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Dear President Trump: Do Not Prosecute Wikileaks
Chelsea Manning, whose information about the war in Iraq first brought Wikileaks to the attention of Americans, will leave prison as a free woman on May 17.However, the U.S. government’s attempts to punish people for bringing war crimes from Iraq into daylight continues, in the form of prosecutions directed against Wikileaks and/or its founder Julian Assange.
I recently signed an open letter in support of Wikileaks, as drafted by the Courage Foundation. Here it is.
Dear Mr. President,
We are journalists, activists and citizens from the United States and
around the world who care about press freedom and are writing to you in
response to the latest threat of prosecution against WikiLeaks for its
journalistic work. We ask you to immediately close the Grand Jury
investigation into WikiLeaks and drop any charges against Julian Assange
and other Wikileaks staff members which the Department of Justice is
planning.This threat to WikiLeaks escalates a long-running war of attrition
against the great virtue of the United States — free speech. The Obama
Administration prosecuted more whistleblowers than all presidents
combined and opened a Grand Jury investigation into WikiLeaks that had
no precedent. It now appears the US is preparing to take the next step
— prosecuting publishers who provide the “currency” of free speech, to
paraphrase Thomas Jefferson. It is reported that charges, including
conspiracy, theft of government property and violating the Espionage Act
are being considered against members of WikiLeaks, and that charging
WikiLeaks Editor, Julian Assange, is now a priority of the Department of
Justice.A threat to WikiLeaks’ work — which is publishing information protected
under the First Amendment — is a threat to all free journalism. If the
DOJ is able to convict a publisher for its journalistic work, all free
journalism can be criminalised.We call on you as President of the United States to close the Grand Jury
investigation into WikiLeaks and drop any charges planned against any
member of WikiLeaks. It was a free and robust press that provided you
with a platform on which to run for president. Defending a truly free
press requires freedom from fear and favour and the support of
journalists and citizens everywhere; for the kind of threat now facing
WikiLeaks — and all publishers and journalists — is a step into the
darkness.Sincerely,
Trustees of Courage
Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved. The views expressed here are solely those of the author(s) in their private capacity.
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Rich Bauer said...
1Peter,
I suggest, if you want Trump to read the letter, change the first sentence to, As that great president once said, “Wikileaks is GREAT.”
Then add the effort by DEEP STATE to silence Wikileaks is really an effort to silence you and your efforts to damage your relationship (read: business deals ) with the Russian oligarchs. Nothing is more important.
05/31/17 8:24 AM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
2Signing declarations and mailing them to the White House
seems foolish, pointless and smacks of self aggrandizement.
05/31/17 9:24 AM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
3Yeah, Trumpie dont read so well. Here is his cell number that he gives to foreign leaders and prostitutes: 202-555-GOFU2.
05/31/17 9:38 AM | Comment Link
chuck said...
4Free Assange. Free Truth…
05/31/17 10:24 AM | Comment Link
chuck said...
5When you work for the people and Truth, you win! This is not sports crap of you or I win. Not a lesser evil choice. No ego stuff. Help others in Peace and Justice. TY PVB and others. Kep On…
05/31/17 12:00 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
6When you work for the people and Truth, you win! This is not sports crap of you or I win. Not a lesser evil choice. No ego stuff. Help others in Peace and Justice. TY PVB and others. Keep On…
05/31/17 12:04 PM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
7Seems Trumpie uses his personal cellphone to conduct official business to avoid historical records of his conversations. No worries, Trumpie, the NSA has all the transcripts.
05/31/17 12:51 PM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
8NSA. Wicked leaks.
05/31/17 12:51 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
9Utah, storage country.
05/31/17 1:29 PM | Comment Link
Bruce said...
10Actually deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Pennsylvania Avenue patriotic parade ! Snowden, TWO !!
05/31/17 1:31 PM | Comment Link
chuck said...
11Could We get a million or two to gather in D.C. for Manning (She is living in Maryland) AND OTHERS?!!!
05/31/17 2:02 PM | Comment Link
Rich Bauer said...
12covfefe. Everybody knows what it means.
Yes, we are so fucccccccccccked.
05/31/17 3:57 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
13Bruce: Do not make a hero of Snowden. He’s a loser but inadvertently played a major role in America’s tragic empire sage.
05/31/17 6:04 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
14Chuck; Get over your Chelsea Manning thingee. She is lusting for a Playboy centerfold. Tragic of course but Manning is no one you want to support.
05/31/17 6:07 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
15John
The center fold thing worked for Tula.
http://www.playboy.com/articles/tula-first-transgender-in-playboy-1991
M
05/31/17 8:27 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
16Ok…. Here’s the deal….. (as I have been learning ).
Mannings mistake was not the age old question… ” Too leak, or Not to Leak…. That is the Question ” ( sorry couldn’t resist )
Mannings mistake…. Was in fact…. He didn’t hold back any of the really good stuff to hold over the government…. Stored safely on a spam server… With a log on clock…. Set at say …. 48 hours….with a redundant, replicating worm virus, of course….
and of course made and distributed by the Russians, the Chinese… Or perhaps the Martians..
That’s how you deal with these bastards…(as I have been learning )
M
05/31/17 8:37 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
17Mitch- dutifully acknowledged. We must be open and accepting to gender fate and possibly botched orientation. Every human deserves complete acceptance and understanding.
05/31/17 8:41 PM | Comment Link
John Poole said...
18OK to open up a monstrous box of worms. The Jews came up with a single rogue male in the heavens who sort of favored the Israelites. That is beyond fucked up. We need to evolve beyond some rogue male in the heavens determining our destiny. That is very upsetting of course. The asshole Muslims, Christians and every other current religion fetish types just about insure we nuke this orb.
05/31/17 8:49 PM | Comment Link
Mitch said...
19John.
First point…… Tula was Hot !!!
Second … These nuts that have managed to get themselves in charge…. And those that are still in Denial over their losses…. Just might succeed in making this little orb glow this time…. Or… A complete destruction of the United States…
M
05/31/17 10:17 PM | Comment Link