USA: Anti-war activist Ellsberg calls WikiLeaks principals "heroes" and "patriots"

Record ID: 751570

  • Title: USA: Anti-war activist Ellsberg calls WikiLeaks principals "heroes" and "patriots"
  • Date: 17th December 2010
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 16, 2010) (REUTERS) DANIEL ELLSBERG STANDING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANIEL ELLSBERG, PENTAGON PAPERS LEAKER SAYING: "An execution or really even a conviction of Julian Assange in particular and Bradley Manning at this time would mean that the Crown had returned to America. That it fitted on the head of an American president and that we were really under a monarchical system of total control of information which makes real democracy impossible. So we applaud the Australians who are speaking up for the role of international law, the role that that plays in world order and in real security. A rule of law that has been flaunted by two administrations now by for the last nine years in this country. Under George W. Bush and now under Barack Obama who's continued comparable policies which are both unconstitutional and against the rule of law in general. So we applaud, I admire Bradley Manning, who's a hero of mine. I'd do the same for Julian Assange, which does not mean that I have to agree with everything that either of them did or that they can't make mistakes, they're human or that I can't disagree. It does mean that I think they're performing a very important service for this country and for the people of the world. I see Bradley Manning as a patriot. I'm sure that Julian Assange has been an Australian patriot. To call them terrorists is not only mistaken, it's absurd and slanderous. Neither of them are any more terrorists than I am and I'm not." CUTAWAY OF REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANIEL ELLSBERG, PENTAGON PAPERS LEAKER SAYING: "People have said to my face, well you know, you were treated very well and now they're very angry at Assange. And I said, you know, I was put on trial, the first person ever to be put on trial facing 115 years in prison. The president did send people literally to assassinate me or the words were to incapacitate Daniel Ellsberg totally. Now there is a difference. That was done covertly. It was a secret, which when revealed, threatened Nixon with impeachment and led to his resignation. That is a difference in attitude, not in behavior, but in public attitude. Now, even the president can speak openly of the possibility of assassinating an American citizen. Assange is not an American citizen, but even if he were, the president himself and his intelligence people have asserted the right to assassinate American citizens abroad. This is an appalling assertion of monarchical power. I'm not sure George III would have even asserted such a power but certainly, or anyone since John I exactly. It negates the Magna Carta essentially as we're doing in a number of other ways."
  • Embargoed: 1st January 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAAV3YYF9Q448S3KCENLD4ORBSW
  • Story Text: As the White House review on President Obama's Afghanistan war strategy was released Thursday (December 16), anti-war activist Daniel Ellsberg condemned calls for prosecution of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.
    Ellsberg, known for releasing the controversial "Pentagon Papers" -- a top-secret study of the Vietnam War, spoke to reporters at the National Press Club in support of Assange and detained military analyst Bradley Manning.
    "I admire Bradley Manning, who's a hero of mine. I'd do the same for Julian Assange. I think they're performing a very important service for this country and for the people of the world."
    Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, has angered Washington by publishing part of a trove of 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables, including details of overseas sites that Washington regards as vital to its security.
    Manning is suspected of leaking the classified government documents to Assange.
    "I see Bradley Manning as a patriot. I'm sure that Julian Assange has been an Australian patriot. To call them terrorists is not only mistaken, it's absurd and slanderous. Neither of them are any more terrorists than I am and I'm not," Ellsberg said.
    Ellsberg said the public's attitude has changed since he released the "Pentagon Papers" to the New York Times in 1971.
    "The President did send people literally to assassinate me, or the words were to incapacitate Daniel Ellsberg totally. Now there is a difference. That was done covertly. It was a secret, which when revealed, threatened Nixon with impeachment and led to his resignation. That is a difference in attitude, not in behavior, but in public attitude. Now, even the president can speak openly of the possibility of assassinating an American citizen," Ellsberg said.
    "This is an appalling assertion of monarchical power. I'm not sure George III would have even asserted such a power," he added.
    Ellsberg spoke alongside an Australian advocacy group GetUp, which has launched an advertising campaign signed by 90,000 Australians calling for Assange's fair treatment.
    Assange was released on bail Thursday after spending nine days in a London jail after Sweden issued an arrest warrant for him over allegations of sexual misconduct made by two female WikiLeaks volunteers. Assange denies the accusations.
    Manning has been detained at Quantico Marine Base in Virginia after being charged in July with improperly obtaining a classified video showing a 2007 helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Iraq, including two Reuters journalists.
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