Julian Assange Faces Rape Investigation In Sweden — Updated

mpawlo was one of many readers who have sent news that a warrant has been issued in Stockholm, Sweden for WikiLeaks founder and spokesman Julian Assange. The investigation apparently involves "one report of rape and one report of harassment." The story was broken by Swedish tabloid Expressen (original in Swedish), and later picked up by more reputable sources like CNN and the BBC, who say the warrant has been confirmed by Swedish authorities. The WikiLeaks Twitter feed has commented three times about the charges so far, first saying they were warned of 'dirty tricks,' then that they hadn't been contacted by Swedish police, and then a statement from Assange saying the charges are without basis.
Update: 08/21 15:58 GMT by S : Multiple sources are now reporting that the warrant for Assange's arrest has been withdrawn. Aftonbladet has coverage in Swedish. Chief prosecutor Eva Finne said, "I don't think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape."

Comments

Re:This just in

[aurispector]

I suppose you long for the days of the worker's paradise in the former soviet union? I invite you to did a little deeper to learn about about the alternatives. You also need to think long and hard about exactly who is to blame. The US to blame for starving children in Iraq? Saddam was such a nice guy who'd give the poor the shirt off his back, right? He only attacked 3 or 4 neighboring countries but I suppose the US is to blame for that, too. A-bombing japanese civilians? Tojo was also a real sweetheart. Don't forget all the jobs he provided for the "comfort women" in Nanking. Torture in abu graib? In most countries torture includes things like pulling out fingernails, attaching jumper cables to your balls, things like that. Stress positions and humiliation are on an entirely different level and even those practices, started during the worst of the reactionary period immediately post 9/11 were stopped once cooler heads prevailed.

A quick note before I continue: Try reasoning with any of the people on the other side. Just try - like we did with North Korea when they were promising up and down that they weren't building a nuclear bomb, until they suddenly admitted they did when they tested it. They love negotiations because it gives them political cover while the continue doing exactly what they shouldn't be doing. That Iranian nuke plant is for peaceful research purposes! Honest!

In short, you choose to believe the US is the bad guy in spite of all the evidence to the contrary simply because you haven't bothered doing the homework or to critically think about the facts of history. Security? Europe's little popgun armies would have lasted about 10 minutes against the soviets. Hell, just back in the '90's we were forced to send in the F-18's because none of the euros wanted to dirty their hands protecting Croatian muslims against the Serbs. The best the euros could manage was helping the serbs butcher people in Srebrenica. Just another part of the world incapable of managing it's affairs without adult supervision.

Good luck with that whole security thing, we'll be sitting over here laughing at you during your next crisis. Nah, just kidding! We'll be there to bail your asses out yet again.

Re:In some ways the damage is done

[johnhp]

I said people LIKE Rush WILL be able to do this. Not that SPECIFICALLY Rush HAS done something.

I guess years of listening to Rush makes even his listeners talk/think in dishonest ways.