reply to post by purplemer
Being I do Law Enforcement, I really dont. I would suggest you do some homework if you are going to argue he has not broken any laws in the US.
Ill help you out by giving you some freebies - pay attention
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 37 > § 798. Disclosure of classified
information
(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or
uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the
United States any classified information—
(1) concerning the nature, preparation, or use of any code, cipher, or cryptographic system of the United States or any foreign government; or
(2) concerning the design, construction, use, maintenance, or repair of any device, apparatus, or appliance used or prepared or planned for use by the
United States or any foreign government for cryptographic or communication intelligence purposes; or
(3) concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government; or
(4) obtained by the processes of communication intelligence from the communications of any foreign government, knowing the same to have been obtained
by such processes—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(b) As used in subsection (a) of this section—
The term “classified information” means information which, at the time of a violation of this section, is, for reasons of national security,
specifically designated by a United States Government Agency for limited or restricted dissemination or distribution;
In addition to:
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 19 > § 371 Conspiracy to commit offense or to
defraud United States
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 37 > § 793 Gathering, transmitting or losing
defense information
As far as the espionage Act (started out as the Sedition Act) goes, The offical act came about in 1917 and was used against people who attempted to
impede the war effort. These people intefered with military recruting efforts, in addition to the movement of military supplies by rail. Several
people who were communist / socialist at the time were behind the effort, and the act was used to stop thier actions and to charge and convict them,
which was successful.
Espionage Act of 1917
In US vs. Schenk the act was ruled Constitutional
Amendments added in 1918 - Extension of the Seditions Act
I'll skip ahead to the relevant parts now:
Espionage Act - Pentagon Papers
Specifically the manner in which the Supreme Court ruled
Times v. United States -
is generally considered a victory for an extensive reading of the First Amendment, but as the Supreme Court ruled on whether the government
had made a successful case for prior restraint, its decision did not void the Espionage Act or give the press unlimited freedom to publish classified
documents. Ellsberg and Russo were not acquitted of violating the Espionage Act; they were freed due to a mistrial from irregularities in the
government's case.[3]
Its relevant for Assange to name his source, which if he does not can be found in contempt and jailed until such time he reveals the source. If he or
wikilekas actively colluded with Manning to gain this information, as is suggested by Adrian Lamo, then wikileaks is not acting as a media outlet, but
is participating in espionage.
If they received the info and published it and nothing else, then it falls back to possessing and dsitributing classified information.
With some of the back and forth between Assange and the Federal Government, its possible to also charge assange with blackmail and extortion. First by
demanding the US government supply and pay for people to assist in "scrubbing the information of names", and then by stating if he is jailed or
assasinated, all documents would be released.
Assange has alluded to the fact he has damning information about a bank and several other government operations, yet he refuses to release the info,
because by doing so he would loose out on people donating money to him, andhe woul fall out of the media spotlight.
Personally, since he has knowldge of crimes, I think he sohould also be charged with conealing information of a crime, failing to identify as a
witness to a crime, but thats just me.
Assange is not intrested in any type of justice. His only intrest is himself and what he can get out of this, and everyone else be damned, including
his followers, who he is using as nothing more than pawns, numerous and expendable.
edit on 12-1-2011 by Xcathdra because: (no reason given)
