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    You are at:Home»Society»Crime»June 19, 2012: Julian Assange and Wikileaks, Heroes or Heels?
    Crime

    June 19, 2012: Julian Assange and Wikileaks, Heroes or Heels?

    Major DanBy Major DanJune 19, 2016Updated:April 10, 2020No Comments3 Mins Read
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    A Brief History

    On June 19, 2012, Julian Assange, founder of the Internet sensation Wikileaks, sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, England.  Assange was the target of a criminal espionage investigation by the United States in conjunction with his publishing a massive quantity of US intelligence gathering secrets that he received from a disaffected US Army soldier (Bradley Manning, now known as Chelsea Manning).

    Digging Deeper

    Meanwhile, Assange was also the target of a sexual assault investigation by Sweeden and was being sought for extradition, which is the reason he pursued political asylum.  Assange claims the sex charge is frivolous and motivated by politics due to various governments being unhappy about the nature of Wikileaks revealing state secrets to the world.

    The logo of WikiLeaks, an hourglass with a globe leaking from top to bottom

    Assange, an Australian hacker and computer programmer, created Wikileaks with others in 2006, and have been the bane of governments ever since.  Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, referred to Assange as a “terrorist,” but predictably Vladimir Putin of Russia lends his support.  Other media types approve of the anonymous leaking of secret information in the interest of open government, while some feel he is a menace to Western society.

    Is Assange naïve to think revealing US military and spy agency (CIA, NSA) secrets serves the cause of peace, or is he purposely out to hurt the security of the US and Western nations?  Or is he just plain correct to do what he has been doing?  After all, he has been the Le Monde Readers’ Choice Man of the Year, a Sam Adams Person of the Year, a Time Magazine Readers’ Choice Person of the Year, been given a Walkley Award, an Amnesty International Award and a Martha Gellhorn Prize.  He was even awarded a Gold Medal by the Sydney Peace Foundation.  The Italian branch of Rolling Stone Magazine named him Rockstar of the Year.

    Demonstration in support of Assange in front of Sydney Town Hall, 10 December 2010

    Meanwhile, Assange is stuck in place at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, having failed to convince Swedish courts to throw out the charges against him.  The US still has an open investigation into the Manning case and the involvement of Wikileaks, but has no public indictment.

    We leave it up to your own opinion whether Assange is an angel or a devil, a hero or heel, a terrorist spy or a freedom martyr.  Or is he just naïve?  Or perhaps something else altogether…

    Question for students (and subscribers): You decide and tell us what you think in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Assange, Julian.  Julian Assange: The Unauthorised Autobiography.  Canongate Books Ltd, 2011.

    Assange, Julian.  When Google Met Wikileaks.  O, 2014.

    Assange, Julian and WikiLeaks.  The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire.  Verso, 2015.

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    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

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