Tony Kevin, a former Australian ambassador, defends Julian Assange & WikiLeaks & reveals a plan to get him safely from Ecuador’s London embassy back to Australia. He is interviewed by CN Editor Joe Lauria for Unity4J.
Tony Kevin, a former Australian ambassador, defends Julian Assange & WikiLeaks & reveals a plan to get him safely from Ecuador’s London embassy back to Australia. He is interviewed by CN Editor Joe Lauria for Unity4J.
Good for Mr Kevin for speaking out but I will bet he gets no coverage on the MSM in Australia.
I fully applaud Tony Kevin’s sadly rare courageous honesty in terms of Freeing Julian Assange as well as supporting every single angle he has outlined with regards to Australia’s pro-bias views towards America & Britain.
As an Australian who has been an avid supporter of The Truth Seeking Philosophy applied to Assange’s proven body of work I find myself outraged not only by Australia’s currently Elitist & Corrupt Govt, however by the generalisation aptly termed as APATHY which describes the majority of it’s largely ignorant citizens whom I accuse of being co-conspirators in this huge betrayal of Julian Assange… a truly decent and highly intelligent potential asset for Australia and for that matter a man whom I would not hesitate in voting for as our first Trustworthy & Ethical PRIME MINISTER.
( To quote a suitable sentiment, “The World will not be destroyed by those seeking it’s destruction, however by those who sit by and DO NOTHING” )??
ps. As much as I would wish to tackle the continuing corrupt ( plus still highly secretive alliances ) influences directly involved with FIVE EYES, put briefly ‘A Spying Network’ legalised for purposes of nefariously Spying Into The Five Involved Countries Individual Citizen Records otherwise deemed a serious Criminal Offense !!
( For those interested, I suggest researching the extremely lucrative and corrupt actions ( dare I name Seth Rich’s & Strosk during his stop over in London ! ) of Alexander Downer during his posting of Australia’s Foreign Minister. You may be surprised to learn of his involvement with top ranking Democrats including his unethical dealings with The Crown … sufficient reasons why investigations are still proceeding ) !!
Finally, Australian’s would do well to focus not on false Russian threats but rather to look closer to home as addressed by Tony Kevin’s astute comments concerning the very real threat posed by Pine Gap thanks to America, and for those of us of certain age we would do well to recall our teachings on ‘The Domino Effect” rather than ignore increasing signs which place All Australian’s in a state of High Risk whereupon we cannot rely on our U.S Allies to whom we merely represent a larger disposable Fighting Force wherever required??
… as Julian has pointed out ( along with other learned men ) “America no longer constitutes A GOVERNMENT but has since become no more than A CORPORATION since The Death Of ‘THE FED.” Consequently Ask Yourselves WHO & WHY Are We Fighting For When There No Longer Is A Flag To Defend ??
WAKE UP AUSTRALIA It’s Time We Cut The Chord With THE BIGGEST & MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY, ENGLAND, WHOSE SOVEREIGN POWER CONTROLS THE WORLD ??
( You Won’t Hear This On Your BRAINWASHING MSM Which Therefore Requires Of Us To Fight Even Harder To PROTECT THE TRUTH & Those Noble Few Like ASSANGE Who Do Not Shirk From TELLING IT )??
Yes, the US government could “touch” Assange after be boards a QANTAS flight.
Recall that the US government forced the grounding of the Bolivian President’s aircraft in Europe when they thought Snowden was aboard.
They certainly could do so against a QANTAS commercial aircraft.
Here in Australia, I twice emailed my local (Labor Party) MP about Julian’s deteriorating state of health etc. The first time the MP replied by parroting the line that Julian is free to leave the Embassy any time he likes. The second time he didn’t reply at all. If my MP represents the approach of the Australian Opposition, Julian will die in that Embassy. Which is, of course, the intention.
Excellent…please make it happen sooner than later and thanks for your courage…many of us americans are behind you and willing to fight whatever evil tries to beset Julian.
Julian Assange and Snowden, (I forgot the one in military prison and is now out) have raised the public’s awareness of government dishonesty, illegality and changed the game forever. The Five-Eyes Government, headed by US Deep State must stop the many holes in the dyke—but if they can’t, the flood Truth might very well destroy Their Ediface. We never know who will read what we write, so I encourage potential whistle blowers to find a way to broadcast the truth. The legal catch 22 is (pay attention here) : If a special access military operation is so compartmented that it is outside Congressional and Presidential scrutiny and therefore undisclosed and not constitutional, then whoever has knowledge of this operation can legally disclose it because at that level NO non-disclosure agreement would legally apply and a whistle blower could ask for legal immunity. Of course, at this level, they would kill, torture, defame said person and family members for breaking any promise.
That other person, “the war diaries”, must not be forgotten! Chelsea Manning (Bradley Manning at the time). I am not sure that the advice you give on the legality of whistle blowing is entirely correct; but, once a person decides
A continuation of my comment: to be a whistle blower then your mission is much greater than your life. At that point it is up to the rest of us to make sure their message was worth your life. We are failing you, so far.
TY, it’s about time for someone to stand-up to the corrupt, U.S. Empire of the Fascist RICH!
Glad to hear that the Australian Ambassador has decided to help Julian Assange who is a courageous and intelligent seeker of truth in the complicated and money-soaked international political scene which seems dominated by American big money and corruption. Many thanks for letting us know.
As much as I would like to see Assange finally free, I think it is a mistake to reveal how he would eventually be freed. I mean…why let those opposed to Assange’s freedom be given ‘advanced notice’?
I love you. Thank YOU . What ever is more important than the Truth. It’s about time The Australian Country got behind Julian Assange. LET ALL THE Emotional Blackmail go by in one big smelly Fart. THANK YOU Joe Loria . OH RAGH XXX XXX RISCHKA XXX THANK YOU XXX Tony Kelvin . Talking Sence. I LOVE YOU.
I Do not mind one little bit if you publish my E mail . I AM NOT AFRAID. WHEN ALL THE COUNTRY’S GET THERE HOUSE,S IN Order Stop telling Lies. And persecuting People For Telling the Truth. A mother would not Stand for it from her Children. I AM ASHAMED OF THIS GOVERNMENT AND UNTILL I SEE Julian Assange, Travell Safely back to OZz . I will not Stop telling it like it is.
Good, but take notice of a spell check!!!
Suzanne Easterbrook – Don’t worry about spelling, this is not an English exam. Your sentiment could not be clearer if written by a literacy professor – keep on spreading the word.
Good interview with a man who has a conscience and wants to do the right thing. If Kevin wants to get Assange out of London and home to Australia, just make Assange an ambassador; then he can freely get in an Australian embassy car and go to the airport, being an “untouchable” person, as is an ambassador.
If the US gets hold of Assange, they will never bring him to court because then the New York Times and Washington Post would have to be tried as well. Can’t have our mainstream propaganda sources under indictment and tried, can we? What they would do is put Assange in prison (Guantanamo maybe) and let him rot there forever without formal charges. In other words, he would be trading one prison where he now has been cut off from the outside world to another. As soon as Hillary started the hullabaloo about Russiagate, Julian was cut off because he’d said several times that someone in the DNC LEAKED the infamous emails to Wikileaks and there were not HACKED by an outside entity (Russia). Russiagate has be phony from day one.
Mr. Kevin, make Julian an Australian ambassador and take him safely home. Embarrass your PTB until they cave on this. The US is a bully and, never forget, all bullies are cowards.
Ecuador tried that already and the UK did not accept Assange’s diplomatic status.
The UK has a lot to answer for, and now with Theresa May’s hatred of Russia and complete refusal to seek truth the situation is getting worse.
Joe, Given the beauty of the idea of making Assange an ambassador, I am wondering if you can elaborate or give a link. Also, if this is so, can we further contemplate how to debase the UK response? Thanks in advance if you respond. Daniel Geery
“As soon as Hillary started the hullabaloo about Russiagate, Julian was cut off because he’d said several times that someone in the DNC LEAKED the infamous emails to Wikileaks and there were not HACKED by an outside entity (Russia). ”
Right. This needs to be reiterated as often as possible.
Just as lies need to be repeated ad nauseum, unfortunately so does the truth!
Mueller’s pathetic attempts to tie Assange to the Russiagate fairy tale say it all. The edia just keep repeating, as though obviously established, the phrase “hacks of the DNC computers.” It is not clear whether these writers know that is BS and are promulgating it on purpose, or not. Certainly their editors at the WSJ, WaPo, NYT, Guardian (sorry to have to cinlude the Guardian in that nasty group) know that the evidencne is that the DNC computers were leaked (downloaded onto a flash drive), not hacked. Those who purport to know the truth about this leak are assiduously avoided (Craig Murray). I am quite sure that Robert Parry wrote often about this issue at CN, so it behooves CN one way or another to keep this point front and center of every news story that touches in any way on the DNC hack, Assange, Seth Rich, Hillary and the true cover-up of DNC hanky-panky for which the Russiagate story is a massive case of misdirection of attention.
The best and most worthy comment I have read. Please start, or make known, a fund to help him get back on his feet. Again, thanks for your words.
“just make Assange an ambassador”
The Ecuadorians have already tried that. The British government flatly refused to recognise it.
Which further demonstrates just how far Britain is under American control. How much has been wasted on his lengthy incarceration so far?
Very informative interview! Ambassador Kevin’s solution could work, easily, if the Australian government demanded it. Whatever criminal charges against Mr. Assange may secretly exist or be filed in the US courts, he could not lawfully be extradicted to the US. The UK-US extradition treaty bars extradition for political offenses or politically-motivated prosecutions. Either or both of these defenses can be easily proven by Mr. Assange’s lawyers. If extradition to the US is practically impossible, why would US and British authorities want to arrest Mr. Assange for the minor offense of failing to appear in court for the now-moot Swedish investigation? If only to allow MI6 and CIA to hold him for a few days or weeks of “enhanced interogation” and “suicide” before the failure-to-appear charge were dropped, then the Australian government (and all of us) ought to forcefully and publically demand Mr. Assange’s immediate safe passage out of the UK to Australia.
Sadly Tim, it may have escaped your attention these days, but LAWS, INTERNATIONAL LAWS, Charters and Agreements no longer have any validity at all. Period. So to talk of enforcing any of the above is ludicrous, unless Australia stands it’s ground, and actually ABIDES by such Laws, which would be contrary to their sycophant behaviour towards the U.S. and Britain.
IMHO, there is not ONE politician in Canberra today, who would PUBLICLY stand up and voice contrary to U.S. or British powers demands.
Once upon a time, we had such a Government, it was called the Whitlam Government, we all know what happened to that, in retaliation for not siding with the U.S. Administration, and worse still, making demands of the Americans to back up the ALLEGED U.S./Australian defence agreement IN WRITTING, which to this day, is still a simple verbal agreement.
We can ask the Russians, how much creditability we can place in such an agreement. Therefore Australian reliance for defence upon the Americans is misguided at the least. We did this with the Brits before WW 2, and what did we get in return ??? ABANDONMENT. Yet, it would appear Australians are doing the same with the Brits. Idiotic.
Julian Assange is a hero of the first order, to expose the truth about what governments are doing. I’m always amazed when I hear some people criticizing him or foolishly calling him a Russian operative; apparently, those who do this are buying into the U.S. propaganda. Every citizen of every country has a right to know what their government is doing, and Assange is a brave truth teller. I pray that he will be released SOON, given the medical care he needs, be able to live with his family, and stay safe. He really deserves a huge monetary compensation for the years that were illegally stolen from him!
I wholehearted agree with you that Julian be monetarily compensated. The US government should be responsible for a large part of that compensation, which means us. We are in a large part responsible for Julian’s treatment, as we have stood by and allowed this atrocity to occur. How can money buy a person’s time in isolation and against his will some might ask? It truly cannot; but, it will send a message to those who might continue to try to take us to 1984 ever again. And, that money will show Julian that his actions were appreciated and valued by society.
I wonder whether his mother and/or son etc. could bring some kind of civil suit, a “wrongful detention” analogous to “wrongful death” charge in a U.S. or a UK court.
Many, many thanks to Tony Kevin.
It is a relief just to hear someone speaking normally about ASsange.
I hope Assange can know that *someone* in Australia is sticking up for him.
I wonder whether Kevin can do anything to magnify his message within Australia. Really, the demand for justice and the protections of citizenship probably must come from the Australian public. It seems to me that in abandoning Assange, the Aus. govt is acting very like the Third Reich, which simply expatriated and washed its hands of those it wanted to get rid of (well before the Final Solution).
It is not only publishers and journalists who should think twice about the precedents potentially set by the Assange case. Australian citizens should also take cognizance that their government’s de facto expatriation of Assange by refusing to represent his interests and protect him asis their duty as the state conferring citizenship significantly devalues the worth of Australian citizenship and of an Australian passport. Basically, the Aus. government is making Assange stateless. This could, actually, happen to *any Australian* who become inconvenient to the Aus. govt or its masters in DC.
Back in the day, an outfit of semi-militarized highly creative and determined activists would free him by force or deception, and take him to safety in the underground. You have to shake your head at was passes for activism today. Vocalizing your personal outrage online for an hour via your phone, then going out for IPAs and gluten free veggie burgers, is about as rough and tumble as the Left gets today. No more robbing banks to get money for direct action, no more protest by arson or breaking.
Wolfgang Pauli set the low bar for dismissing junk data with his admonition “That’s not even false,” in this case the state of activism on the part of the Left is “not even pitiful.” I walk the beach in my community and occasionally run into a neighbor who did time for burning an ROTC in protest of military recruiters on campus during the Vietnam War. I don’t know him very well, but I heartily shake his hand when I get the chance, he’s an American hero as far as I am concerned.
That type of personal sacrifice is something you can carry with pride for the rest of your life. Today you could dissolve any youth protest of any size over any issue by threatening to cut off cell phone service.
I like the idea of using deception against the U.S. imperialists and their British lapdogs to spirit Julian away from the Ecuador Embassy to safety. That is quite a feasible option (or maybe just a fantasy I have had) but it would require some very clever planning because it cannot be allowed to fail. The option of using force, on the other hand, is a very perilous proposition. I say this because the British government will counter it with the mobilization of overwhelming militaized police force. And not even the risk of killing 100s if not thousands of innocent civilians would cause them to hold back.
Someone also pointed out that if the U.S. gets its hands on Julian, it’s all over. He will never see the inside of a court room. Trump will send him off to Guantanamo Bay for indifinite detention under a false theory they would conjure up.
I served on a Medical Team set up by a Vietnam veteran during the Ohio State University riots in the early 1970s.
Activism back then, like you stated, was far more than epithets. My entire university was mobilized against the Vietnam War among other reasons. We were shot at and gassed to the point that after the first day a low lying cloud of tear gas could be seen across the open spaces of our campus.
Today, activism is nothing more than a feel good set of movements with all their own bureaucracies filled with leadership that has little real interest in changing anything but meaningless laws…
Activism seems to be dead, except in France where the police are kettling, tear-gassing, and firing giant rubber bullets at peaceful protesters. Viva la France.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand really ought to get together to function as a block against US continued wars world wide.
Sorry Danny, Canada is a total lost cause.
By all means,mr.tony kevin,should be applauded,helped et encouraged in his noble endeavour.It is everyone’s duty ,to stand up ,with those that ,put their lives et liberty on the line,so that ,we may see the light.
The emperor has no clothes on. Sadly, too many sheeple have no brain either.
Pity,the australien governement,lets ,the yanks,drag them down to the swamp.There is enough wisdom et righteousness,among australia’s deccent sons. Rise up,defenders of all that is right.Time is running out,those,running the show,maddened by an insane greed,know no bounds.What,horror,will they think of.next?
Foolish just as is Canada.
We’ve got a bunch of wimps in Canada’s Parliament, too.
We’ve never had ‘intelligence’ in Canada that isn’t gifted to the US.
It’s a very good idea. Keep brainstorming!
I worry about the Qantas airline part of the trip because I believe the US will cause an “accident” to that flight. This is a murderous govt. and they really don’t care about killing civilians. You would need an airplane which is equipped with electronic countermeasures and you would also need an escort capable of shooting down US missiles from the land, sea and space.
Because it is difficult to counter US contractor/military ability to shoot down aircraft, I would at least consider other travel methods or destinations.
As others have already said, thank you for your compassion and ideas.
Anything is possible of any sort of reply by the US and of its blaming others for what they’ve actually done.
Use an Airforce plane, and or Australian Government Plane with a couple politicians on board, preferably our Foreign affairs minister and deputy P.M.
Many Thanks to Tony Kevin and Joe Lauria for being motivated to lead the Outrage. It was interesting to me that Tony mentioned the Wikileaks video that Bradley (Chelsea) Manning provided, as his motivation Me Too! Clearly it was “a bridge to far” such disgusting behavior by our troops marked the end for me. It underscores the Value of that leak. And then, Chelsea Manning’s treatment turned me completely against our military/political establishment.
https://collateralmurder.wikileaks.org
Why does australia still let the UK treat it like a prison colony
More importantly. Why does Australia suck up to the Brits in the first instance after being BETRAYED by them during WW 2 ? Clearly, the sad demise of WW 2 veterans, who experienced this betrayal at first hand, are all dying off leaving very few people alive who can recall that betrayal.
As a Vietnam Veteran myself, I have no trouble recalling the betrayal to me and my fellow Veterans, by our very own Government. Why did we, (Australians) kill, maim and destroy so much in Vietnam, a people who never, ever threatened any Australian anywhere ? Where was the Fair go then ? Now here we are, doing exactly the same thing .over and over again, killing and interfering in other nations, breaching our International obligations/Laws/Charters without a whiff of guilt. Australians need to pull the wool from their eyes and recognise our Government for what it is, a total betrayal of the electorate by these politicians seeking to feather their own nests at the expense of the rest of us all.
We must make sure that Julian Assange is not the “forgotten man”. Among the voices for freedom, his is the most powerful. He is the leader of the movement for truth, and this why the forces of falsehood are so intent on persecuting him. Saving him is crucial for changing our world.
True.
Free Julian. People should not be punished for exposing the truth.
From Canada
Yes, go ahead…. Mr Assange is the person the whole world needs…. The truth has been suppressed by the likes of USA, UK, and Europe…. I will always support Mr. Assange and his thinking about the events around the World…. We should not give up on truth and legal international laws…. Which are being broken by Western,, powers,,… Regards, DD. D
Seriously D.Dhillon, you left out Australia in your post. Take a good look at the crap the Australia media is publishing these days regarding Russia and Venezuela in the papers and on T.V. Every article is so biased and one sided, it’s a joke they call themselves media. The crap they publish is to ensure people think exactly as the Government and their propoganda mediums, (the MSM ) want you to think, and sadly, for the most part, people swallow it, hook line and sinker. Australia, with it’s successive Governments has broken countless International Laws/Charters and agreements, yet they still think/believe they are in the right ! How is this even possible ????? Right now they have breached the Untied Nations Charter of which WE are a signatory, by siding with the Americans in their AGGRESSION, and INTERFERENCE in another nation’s affairs. Something ALLEGEDLY forbidden in that Charter. Yet here we have it being done, nevertheless. How’s that for a CRIMINAL Government ?
As a NZ citizen I have been advocating that the NZ Govt Treasurer, G Robertson organnise the NZ govt to get Julian Assange out of that embassy any way they can, but NZ govt is just as gutless as their AU counterparts.
Good on you Tony Kevin for speaking out, Julian Assange has changed the way the world views its politics, and his rescued is imperative.
Suzy Dawson has informed us of the NZ Key Govt appalling submission of NZ sovereignty to the CIA, under the 5 eyes banner, re NZ spies infiltrating the recent French election. Thankyou Suzy and your enduring support for Julian Assange.
The new NZ Labor Combined Govt have a fight on there hands if they so wish, to break the US yoke (at least crack it) on sovereignty, redirect the NZ economy: break the Milton Friedman austerity policy to the new economics ie Michael Hudson, public central bank, eco and modern monetary policy: Unlikely.
NZ politics and economic policy is led by the AU owned NZ media, the obedient NZ public media following close behind. NZ Labor/Comb Govt need to confront and use their Govt position to inform NZ of what is possible.
I note Tony Kevin’s comment, re a relased Assange and his role re Wikileaks, which could include an iron clad stipulation by UK govt.
but there are still possibilities.
I would like to see Julian Assange help organize a World War mobilization re fossil fuels and climate change. I think he would be an excellent instigator. The world has very little time.
Thank you Tony for being a courageous voice of reason and compassion. Australian politics and it’s propaganda arm the media has been sadly tainted by the culpable obsequiousness of it’s pandering to US interests. The situation has become so bad in recent years that I have been embarrassed to call myself an Australian. You have given me a glimmer of hope, something Julian needs in spades. I’d like to have a discussion with you over a glass of red.
Hear, hear, Nick, my sentiments exactly.