<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
I think that Ex Post Facto Laws...<br>
...er...<i>Retroactive Policies</i>...<br>
help keep America safe from Terrorists and protect the USA from<br>
those who "Hate Americans Because they are Free"...!!! <br>
<br>
(maybe not <i>free, </i>exactly...how about just "cheap"?)<br>
<br>
<blockquote><i>No, no!' said the Queen. 'Sentence first - verdict
afterwards.'</i><br>
<i>'Stuff and nonsense!' said Alice loudly. 'The idea of having the
sentence first!'</i><br>
<i>'Hold your tongue!' said the Queen, turning purple.</i><br>
<i>'I won't!' said Alice.</i><br>
<i>'Off with her head!' the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. </i><br>
<i>Nobody moved.</i><br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
On 12/20/2010 8:48 AM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:4D0EA7C2.2020600@illinois.edu" type="cite">[That's
the fundamental division in the US - maybe world - politics. Which side
are you on, Biden's & Obama's? or Assange's and Manning's? That's
the test for anyone who wants public office in the US in the coming
years. There's no excuse for voting for anyone who chooses the wrong
side of that alternative. --CGE]
<br>
<br>
Published on Sunday, December 19, 2010 by Agence France-Presse
<br>
Biden: US in Pursuit of 'Hi-Tech Terrorist' Assange
<br>
<br>
WASHINGTON - The US Justice Department is exploring a legal pursuit of
Julian Assange, said Vice President Joe Biden, who described the
WikiLeaks founder as a dangerous "hi-tech terrorist."
<br>
<br>
"We're looking at that right now," Biden told NBC's Sunday talk show
"Meet the Press," but the vice president stopped short of elaborating
on just how the administration could act against the head of the
organization whose release of thousands of classified US diplomatic
cables has enraged Washington.
<br>
<br>
"I'm not going to comment on that process."
<br>
<br>
When asked whether he thought Assange was a high-tech terrorist or a
whistleblower akin to those who released the Pentagon Papers -- a
series of top-secret documents revealing US military policy in Vietnam
-- Biden was clear: "I would argue that it's closer to being high-tech
terrorist."
<br>
<br>
Legal pressure has been been building steadily on WikiLeaks and
Assange, who is in England fighting extradition to Sweden, where he
faces sexual assault allegations.
<br>
<br>
Assange said Friday it looked "increasingly likely" that the United
States would try to extradite him on charges related to the leaked
cables.
<br>
<br>
A report by congressional researchers found the Espionage Act and other
US laws could be used to prosecute the 39-year-old Australian hacker,
but there is no known precedent for prosecuting publishers in such a
case.
<br>
<br>
A group of US senators early this month introduced a bill to make it
easier to target the self-described whistleblowing website by making it
illegal to publish names of informants serving the US military and
intelligence community.
<br>
<br>
Media reports suggested that US prosecutors are trying to build a case
against Assange on the grounds that he encouraged US Army Private
Bradley Manning, currently in US custody, to steal American cables from
a government computer and pass them to WikiLeaks.
<br>
<br>
Assange has denied knowing Manning.
<br>
<br>
Biden appeared to leave the door open for charges against Assange.
<br>
<br>
"If he conspired to get these classified documents with a member of the
US military, that's fundamentally different than if somebody drops
(documents) on your lap here, (saying) 'You're a press person, here is
classified material.'"
<br>
<br>
In a legal case, the United States would seek to show Assange's
responsibility for damage to national security, but legal experts have
said the path to prosecution is strewn with legal complications,
including constitutional free speech protections.
<br>
<br>
Biden insisted WikiLeaks "has done damage" through its documents dump.
<br>
<br>
"Look, this guy (Assange) has done things that have damaged and put in
jeopardy the lives and occupations of people in other parts of the
world," Biden said.
<br>
<br>
In particular, he acknowledged that among world leaders concerned over
the leaks, "there is a desire now to meet with me alone rather than
have staff in the room."
<br>
<br>
© 2010 Agence France-Presse
<br>
_______________________________________________
<br>
Peace-discuss mailing list
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net">Peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</a>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss">http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss</a>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
</body>
</html>