[LINK] 24 carrying Assange court findings

[Frank O'Connor]

Mmmmm ..

On wonders why his defence team abandoned all the other grounds of appeal and went with the (now failed) 'judicial officer' one. I mean, why bet on a single shot when they didn't have to?

That said, it'll be Sweden's hot potato if the Court of Human Rights appeal fails (and I'd guess that it will) ... so then we'll see if they do extradite to the US (where he's pretty well been tried, judged and set up for execution ... despite 4th Amendment, journalistic privilege concerns and other defences that rely on the fact that he's not a US citizen, resident or otherwise affiliated person) or whether they have the guts to refuse a US extradition request. 

The Swedes may be happy just to proceed with their criminal matter (which will now be under the scrutiny of the world's media) and laying aside the fact I have problems with both complainants acknowledging that they consented to the act in question and I therefore have trouble rationalising it as rape, that's up to the Swedes.

My guess? Unlike it's Scandinavian neighbours (Norway and Denmark) Sweden has no tradition of acting on principle or according to ethical values over the last century and a half  .... merely of acting in its own interests and profiteering on the misery and conflict experienced by others whilst hiding under the cloak of their 'neutrality', and if the US makes a request ... they'll honour it. Switzerland and tax haven countries like Lichtenstein have a prouder record than Sweden.

Gillard and Co won't even squeak about it to our 'Great Ally' ... maintaining the great tradition of rolling over to have their bellies rubbed that both sides of the political spectrum in Australia seem to suffer from. (It's amazing how they can let our long term interests ... viz-a-viz China and Asia ... go down the toilet so blithely as they continue to try and cosy up to the ever more remote and disengaged US. It's like nothing has moved in their head since the 1950's.)

As I've said before ... he's not very likeable, narcissistic, abrasive, paranoid and impossibly self absorbed .... but Wikileaks has (and hopefully still will) served a purpose and revealed things that media empires in the pockets of the various governments involved couldn't, wouldn't and haven't. And nobody deserves to be put in front of a hung jury ... which is what appears to be the case with the US and Assange at the moment.

Just my 2 cents worth ...
---
On 30/05/2012, at 6:27 PM, Jan Whitaker wrote:

> At 06:18 PM 30/05/2012, Jan Whitaker wrote:
> 
>> right now - 6.15pm, Wed.
> 
> He lost -- for now.
> 
> 
> 
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