Slashdot Mirror
Assange Denied Swedish Residence On Confidential Reasons
MotorMachineMercenar writes "The Local reports that Julian Assange has been denied a residence permit in Sweden. The WikiLeaks spokesman and Australian citizen applied for residency in August, apparently to gain the freedom of speech protection offered by Swedish laws. When asked about the reasons for the denial, a Swedish official responsible replied, '...secrecy prevails in reference to the grounds for such a decision,' essentially meaning the reasons are confidential. Assange has been recently under investigation for sexual molestation charges, which were withdrawn and then re-instated. WikiLeaks is expected to release up to 400,000 confidential US military documents in the near future, which would be the largest such leak in US history."
It's only a matter of time before the high and mighty types put him on the blacklist.
I even heard that he lost control of his own server wikileaks.org, and that the technical difficulties are a result of an act of sabotage. I said it before and I'll say it again, it might be best for the future of wikileaks of Julian Assange steps down, he allowed himself to go public and accept all that media attention, he's the one who killed wikileaks.
There was a time when wikileaks would just dump any and all information onto the site and let us review it all. Lately it's all about the US government, and the wars. It's not the kind of information that most of us find interesting, and while they did a good job with many stories early on back before Julian Assange let it swell his head, now hes become public and he's pulled a Suge Knight, ruining what he created and destroying all the hard work and effort by becoming a celebrity.
You can either be powerful, or a celebrity, but it's not wise to try and be both. Julian Assange should have let someone else be the spokesperson. It should have been designed so that there was not one point of failure. Because Julian Assange is THAT GUY, the agencies will all target him and that will be the end of Wikileaks. Game over for wikileaks, it was a naive idea that could never have worked in practice and was doomed to be exploited by governments.
When asked about the reasons for the denial, a Swedish official responsible replied, '...secrecy prevails in reference to the grounds for such a decision,' essentially meaning the reasons are confidential.
If only there was a website where we could learn about such things.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
secrecy prevails in reference to the grounds for such a decision
If only there were some site that could be used to leak that kind of information.
Man, I hate to say it but if you're going to release 400,000 stolen US military documents you had better be a freaking saint, or you will fry.
How does it feel to be a liar with pants constantly on fire?
I can imagine that the last thing Swedish government wants is for their citizens to know that it's because of pressure from the US. I'm surprised they didn't invent some other reason as a cover for that, maybe they couldn't make one that was less suspicious.
And if this happens to leak, than he of all persons has no basis to complain...
If you create a subversive organization it has to be led by someone no one knows except organization cell leaders.
If you are the "leader" of said organization and it's known externally, you are no longer the leader.
Otherwise, you are no longer able to do battle assymetrically, they know who you are and you know who they are.
And yes, the DoD has declared "Cyber" as a theater, meaning information is a weapon, so yes Assange is in every way a public "leader" of a subversive organization to those wikileaks wages war upon.
Sorry Julian, it's time to find a new job.
Because the US particularly cares whether Assange lives in Sweden? If the Swedish government is in the US's pocket like plenty of people seem to believe, you'd think that they would strongly favor Assange living there (all the better to trump up fake rape charges, of course.) Alternatively, you could go with the more mundane but rational-seeming explanation, which is that Sweden doesn't want Assange because he draws a lot of attention to himself and gets complaints from the local women.
WikiLeaks does not speak about upcoming releases dates, indeed, with very rare exceptions we do not communicate any specific information about upcoming releases
Julian Assange
Editor-in-chief
http://rixstep.com/1/1/20101018,00.shtml
You can't take the sky from me...
To be fair, the US isn't the only country or organization that has secrets. Wikileaks is unpopular with a lot of people. Heck, if they were revealing your private information you'd be pissed at them too.
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
Just curious, but what is the Swedish government's normal position on revealing the reasons for accepting/denying residency? Do they normally refuse comment on topics such as this, or is the response to Assange's case different? The article doesn't say, and so this could easily be simply an attempt to make mountains out of anthills.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
The only difference between +5 Interesting and -1 Redundant is 2 minutes.
Countries tend to care when others give asylum to their enemies. That's not quite the case here, but it's close.
"In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
Because the US particularly cares whether Assange lives in Sweden?
Yes, if it gives him legal freedom of speech protection that he doesn't have at the moment.
Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
Between this, the Piratebay farce and the victories for far-right parties, it's now clear that Sweden is not the "neutral" political paradise it once was.
It's a shame that the current crop of politicians haven't got the guts to stand up the bullies of the world; their predecessors worked hard and bravely during the Cold War, risking total annihilation, and I'm sure they'd be ashamed to know that their spineless children are frightened by their own shadows.
-- Let's go Viridian.
Not if I was a Senator, Congressman, President, or other member of the government. It would be my job to keep my employer (the People) informed, not to hide things my boss would disapprove of.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Fork now, go 100% anonymous, and every time you dump the data, immediately tip off at the same time the various news media contacts you have internationally, providing each with a redundant encrypted access avenue that is detached from the main 'body' of Wikileaks 2.0. No one person should ever be known by name. Cultural war is war, after all. Act like it.
Dude, where's my packet?
It may be that Sweden does not tell others why people have been denied residence for matters of privacy. Perhaps Assange should ask and then tell the world.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
Anyway it need not be quite as cloak and dagger as suggested - the Swedish work permit requires employers to certify that they
As far I remember the newspaper that offered him employment didn't advertise the post to anyone else. A purely bureaucratic explanation.
That’s not to say that Sweden isn’t worried about international repercussions but there are other explanations available. Swedish citizenship includes an assessment of good conduct which I would assume applies in the initial residence application as well.
They could also be holding out until all the charges against him have been clarified.
For
Notable individual, possibly subject of CIA smear campaign.
Against
Notable individual, possibly subject of CIA smear campaign.
I think it is the Boogieman.. Oh wait same thing. It could also be that he really did sexually molest someone in sweden and they just don't want him there.
I mean if the US really could control every other nation on the planet like people on slashdot think then he would have had a tragic car accident long ago.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
If Assange can't live in Sweden, it forces him to flee to some other location within the US' grasp... perhaps even the US itself.
That would be the worst place for him to go. So far he has been safe in Australia where he has the advantage of citizenship. I suspect he has too many ex girlfriends there to make it a happy place though.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
Let me just use some flashy marketting material:
Land, Air, Sea, Space and Cyber.
From the USAA posture statement 2009:
Why is this important to the Army?
Cyber intrusions and attacks are a real and emerging threat to national security. The Nation faces a dangerous combination of known and unknown vulnerabilities, capable adversaries, and limited situational awareness. It is critical for the Army to grow its cyberspace operations to counter adversary targeting of both our information and our information infrastructure. To maintain our dominance in cyberspace the Army will continue to grow our abilities to better defend our own networks and have capabilities in place to conduct network warfare against adversary networks.
Guess what with just that basic research I can tell you: according to that philosophy Wikileaks is an adversary, and Jullian Assange likely qualifies as an enemy of the state.
The US doesn't particularly care about Assange living -- they've made it clear already.
It is sad that so many Americans are buying the official red herring and hate him. You should be questioning the US Army commanders -- it was they who let incriminating things happen under their watch; it is them who are so inept at managing information systems that one single disgruntled peon was able amass data about years of operations.
Not to mention US politicians from the last 50 years, who are as responsible for the rise of militant Islam (and especially terrorism) as the mullahs and the mujahedins - the US gave the crazy a powerful motive, some serious training and money and, finally, legitimacy by even declaring them worthy of a "war".
Is that an accident? Emmanuel Goldstein doesn't think so. I think his tinfoil is a bit too thick, but his argument isn't totally worthless.
Also, believe it or not, but the US satrap who bosses the embassy in any small European country, has enough clout to at least get on the phone with the head of state, deliver his request and have the head moving -- on the hour.
From what I've seen first hand while I was involved in politics -- the operation mode of the satrap is close to what you normally call "bullying", and he doesn't always feel the need to watch his language during those calls.
On Slashdot, Freedom of Speech is "good" when it protects us, it is "bad" when it protects the people with whom we disagree. Look at all the STFU @$$hole! comments.
Maybe the Swedes just decided "We don't want an attention whore who will fsck up the neighborhood and we don't want to discuss it with all the whiney jerks who think this whore is $Deity."
Hollywood is not exactly a Shining Beacon of Greatness in the World, perhaps Sweden didn't want to follow in H-wood's footsteps.
"The conduct of neither [party], if strictly examined, will be irreproachable." -Elizabeth Bennet
If he really did molest anyone I'd think Sweden would want him there. For the trial, what?
If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
For an interesting account - find a copy of The Big Breach online. Secrecy et. al.
It's political. Take it from a Swede. This is going to sound like the classic racist "they're letting just anyone in these days!", but Sweden really does let pretty much every one in. We're talking convicted, not accused, rapists and even murderers. And once you've been given your residence permit, it takes a miracle to lose it. I've never heard of a deportation for a residence permit holder for anything less than murder 1.
and have have much pull in Sweden. In the 1960's Swedish crypto machines where been exported to the world.
The NSA wanted to ensure a flaw to allow reading of messages on every new device shipped.
In 1957 a top NSA's cryptographer called William Friedman went on a tour of the UK and Sweden. Private arrangements where made for 'trap door' tech - the key floats out with the message. By the 1980's this was leaking, Congress knew and the US press talked of it in 1986. Talks where also held to ensure another huge Swedish telco did not work too hard on any new strong crypto.
More at "Rigging the Game" http://cryptome.org/jya/nsa-sun.htm
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
I mean if the US really could control every other nation on the planet like people on slashdot think then he would have had a tragic car accident long ago.
I have to agree. I know a former State Department official who was relatively far up the chain and he's told me the same thing: People tend to vastly overestimate the capabilities of the US, particularly on the intelligence and global influence fronts. I'm just surprised that so many people on /. seem to fall into the same trap of assuming that "The Government" can do these things while simultaneously going on about how stupid and inept various branches are.
Actually, it is spelled "Gub'mint" as in "Big Gub'mint" the all purpose bogieman du jour.
"The conduct of neither [party], if strictly examined, will be irreproachable." -Elizabeth Bennet
Perhaps WikiLeaks will now leak the reason for his denial. Would be poetic.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
I mean if the US really could control every other nation on the planet like people on slashdot think then he would have had a tragic car accident long ago.
'Accidents' like that breed martyrs and heroes. Sex scandals and related FUD breed contempt and disillusionment.
Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
"Not if I was a Senator, Congressman, President, or other member of the government. It would be my job to keep my employer (the People) informed, not to hide things my boss would disapprove of."
Quite right. There can be no justification for military security of any sort, so your duty as a member of government would be to dump as much information as possible into the open...
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
Why bother with a tragic car accident when diplomatic pressure will do? There's no need to kill Assange if all you want is to better be able to prosecute him should the need arise.
"In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
Assange has not been declared an enemy of the state, nor is he being sought by the US government. Right now he's just an annoying gnat to those in power, but it could be worse. It's really the "could be worse" part that really concerns the US government.
"In prison you just have to shut your eyes and take it. Here you have to shut your eyes and give it."
Because the US particularly cares whether Assange lives in Sweden?
"to gain the freedom of speech protection offered by Swedish laws" right off the fucking summary, top of this very page, you have no excuse.
If the Swedish government is in the US's pocket like plenty of people seem to believe, you'd think that they would strongly favor Assange living there (all the better to trump up fake rape charges, of course.)
"media reports of rape and molestation accusations against Assange at the end of August, two days after he had applied for a residence permit."
That one is from the fucking article, so you almost have an excuse not to understand the sequence of event. Almost.
Alternatively, you could go with the more mundane but rational-seeming explanation, which is that Sweden doesn't want Assange because he draws a lot of attention to himself and gets complaints from the local women.
Yes, that's why they sullied his name just days after he applied for legal protection above and beyond what Australia has to offer him. They get him a lot of attention and then he doesn't get protection because of all the attention: Ta-daaa!
You can't take the sky from me...
So far he has been safe in Australia where he has the advantage of citizenship.
Australia is in a competition with Canada for "best lapdog of the USA", he's as safe there as a peaceful protester at a G20 summit.
You can't take the sky from me...
Wow. Around half of the comments in this thread are for "lynching" Assange and Wikileaks. Now, I am all for secrecy where it is warranted. For example, the launch codes for nukes should be kept a secret. However, atrocities and war crimes should not. Governments may try to cover it up but exposing such atrocities is not only a right but a responsibility of a human being. If you come from a country where governments are elected, then you are responsible for what your government did, unlike people from dictatorships. By not caring or worse, supporting efforts to cover up atrocities by your military and character assassinate Assange, you too have blood on your hands. Show me and the rest of the world, that the Unites States deserves its "Leader of the Free World" moniker.
So far he has been safe in Australia where he has the advantage of citizenship.
Australia is in a competition with Canada for "best lapdog of the USA", he's as safe there as a peaceful protester at a G20 summit.
Wherever you go, Government is a club.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
if the US really could control every other nation on the planet like people on slashdot think
You say the USA is a boogieman, and you prove it with a strawman. *sigh*
You can't take the sky from me...
I'm just surprised that so many people on /. seem to fall into the same trap of assuming that "The Government" can do these things while simultaneously going on about how stupid and inept various branches are.
Incompetent tyrannical governments are a lot more common than competent tyrannical ones. For every Hitler, there are a hundred Mussolinis. Which is lucky for the rest of the world, I guess, but doesn't make things any less miserable for the people who have to live under them.
Note: I am not comparing the US to either Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy. Just pointing out that a belief that the government is evil, and a belief that it is stupid and inept, are not necessarily contradictory. Actually I think the US government is, like most very large organizations, home to a few very good people, a few very bad ones, and a whole bunch in the middle doing their best to get through their day.
The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
There can be no justification for military security of any sort, so your duty as a member of government would be to dump as much information as possible into the open...
Nice argument there. Did you gather all that straw yourself, or did you have help?
Almost everyone agrees that some degree of secrecy in the affairs of government, particularly in matters of defense, is necessary. But this does not mean that our current "classify everything, admit nothing" level of security-state paranoia is in any way justified.
The correlation between ignorance of statistics and using "correlation is not causation" as an argument is close to 1.
Maybe we could had blamed the muslims? :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNDeeoUNvAk
Yes, if it gives him legal freedom of speech protection that he doesn't have at the moment.
He could post it on:
https://www.flashback.org/
or even:
http://thepiratebay.org/
Both has left Sweden to get even _more_ freedom.
Want more safety (not freedom)?
https://www.flashback.name/
https://www.vpntunnel.se/
I have to agree. I know a former State Department official who was relatively far up the chain and he's told me the same thing: People tend to vastly overestimate the capabilities of the US, particularly on the intelligence and global influence fronts.
I know a Secretary of State who told the UN Security Council that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
He lied.
When will Wikileaks disclose Swiss bank a/c details?
I'd like to buy homeland for our 10 million people. http://twitter.com/mahadiga
Is this more of the "why doesn't he present both sides" bullshit that Micheal Moore gets hit with? On one side you have the U.S. government and a media that loves to parrot it's claims, and on the other you have a few people dumping documents on a web site. Where is your Concern for a media that refuses to call torture, torture when the U.S. does it?
So your selective poutrage is duly noted.
USian is not a word, retard.
If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article548380.ece
I suspect he has too many ex girlfriends there to make it a happy place though.
You do realize this guy is an über-nerd and for many years was a hard-core hacker?
Australia is in a competition with Canada for "best lapdog of the USA", he's as safe there as a peaceful protester at a G20 summit.
The current governing party even uses American spelling for its name.
I suspect he has too many ex girlfriends there to make it a happy place though.
You do realize this guy is an über-nerd and for many years was a hard-core hacker?
Recent press coverage suggests he knows how to pull a chick.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
You can argue that certain operational details ought to be kept secret within certain contexts(where, when and who for instance), but what and why should really be public, at least after the fact.
You don't need to say that these troops were in that place at this time(and you surely don't need to say where they will be), but what those troops did and why they did it is something we ought to know.
We are responsible for what they did, for good or for ill. We pay for it both literally and metaphorically. We must know.
Sounds like Moss in the 8+ club.
So far he has been safe in Australia where he has the advantage of citizenship.
Yep - safe as Neville Shumaker (The Seed Bank) at the Perth airport - no wait, the airport security guards stopped the illegal arrest by the Americans and Neville was held at the police lockup pending a formal application by the US. The US didn't want to wait and test the courts they "vanished" him - from an Australian police station. Hard to do without Australian assistance. Now Neville is enjoying a 100+ year sentence in the US. Very fucking safe being an Australian citizen...
Of course if you name is Nugan, Australia *is* a safe place.
"I mean if the US really could control every other nation on the planet like people on slashdot think then he would have had a tragic car accident long ago."
So you're saying they can't influence other countries? you're saying the claims in this document are completely false, and that the Swedish authorities actually decided to raid The Pirate Bay off their own back, despite it being unconstitutional in Sweden to do so?
http://torrentfreak.com//images/pirate_mpa.pdf
If the US can get Sweden to raid their own citizens web servers over mere IP infringement, then why would you think getting them to refuse residency to someone who they view as a national security risk is such a far stretch?
Your viewpoint is rather naive in the face of the evidence which reasonably demonstrates the US absolutely does seem capable of influencing the actions of foreign governments.
Christ, I live in the UK and the US hoodwinked us into partaking in a possibly illegal war with them using fake intelligence about WMDs and selling it to our security services as authentic, costing us many soldier's lives, and billions in costs as well as a massive dent to our reputation politically across the globe. You really think pressuring a country to refuse citizenship is that unlikely? seriously?
I wish I lived in your world, where the US government is a harmless puppy incapable of action outside it's borders. Hell, Che Guevara might even have been enjoying his 83rd birthday next June, and Osama Bin Laden might have decided to just go back home to enjoy a peaceful life with his family in Saudi Arabia. I'm sure there's a good few million Iraqis that would appreciate living in that world moreso than the real one too.
The main reason that the US government has not had Assange disappear is the simple fact that if Assange did disappear, everyone would know who did it. The political fallout of highprofile political murder is simply not worth it. However, that does not mean that they cannot retaliate. By blacklisting him and his coworkers, by hacking wikileaks, by using diplomatic channels to limit his movement (such as it may have happened here) and by digging up / fabricating filth on his character. Much more efficient, much less fallout. And even people who do support wikileaks and know these things, may start thinking that Assange may have raped those women, and he really is a smug.
The truth may be out there, but lies are inside your head
assuming that many "inteligent" people tend not to let themselves believe in some omnipotent god, could they look for a substitute in a omnipotent government?
not that they need some virtual protctor but someone or something that can always be used as a reason to explain things?
"Not necessarily. If Assanage wanted to release the exact details of his rejection he's more than free too - but, like with pretty much every government out there, it is against the law for official bodies to discuss the private details of individuals' interactions with the state."
You seem to be missing the point, Swedish officials aren't saying that he has been given a reason, Assange is saying he hasn't. As they haven't contradicted this- something they could do, because to simply say that he has been given a reason without going into detail as to what that reason is would not breach European data protection laws it seems unlikely that he's lying which you appear to be implying.
The rest of your post focuses on work permits, however this is not what Assange was denied, he was denied a residency permit, which is required for a stay of longer than 3 months. These are two completely separate documents. Your link about good conduct is about citizenship, which is again different to residency which you apparently understand. You can gain residency without being a citizen, and without also applying for a work permit. You seem to have falsely asserted that conduct to become a citizen is the same as conduct to apply for residency which is not necessarily the case, citizenship brings with it a lot of benefits from the right to vote, to the right to consular protection if you get yourself in trouble abroad- as such there are much greater restrictions on who can become a citizen than who can become a resident, because a resident is basically just someone granted permission to have an extended stay. Neither of these documents you have brought up are relevant in this case.
In denying an application for a residency permit the Swedish government hasn't refused him permission to work, nor have they refused him permission to become a citizen. They have refused him the opportunity to stay in Sweden past the standard 90 days meaning that he must leave the country and attempt re-entry if he wishes to return there. They have effectively said that he is not welcome as a long term visitor to the country. The real test will be whether he is denied entry if he attempts to re-enter Sweden.
Jesus was a saint.
Or a fringe-loonie who thought he was G-d. Or a complex historical forgery. No man in that period of time, at that age, would have been unmarried, and walking around like a mendicant monk in a bathrobe. I don't buy the whole divine rebel story.
Reply to That ||
Guy gets famous, women from his past come forward and accuse him of rape etc. Do YOU understand the sequence? Happens a lot, no secret black hat government conspiracy required.
Guy gets famous, women from his past come forward and accuse him of rape etc. Do YOU understand the sequence?
I understand that you do not have the facts right (not women from before he was famous). And I see that you contradict me with bullshit supposition you made up... eat all the shit you want, but don't come vomit up at me in slashdot: STFU and get informed instead of spreading your ignorance.
You can't take the sky from me...
That could well happen:
WikiLeaks Leaks its Own Donors Due to Email Mishap
The AACS key is NOT 0xF606EEFD628B1CA427BEA93A9CA9773F
"Christ, I live in the UK and the US hoodwinked us into partaking in a possibly illegal war"
Wow and you can not even put any responsibility on your own government... It is the US's fault and your nation is yet another poor victim of the evil US.
Really?
Yes the US is the Boogieman.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
I have to agree. I know a former State Department official who was relatively far up the chain and he's told me the same thing: People tend to vastly overestimate the capabilities of the US, particularly on the intelligence and global influence fronts.
I know a Secretary of State who told the UN Security Council that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
He lied.
Ya, we know. That proves Dead Pixels' point. If they really were so evil and powerful they would have
1 Generated a lot more ineternational support for the invasion of Iraq
2 Planted evidence of NBC weapons or simply have claimed to have found them
You do know that the US did fine some Chemical weapons don't you? You know the ones that where supposed to be gone.
Not that masses that was thought to be their but still some.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
What I find so interesting is that people will dismiss that he might actually be guilty.
That what none of his fans realize is that practically nobody know who the heck he is. There is just a small group of use that does know the masses do not know or really care.
If he died tomorrow in an accident 98% of the population if not more wouldn't remember him in six months. A few tragic hipsters would wear tee shirts with his picture on them but the vast majority just wouldn't care.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
If the Swedish government is in the US's pocket like plenty of people seem to believe, you'd think that they would strongly favor Assange living there (all the better to trump up fake rape charges, of course.)
Assuming, of course, that the US government has any sort of long-term planning. Given the way they've handled the whole Iraq and Afghanistan invasions and the PR circus around them, I highly doubt it.
Alternatively, you could go with the more mundane but rational-seeming explanation, which is that Sweden doesn't want Assange because he draws a lot of attention to himself and gets complaints from the local women.
You forgot to mention that the complains were withdrawn shortly after being made.
No problem is insoluble in all conceivable circumstances.
You seem to have some insecurity complex about your country such that you feel the need to remain in denial about it's ability to ever do anything wrong. I didn't say our government is free of blame- of course they are, if not only for trusting US military intelligence more than they should. The fact our government screwed up royally doesn't change the fact the US fed false intelligence to us and hence doesn't change the fact a supposed ally - the US - manipulated us in a way that was a major factor in what turned out to be an illegal war.
You're more than welcome to blame our government too, I do, but the blame isn't mutually exclusive, it's not one or the other, the US is still very much to blame as well, very much in the wrong, and most certainly did influence our decision to go to war based on false evidence. It's sad that you're only capable of seeing things in such a binary manner by assuming that if someone blames the US for something then they're inherently inable to see fault in their own country, that's a rediculous viewpoint, but it's apparently one you have all the same.
Just because our government deserves some blame, doesn't mean your government deserves none.
But there's no reason to keep secret operations that have over a month ago.
The People aka the boss have a right to know what their government is doing, so when the government does objectionable things (like killing children or other innocents), the people can demand that it be stopped.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Do you mean those non-serviceable mustard gas shells? If that's all that they found, then it's particularly clear that Iraq DID destroy their stockpiles. Finding a few shells only indicates that their compliance was not perfect. I will sleep so much better (and poorer) now that our intelligence agencies have removed their old foil against Iran.
That's pre 7-11 thinking....
Just a quick correction - all the reports indicate that Assanage was denied a work and residency visa (the summary was notably lacking in that detail), which is why I looked into the work visa requirements. A work visa requires one to also obtain a residency visa. As far as I could tell there is no way to get a residency visa to live in Sweden without getting a work visa at the same time.
I'd be really interested in any info' you found on residency in Sweden though - everything I found explicitly linked it to work unless one was an EU citizen (which he's not) or has a familial connection (which hasn't been made public if it's true). As far as I can tell merely extending his stay in Sweden wouldn't be sufficient to gain the protections of Swedish law, he would have to be a full resident (which implies, as far as I've been able to find, the right to work).