Commentary

Britain threatens Ecuador over WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange

by Charlie Smith on August 15th, 2012 at 7:41 PM
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      The David Cameron government has indicated that it won't respect Ecuadorean sovereignty over its embassy in London, according to a Reuters report.

      The Foreign Office has claimed that under British law, it can enter the Ecuadorean embassy on a week's notice. It reminds me of B.C. tenancy law, where the landlord can enter a person's suite on 24 hours' notice.

      The problem is that WikiLeaks cofounder Julian Assange, an Australian, has taken refuge in the embassy.

      And if Britain storms the building, he could be extradited to Sweden on sex charges, which his supporters say are bogus.

      And once Assange is in Sweden, the Americans may try to haul his ass across the Atlantic Ocean for spilling diplomatic cables that embarrassed the Obama administration.

      The U.S. has already issued a sealed indictment against Assange, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights, and he could spend a very long time in jail.

      Ecuador's foreign minister is talking tough, claiming that an unauthorized British incursion on its London embassy would violate international law.

      Assange, of course, poses a danger to nobody.

      But Cameron, like many Conservative politicians, is a twit, which is why his government is prepared to flout Article 22 of the Vienna Convention to please his friends in Washington.

      Perhaps a global boycott of BP gas stations might get Cameron's attention.


      The Australian government says it has limited legal authority.


      Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.

      Comments

      10 Comments

      Mark Fornataro

      Aug 15, 2012 at 8:11pm

      Re: "Ecuador's foreign minister is talking tough, claiming that an unauthorized British incursion on its London embassy would violate international law." Of course Ecuador is right about this and if Britain goes ahead and storms the Ecuador embassy it won't have a leg to stand on if some other country ( Ecuador?) does likewise to a British embassy. Thus Britain would be endangering its own foreign service staff, some of whom are spies using diplomatic cover. As they say, what goes around comes around. A very stupid idea indeed by Britain.

      miguel

      Aug 15, 2012 at 8:55pm

      Bad fight to pick. Britain is a tapped out tiny island nation with little natural resources of their own.
      Miguel

      Farid

      Aug 15, 2012 at 9:13pm

      If the British Government takes this action, it becomes a global problem that should make the Pussy Riots imprisoning and outcry look like a summer picnic.

      Arthur Vandelay

      Aug 15, 2012 at 10:40pm

      So Sweden is now a puppet banana republic regime fabricating a fraudulent case against Saint Julien at the behest of the evil right wingers like the Obama administration?

      Doesn't take much pressure for the lefties to throw their each other under the bus.

      hAYOKA

      Aug 16, 2012 at 9:44am

      Arthur Vandelay what is a lefty or a righty for that matter anymore . There is no letf or right anymore , there is only leverage or balance . You should look at the facts or does that just get in the way of your world view .

      Save Vancouver

      Aug 16, 2012 at 9:37pm

      I hope Charlie realizes there are no BP gas stations here. Maybe he can just boycott Top Shop or something. And isn't IKEA Swedish? Boycott them for good measure too!

      Anarchy2112

      Aug 17, 2012 at 2:54pm

      Do the British even have human rights anymore? The British and the Swedes are sewn up to the US like the human centipede.

      Martin Dunphy

      Aug 17, 2012 at 3:30pm

      hAYOKA:

      There is no worldview involved there, just 60-year-old blinkers.

      Trapperjack

      Aug 17, 2012 at 6:54pm

      Yes, Cameron is a twit. On a good day. And Britain is way out of line on this one. This idea of "storming" a sovereign nation's embassy is absolutely outrageous. The Brits credibility around the world (like Canada's) has tanked over the last decade. This would put them in the same league as the most corrupt, scumbag nations of the world. Good on Ecuador. Good on Assange. We (the 99%) owe you. Release more e-mails!

      RGstartled

      Aug 17, 2012 at 9:00pm

      the Ecuadorians knew what they where doing when they took on the hot potato that is Julian Assange , and i would be skeptical if the British goverment actually threatened to enter the embassy and instead if they actually sent anything it may just have been a polite note indcating that they may do this under their law.