USA
WikiLeaks: Julian Assange could face 'grave consequences'
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been rebuffed by the US government after he sought information "regarding individuals who may be 'at significant risk of harm'" because of" his release of classified documents.
Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks
His unusual move to open an 11th-hour dialogue about the documents came after a Swedish appeals court last week upheld an arrest warrant on rape charges for Mr Assange, validating an international warrant.
Mr Assange, who denies he has committed any crime, was believed to have recently spent time in London but his whereabouts on Sunday were unknown. He had been under investigation in Sweden since August over rape allegations.
His approach to the State Department, in a letter co-signed by his lawyer Jennifer Robinson, suggested that Mr Assange might be feeling under growing pressure after the Swedish court decision and the US government accused him of endangering lives.
Harold Koh, the State Department legal adviser, rejected the overture from Mr Assange, warning that the expected release of approximately 250,000 secret State Department documents would have "grave consequences" and place at risk the lives of journalists, human rights activists and troops.
The Obama administration, Mr Koh wrote, would "not engage in a negotiation regarding the further release or dissemination of illegally obtained US Government classified materials".
Mr Koh urged Mr Assange not to publish the materials and destroy all copies.
He also indicated that there would be legal repercussions for Mr Assange. "If any of the materials you intend to publish were provided by any government officials, or any intermediary without proper authorisation, they were provided in violation of U.S. law and without regard for the grave consequences of this action. As long as WikiLeaks holds such material, the violation of the law is ongoing."
Wikileaks has said there would be "seven times" as many secret documents as the 400,000 Iraq war logs released last month. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the head of US armed forces, used a CNN interview to ask WikiLeaks on CNN to halt its "extremely dangerous" release.
He said that Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, had contacted leaders in Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan over the issue. Officials in Russia, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have said they too had been contacted by American diplomats about the release.
Mr Assange, 39, who is Australian, has long led a mysterious, itinerant lifestyle, moving from country to country, often changing his appearance and apparently living out of a suitcase for long periods. A former internet hacker, he was once known by the cyber pseudonym "Mendax".
The Obama administration, Mr Koh wrote, would "not engage in a negotiation regarding the further release or dissemination of illegally obtained US Government classified materials".
Mr Koh urged Mr Assange not to publish the materials and destroy all copies.
He also indicated that there would be legal repercussions for Mr Assange. "If any of the materials you intend to publish were provided by any government officials, or any intermediary without proper authorisation, they were provided in violation of U.S. law and without regard for the grave consequences of this action. As long as WikiLeaks holds such material, the violation of the law is ongoing."
Wikileaks has said there would be "seven times" as many secret documents as the 400,000 Iraq war logs released last month. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the head of US armed forces, used a CNN interview to ask WikiLeaks on CNN to halt its "extremely dangerous" release.
He said that Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, had contacted leaders in Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan over the issue. Officials in Russia, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have said they too had been contacted by American diplomats about the release.
Mr Assange, 39, who is Australian, has long led a mysterious, itinerant lifestyle, moving from country to country, often changing his appearance and apparently living out of a suitcase for long periods. A former internet hacker, he was once known by the cyber pseudonym "Mendax".
