Bildt 'worried' over WikiLeaks smear plans
Published: 23 Feb 12 16:27 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/39300/20120223/
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said on Thursday he is taking very seriously WikiLeaks' plans to launch a smear campaign against Sweden to stop the potential extradition of founder Julian Assange to the United States.
- WikiLeaks smear effort to reveal Bildt as US 'spy' (22 Feb 12)
- Extradition 'undermines' legal principles: lawyer (1 Feb 12)
- Assange win would have 'profound' effects (31 Jan 12)
According to an internal WikiLeaks memo reviewed by the paper, WikiLeaks is planning to release more classified documents, organize blockades of Swedish embassies and consulates as well as boycotts of Swedish companies.
”It worries me that there are those who pursue smear campaigns and if WikiLeaks does, that says more about WikiLeaks than anything else,” said Bildt to Expressen.
However, Bildt also said that he was not worried about a document WikiLeaks claims to have in its possession which shows he acted as an informant for the US since the 1970s.
”I haven't got a clue what it could be about. But let's see if they have something to publish,” said Bildt to the paper.
”If they do publish these documents we'll probably see a quick end to this story.”
Assange is currently in Britain fighting extradition to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning on rape and sexual assault allegations, and WikiLeaks has long expressed concern that if he is sent to Sweden, Stockholm would quickly send him on to the United States.
Washington is eager to lay hands on the WikiLeaks founder after the organization's publication of hundreds of thousands of classified US diplomatic files, and according to Expressen the group's "smear campaign" against Sweden would be aimed at blocking Assange's further extradition.
"Julian Assange will most probably be freed from the sex crime suspicions, because that is just a trap," the unnamed person with insight into WikiLeaks told Expressen on Wednesday.
Speaking on Thursday, Bildt also completely repudiated WikiLeaks' claims that US political consultant Karl Rove, a former adviser to President George W. Bush and someone who Bildt previously has referred to as “an old friend”, had recruited him as an informant.
”No, of course he didn't. I know very many people around the globe. It is part of the duties of a foreign minister to brief other countries about sensitive topics,” Bildt told Expressen.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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His answers seem to be fishy here and there.
I really can't wait for the documents to be published.
Sensitive and confidential info is part of secret service job.
He is nothing but a first class tosser and an embarrassment to Sweden.
That being the case, it just goes to show that the US can't be that choosy about their 'informants' (if the story is true)
What "Sweden" did was to have a slow and inefficient justice process. I think we can all agree that it's not very good, for anyone involved.
I don't think "Sweden" has any plans of extradition to the US. I would be much more worried in the UK and in the commonwealth. They recently sent an alleged hacker from the UK (forgot the name) and a siteowner (megaupload) from New Zeeland.
Or do you know something that I haven't heard of?
Wiki leaks is a pathetic joke.
LMAO
So I believe it would be a similar case for Bildt.
And well nothing happend anyway, with the disclosure by wikileaks. The nations headed by corrupt leaders, are still being headed by them, without any mass revolts. The nations who being fooled or being ruled by the US, are still being ruled the same way.
the US... oh wait, ok i am sure it is regretting its decision of stepping into afghanistan after the recent riots:) (but it has nothing to do with wikileaks)
So, this too will come and go. The WORST that will happen, Bildt will resign and thats it.
Obama is not so engaged.
'And well nothing happend anyway, with the disclosure by wikileaks. The nations headed by corrupt leaders, are still being headed by them, without any mass revolts. The nations who being fooled or being ruled by the US, are still being ruled the same way.'
Not entirely true. Mubarak and other Arab leaders overthrown in last year's 'Arab Spring' revolts, lost power because of US Embassy cables being published by WikiLeaks. The general,populace read the reports of their leaders excesses and revolted against them. Other countries, which were not covered by the cables, went into revolt domino style. So while many corrupt leaders are still in power some significant ones are not and that due directly or indirectly to WikiLeaks. No wonder Bildt is worried; he knows what that might against him.
And even if no power had changed at all the confirmations of other leaders' behaviour and the opinion of US diplomatic staff that was not so diplomatic needed to be made public.
I also wish that the local would stop using the term smear in it's highly editorialized, agenda driven headlines. A document release is not a smear. It's up to the press to smear him if he deserves it. So far nothing's happened, but Bildt has already build a press bulwark against any document release as a smear campaign.
The police say 'why deny search if you have nothing to hide'. Well, follow the same principle with Wikileaks instead of trying to silence them.
With regards to Assange being a 'sexual pervert' well, well. Apparently one of the ladies was worried he might be HIV infected after their condom broke so she asked him to test himself. He refused. The only way you get the expensive anti-retrovirus treatment for free is if you report rape... .
He is suspected of trying to have sex with a woman who was sleeping, which consitutes rape in many countries.
Comment: Opinionfool I can see you are really an opinion fool. What relationship does Egyptian revolt have with Wikileak release? Revolt in the middle east is just an espression of the anger that the people of middle east have with their leaders. After the downfall of the tunisian president the slumbing Arabs suddenly got up from their slumber to send their leaders away. It succeded in Egypt. The west helped Lybia drove Ghadafi. Iranian and bahrainian leaders are stronger than protesters Syria is still struggling. Wikileak did not change anything. He just corrupted one American military officer to become famous. After being famous he embark on a sex spree. What kind of responsible man will be skrewing two ladies at once. He should get married and find himself a real job. I know in Sweden if you cannot sex a swedish girl well she will accuse you of rape. Assange could not sex well so he is now being charged for rape. He should come and face the trial. I also want the prosecutors to also charge assange for blackmailing their foreign minister. Assange should and face trial. sentences here are very mild. 1 week for rape, 3 days for murder and a day for arm robbery, 12 hours or a fine of 300sek for blackmailing.His maximum prison term will be one day and 12hrs in prison.
Put both Bildt and Assange on trial.
Both of them are a waste of genetic material.
Oh yes, I'm an opinion fool alright but I keep my eyes open. Here's what the human rights organisation Amnesty International said (reported here http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/13/amnesty-international-wikileaks-arab-spring )
"The rights group [Amnesty International] singles out WikiLeaks and the newspapers that pored over its previously confidential government files, among them the Guardian, as a catalyst in a series of uprisings against repressive regimes, notably the overthrow of Tunisia's long-serving president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali."
Looks to me like WikiLeaks created the initial ferment that occasioned the 'Arab Spring'.
As someone once said 'tehre's none so blind as those who will not see'.
Because this could be what the Wikileaks cables could "reveal" even though it's well-known already. So I can see why Bildt feels he needs full information before properly defending himself.
Also, Assanges team themselves stated they were going to attempt a smear campaign to influence the British verdict. So this is without a doubt a smear campaign. They're extremely ignorant if they think even a real scandal involving Bildt would have any impact on this extradition decision, however. Sweden has fired politicians left and right for breaking even the smallest rules. This would be no different.
But the average Swede wouldn't see that
I think vtrusty is a mental pervert, an instance of atavistic reversion to a Cro-Magnon hominid, and a doubly inverted crackpot.
http://rixstep.com/1/20120214,00.shtml
and after reading the truth behind the myth, you can come out with better conclussions and not only jumping into them.
for how long are we going to be wasting our time reading about assange´s situation,
its a fact he´s not a rapist but sweden is trying too hard to get him, with not even a single evidence of his crime...
i see this a stupid way to shut up true journalists...