's, at worst, a violation of a convention. An embassy/consulate/mission is the territory of the host country and not, as is commonly thought, sovereign to the country who's located in it.

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

#54

Post by mootothemax »

naner wrote: post #37
arrrg wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or he is someone who flees from serious charges and the British authorities don’t want to look like idiots in front of the whole world because they can’t do something simple like extradite him. Why is there this willingness to believe everything this idiot says? He’s a pompous ass, pure and simple. No conspiracy required. Meanwhile the idea of an anonymous leaks platform dies because everyone focuses on his stupid an…

He is a pompous ass and so is Kim Dotcom. The problem is that the charges against each of them appear to be completely exaggerated or made up[1]. 1: http://news.ycombinator.org/item?id=4280532

That's a biased source being discussed there, along with some wishful and imaginative thinking about what various interpol notices indicate.

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

#55

Post by stinnyfregs »

fleitz wrote: post #48
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.

Wrong. All you have to do is make a major sacrifice.

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

#56

Post by [deleted] »

arrrg wrote: post #25
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.

Or he is someone who flees from serious charges and the British authorities don’t want to look like idiots in front of the whole world because they can’t do something simple like extradite him. Why is there this willingness to believe everything this idiot says? He’s a pompous ass, pure and simple. No conspiracy required. Meanwhile the idea of an anonymous leaks platform dies because everyone focuses on his stupid an…

[deleted]

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

#57

Post by youngtaff »

About time we started applying the pressure...

Assange is taking his supporters for a ride, if he's not guilty why doesn't he go back to Sweden and face the questions?

As for this "I offered to talk to the Swedes in the UK" business it's bollocks, since when has law-enforcement done things at the convenience of the 'accused'

The whole extradition to the US is a red-herring - have you seen how easy it is to extradite someone from the UK to US if a US judge says they've got a case to answer?

Ship Assange out, if not Sweden then Australia, he's taking the piss (to use an UK colloquialism) and lots of people are falling for his conspiracy theory rubbish.

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

#58

Post by mootothemax »

kefs wrote: post #20
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.

charges I think you've been listening to the MSM too much. Mr. Assange has not been charged with any crime in Sweden and is only wanted for questioning.

In Sweden, you can't charge someone without questioning them first.

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

#59

Post by cobrausn »

fleitz wrote: post #48
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.

Nitpicking. People are often called 'martyr for a cause' if they end up persecuted or imprisoned.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martyr

Definition #2. It helps if you die, but it's not required.

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

#60

Post by [deleted] »

philwelch wrote: post #49
billswift wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

[deleted]
Post reply on HN