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Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Has Passport Confiscated
Taco Cowboy writes "The Australian founder of the whistleblower website Wikileaks had his passport confiscated by police when he arrived in Melbourne last week. While Assange has made himself particularly unpopular with the US military by publishing video of attacks on civilians in Iraq, he's been something of a thorn in the side for the Australian government too. Last year, Wikileaks published a list of websites which were to be banned under the government's proposed Internet filter. While the aim of the filter is to block extreme pornography and the like, the blacklist included a number of more prosaic sites such as those of a travel company and a dentist.
While it was returned 15 minutes later
Man, they are brutal down in Melbourne. And from the original article linked at TG Daily:
The Age has been told that Assange's passport is classified "normal" on the immigration database, meaning the Wikileaks director can travel freely on it.
They really know how to shake people up and intimidate you. Sounds almost as bad as my trip through United States customs coming back from vacation. They abducted me for three hours as I was forced to stand in line awaiting inspection and approval. They called it standard processing but I tell you what--it was more of a death march.
Australia would have to be insane to do something like that to Assange. He would trot that out in front of the media for weeks if that was what happened. What a claim to legitimacy. And for that reason I'm guessing this is likely a natural passport process turned into a PR stunt.
Assange mentioned it in an SBS Dateline interview.
So basically Australia said, "We need to renew your overly used passport and the authorities are looking into how you got a hold of a blacklist from our government." <sarcasm>The poor man! When will the persecution stop?! The only way you can only mitigate his suffering by making a tiny donation to Wikileaks.org.</sarcasm>
My work here is dung.
He has a criminal record. His passport was old. They cancelled it. He got it back.
The first paragraph of the article said it was returned within 15 minutes and informed that it would be canceled... I presume it would be his passport that would be canceled when he returns, but it doesn't say so. Then the article goes on to say the things cited in the summary.
What I am pointing out is that whoever created the summary didn't just "miss" that 15 minutes later detail, they omitted it intentionally.
So I ask you directly, submitter, what exactly are you trying to make happen by attempting to twist the news this way? Have you no conscience at all about spreading incomplete and therefore misleading information? By intentionally omitting that important detail, it misleads people to believe he is being detained in Australia for all intents and purposes.
Did anyone else see "Wikileaks founder Assassinated" before taking a second look?
No, most of us can read.
Some people are just natural-born troublemakers, going to great lengths to make a big deal out of every possible scenario. I'd like to see how he acted as a child.
But in all seriousness, 15 minutes? And he's crying and blowing his whistle? I've been detained longer for having a penny stuck in my shoe.
I wonder if he sleeps with a katana.
Next on Slashdot... BatBoy sighted on ChatRoulette, and Cmdr Taco has love child by alien visitor.
Towards the Singularity.
...more and more dubious about Assange and his intentions. http://cryptome.org/0001/wikileaks-funds.htm
I've got news for Mr. Santayana: we're doomed to repeat the past no matter what. That's what it is to be alive.
Wouldn't you censor a dentist that has a sign like this?
No, most of us can read.
Citation Needed!
AC power corrupts, then it doesn't then it does then it doesn't...
rewriting history since 2109
Why is this tagged "Wikipedia"? Wikileaks is a completely separate site and organization. Do you think that "protons" are "protozoa" are the same thing just because they start with he same four letters?
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
You found a US immigration agent with a sense of humor?
Actually I've found the US immigration and border patrol people you meet in Canada are generally very good and, as long as you do you best to follow the rules, they have all been very helpful. I like to think that being based here means that a little of Canada is rubbing of on them. This is in stark contrast to the ones I used to meeting while living in the US with a green card who frankly seemed to be actively looking for any excuse not to let you enter.