Owen Jones on Julian Assange

[Serial_Apologist]

Why on earth would Assange have offered to do that? Surely if he went to the Swedish Embassy, he'd be wheeched* back to Sweden and thence to the US before his feet touched, and I really can't imagine Hague and his merry men at the FCO doing anything to stop it. Or am I missing something? I think he's probably safer where he is.


* "wheeched" - a good Scots word, and the meaning should be obvious from the context.

I wasn't listening too closely to Any Answers, but from what I remember Assange was quoted as saying he would have been prepared to be interviewed by Swedish police at the Ecuadorian embassy?

[amateur51]

I wasn't listening too closely to Any Answers, but from what I remember Assange was quoted as saying he would have been prepared to be interviewed by Swedish police at the Ecuadorian embassy?

I must say that this seems to be more likely than his decamping to the Swedish embassy and risking a wheeching

[AuntyKezia]

I thought (perhaps I'm wrong) that the caller was referring to Assange's earlier offer of an interview at the Swedish embassy (made in November 2010 according to the BBC's timeline, updated on 16/08/12) as well as his more recent offer to be interviewed in the Ecuadorian embassy.

[JohnSkelton]

I thought (perhaps I'm wrong) that the caller was referring to Assange's earlier offer of an interview at the Swedish embassy (made in November 2010 according to the BBC's timeline, updated on 16/08/12) as well as his more recent offer to be interviewed in the Ecuadorian embassy.

It may be my lack of sophistication, again, but I wasn't aware that people being investigated for alleged rape or sexual abuse crimes were generally expected to offer to be spoken to at a place and a time commodious and convenient to themselves. You learn something every day.

back to Sweden and thence to the US before his feet touched

That's the danger; on the other hand it's not impossible that the Swedes are interested in the sexual offences and not in rendering him to the US. Justice for Assange [sic] have a bob each way, since they are very strong on the ludicrous it's feminism gone mad situation in Sweden (as they see it) http://justice4assange.com/Gender-Politics.html

"Sundberg-Weitman’s critical comments of Marianne Ny were widely publicised: Ny is ’biased against men’ and ’a well-known radical feminist’." A well-known radical feminist? Dear oh dear, we can't have that can we?

[Bryn]

I'm not sure whether this has been linked to here before, but:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/17/julian-assange-sweden

does tend to show what a sordid can of worms this whole affair seems to be. Nobody comes out of it smelling of roses.

[Dave2002]

But all of this is speculative, since there's no mechanism outside Swedish law for testing the allegations against Julian Assange.

I'd be surprised if the Swedes have mechanisms as well, though they may have procedures which differ from those in other countries.

[John Wright]

* "wheeched" - a good Scots word, and the meaning should be obvious from the context.

Aye, fir sure, with a Bach 'ch' of course. I rememebr Billy Connolly on stage invented a wheecher for use on an aeroplane.... further details via google

[mangerton]

I must say that this seems to be more likely than his decamping to the Swedish embassy and risking a wheeching

I hope you're pronouncing that properly, amsy. It doesn't rhyme with "screeching", of course.

As was sometimes said in Scottish courts in the bad old days, "Ye'll be nane the waur o' a guid hangin'"!

[mangerton]

Aye, fir sure, with a Bach 'ch' of course. I rememebr Billy Connolly on stage invented a wheecher for use on an aeroplane.... further details via google

Oh yes. I remember it well. It was the first time ever I heard Connolly.

[scottycelt]

It may be my lack of sophistication, again, but I wasn't aware that people being investigated for alleged rape or sexual abuse crimes were generally expected to offer to be spoken to at a place and a time commodious and convenient to themselves. You learn something every day.

Yes, a police interview regarding an alleged serious crime is now 'by strict appointment only', and solely at the interviewee's discretion it seems ...

[Lateralthinking1]

Yes, a police interview regarding an alleged serious crime is now 'by strict appointment only', and solely at the interviewee's discretion it seems ...

There are 50 police officers around the Ecuador Embassy in London. They have been there for many hours.

I estimate that this is at least 45 more than are usually allocated where a sexual offence is alleged - probably 47 more - and I am wondering what the reason might be for such a difference, seeing that no other matter is involved.

After all, he only has to go to Sweden. It isn't Russia or the United States.

[Serial_Apologist]

There are 50 police officers around the Ecuador Embassy in London. They have been there for many hours.

I estimate that this is at least 45 more than are usually allocated where a sexual offence is alleged - probably 47 more - and I am wondering what the reason might be for such a difference, seeing that no other matter is involved.

After all, he only has to go to Sweden. It isn't Russia or the United States.

One for every... manhole?

[Lateralthinking1]

One for every... manhole?

What's this? Wait for the Paralympics. Pink, purple and fawn tracksuit. Disappear into the crowd.

Hold on a moment. I must have inadvertently intercepted the Ecuadorian e-mail system. Hobbies, eh?

[JohnSkelton]

There are 50 police officers around the Ecuador Embassy in London. They have been there for many hours.

I estimate that this is at least 45 more than are usually allocated where a sexual offence is alleged - probably 47 more - and I am wondering what the reason might be for such a difference, seeing that no other matter is involved.

After all, he only has to go to Sweden. It isn't Russia or the United States.

In most other cases where a sexual offence is alleged the person against whom the sexual offence has been alleged doesn't go to a country's Embassy and claim political asylum. In fact, if you can find another instance where it's happened I'd be almost surprised.

Perhaps I'm a CIA agent - who knows - but the construction of a situation where it's about something other than the alleged offences and the resultant reactions, narrative, seems to me to be not unrelated to stuff Assange has recently done. Like claim political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy. Of course he only has to go to Sweden - so why won't he?

[Lateralthinking1]

In most other cases where a sexual offence is alleged the person against whom the sexual offence has been alleged doesn't go to a country's Embassy and claim political asylum. In fact, if you can find another instance where it's happened I'd be almost surprised.

Perhaps I'm a CIA agent - who knows - but the construction of a situation where it's about something other than the alleged offences and the resultant reactions, narrative, seems to me to be not unrelated to stuff Assange has recently done. Like claim political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy. Of course he only has to go to Sweden - so why won't he?

Your latter point is interesting because I see a very close analogy between the sexual allegations and the concerns of our wonderful nations about the Wikileaks method. All sorts of similar issues are involved from how wise it is for doors to be left open to when are barriers required for protection and in whose hands can those be trusted. Certainly there are parallels in regard to issues of loyalty, consent, freedom and constraint, along with much confusion in all the behind-the-scenes criss-crossing.

Rather than seeing the Swedish question as necessarily reflecting Assange's character, I am more inclined to view it as a sophisticated attempt by our overlords to duplicate Assange. Throwing it back should have adverse impacts on him. He is a bit of a lothario. Most will tolerate it but it is helpful for those who find him a problem. And there is nothing like some mixing up of the separated out good and bad to dilute one-sided adulation. I imagine that for those who are sufficiently skilled, it is a cup of tea.

According to the news, two women were sexually assaulted in West London tonight. Let us hope that there are enough police officers to cope and that not too many are diverted on one mission. My feeling is that everyone who cares about such issues might help themselves by not aligning too closely with individuals in the Assange case. That isn't advocacy - I wouldn't dream of being that impertinent but very sadly there are many clear-cut cases in need of support. For now, I would put those first.