Singapore Expats

So what's with the lack of support from the Australian government over the arrest and detention of Julian Assange? Any other citizen would have been the cause of concern. The Oz government instead, even prior to the announced arrest warrant said that they'd arrest him if he stepped foot there again. Funny how they're not asking any questions. Little bit of bowing and scraping on the world stage perhaps?
I'm not saying the guy's an angel. He may well be evil personified but it sounds like a case of the 'squeaky wheel getting the most oil'.
Sweden might find itself getting some oil soon too via wikileaks, and it may not be the good oil either!

It is like the mob coming after him. It is creepy.

If a government can shoot JFK and get away with it, sure as hell they can bang up a website manager on a 'whatever' charge.

ozchick wrote:So what's with the lack of support from the Australian government over the arrest and detention of Julian Assange? Any other citizen would have been the cause of concern. The Oz government instead, even prior to the announced arrest warrant said that they'd arrest him if he stepped foot there again. Funny how they're not asking any questions. Little bit of bowing and scraping on the world stage perhaps?
I'm not saying the guy's an angel. He may well be evil personified but it sounds like a case of the 'squeaky wheel getting the most oil'.
Sweden might find itself getting some oil soon too via wikileaks, and it may not be the good oil either!

As I understand it, the Met police have arrested him on the basis of a European arrest warrant alleging amongst other things, rape.

Is it usual practice for the Australian government to object to these arrests?

manutdfan wrote:

ozchick wrote:So what's with the lack of support from the Australian government over the arrest and detention of Julian Assange? Any other citizen would have been the cause of concern. The Oz government instead, even prior to the announced arrest warrant said that they'd arrest him if he stepped foot there again. Funny how they're not asking any questions. Little bit of bowing and scraping on the world stage perhaps?
I'm not saying the guy's an angel. He may well be evil personified but it sounds like a case of the 'squeaky wheel getting the most oil'.
Sweden might find itself getting some oil soon too via wikileaks, and it may not be the good oil either!

As I understand it, the Met police have arrested him on the basis of a European arrest warrant alleging amongst other things, rape.

Is it usual practice for the Australian government to object to these arrests?

Actually, the charge is not rape. No charges have been filed. The Swedish government wants to extradite him for 'questioning'. The first time a Swedish prosecutor looked at the charges, they were turned down.

Strong Eagle wrote:

manutdfan wrote:
As I understand it, the Met police have arrested him on the basis of a European arrest warrant alleging amongst other things, rape.

Is it usual practice for the Australian government to object to these arrests?

Actually, the charge is not rape. No charges have been filed. The Swedish government wants to extradite him for 'questioning'. The first time a Swedish prosecutor looked at the charges, they were turned down.

I'm not a huge fan of the European arrest warrant - but the OP did appear to be suggesting that the Australian government were simply standing back and allowing the Europeans to screw one of their citizens over.

Given that the BBC are reporting that Assange was accompanied by representatives from the Australian High Commission in London I'm not sure that complaint has any validity - unless the OP is implying that Assange should be simply immune from any criminal investigation anywhere.

It really doesn’t matter who protests or if he is extradited. He has attacked too many nations around the world. Do you really think that the Russians would have a second thought about taking him out? If he is alive to see 2011 he will be lucky. Also he has screwed with so many countries that whoever takes him out will have no problem denying it.
We have a saying back in Texas "If you %$#@ with the bull you will get the horns". This dude has messed with a whole heard of bulls.

manutdfan wrote: Given that the BBC are reporting that Assange was accompanied by representatives from the Australian High Commission in London I'm not sure that complaint has any validity - unless the OP is implying that Assange should be simply immune from any criminal investigation anywhere.

Yeah you're right...it seems that despite earlier reports saying that the Government in Oz would arrest him, they now seem to be assisting him to get a fair hearing where otherwise he may have faced a loaded gun from the start.....

manutdfan wrote:

Strong Eagle wrote:

manutdfan wrote:
As I understand it, the Met police have arrested him on the basis of a European arrest warrant alleging amongst other things, rape.

Is it usual practice for the Australian government to object to these arrests?

Actually, the charge is not rape. No charges have been filed. The Swedish government wants to extradite him for 'questioning'. The first time a Swedish prosecutor looked at the charges, they were turned down.

I'm not a huge fan of the European arrest warrant - but the OP did appear to be suggesting that the Australian government were simply standing back and allowing the Europeans to screw one of their citizens over.

Given that the BBC are reporting that Assange was accompanied by representatives from the Australian High Commission in London I'm not sure that complaint has any validity - unless the OP is implying that Assange should be simply immune from any criminal investigation anywhere.

Quite. Given that he is allegedly not even legally in the UK (no record of his entry, or a visa etc) I'm a little surprised the Aus High Comm are helping him at all.

Imagine someone doing what he is doing in Asia, his feet would not even touch the flipping ground. And yet in the UK we even saw 'head in a dark place' C-list celebrities queueing up to volunteer to post his bail.

Oh what a jamboree! I'm sure Assange is loving the attention! Someone is going to take the moron out though. Surprising that that is one thing he appears to have failed to figure out yet.

Yeah, but they said the same thing about Salman Rushdie as well didn't they.

Yeah granted. But he had only made a few snidey insinuations in a novel, that inflamed some loony 3rd world zealots

Assange has managed to seriously P off, well, certainly all the G20 governments so far. And he's only warming up.

Singapore has its own Julian Assange actually, but this local chap gets no sympathy from anyone.

You wouldn't have been referring to good ole JB would you?

JR8 wrote: Oh what a jamboree! I'm sure Assange is loving the attention! Someone is going to take the moron out though. Surprising that that is one thing he appears to have failed to figure out yet.

For all we know he may have a death wish...stranger things have happened. Mm....he'd be our first unofficial virtual martyr...something like St Julian of Wikipedia. It's got a good ring to it don't ya think?!

ozchick wrote:

JR8 wrote: Oh what a jamboree! I'm sure Assange is loving the attention! Someone is going to take the moron out though. Surprising that that is one thing he appears to have failed to figure out yet.

For all we know he may have a death wish...stranger things have happened. Mm....he'd be our first unofficial virtual martyr...something like St Julian of Wikipedia. It's got a good ring to it don't ya think?!

Well, he's taking on just about all of the world's authorities in one go. So yep.... a death wish, maybe?!

p.s. He seems strangely coy about having a pop at Israel and Mossad though. I wonder why that might be.