Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
BY JON WARD
Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican who is scheduled to become chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said Monday that WikiLeaks should be designated a terrorist organization for releasing hundreds of thousands of secret and classified government documents.
“The benefit of that is, we would be able to seize their assets and we would be able to stop anyone from helping them in any way,” King said, appearing on MSNBC.
King also hinted at getting WikiLeaks’ founder, Julian Assange, extradited for prosecution in the U.S. Naming WikiLeaks a terrorist group would help the U.S. government, he said, “as far as trying to get them extradited, trying to get them to take action against them.”
“Either we’re serious about this or we’re not. I know people may think this is a bit of a stretch, but I analogize it as the RICO statute, where they had a pretty narrow definition of criminal enterprise in the beginning, but now that’s been expanded quite a bit to deal with contemporary problems,” King said.
“If we’re going to live in this world, this technological world, where information can be disseminated so quickly, we have to be serious, take firm strong action against those who are putting American lives at risk, because this will put people’s lives at risk.”
Joe Scarborough, the co-host of “Morning Joe” and a former Republican congressman from Florida, was dubious.
“I think you may be overstepping a good deal,” he said. “Isn’t your first job to call government agencies… in front of your committee and say, ‘How did this happen?’ … You know you can’t designate them a terror outfit?”
King persisted.
“I don’t think we should write it off that quickly and say we can’t do it. They are assisting in terrorist activity. The information they are giving is being used by al Qaeda, it’s being used by our enemies,” he said, adding that foreign intelligence agencies will be able to identify sources for intelligence from the more than 251,000 cables being released by WikiLeaks in batches.
King wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder on Sunday urging him to charge Assange under the Espionage Act and a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking her to designate WikiLeaks as a terrorist organization.
Holder said Monday that there is an “active, ongoing criminal investigation” into the WikiLeaks release.
“We are not in a position as yet to announce the result of that investigation, but the investigation is ongoing,” Holder said.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that “WikiLeaks and people that disseminate information to people like this are criminals, first and foremost, and I think that needs to be clear.”
King’s rhetoric is the latest example of outrage – most of it from conservatives – against the international nonprofit that earlier this year released hundreds of thousands of classified government and military documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The documents appear to have come from one source: U.S. Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, who was arrested in May and is currently being held at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, and faces a long prison sentence.
Later in the day Monday, former Clinton era Secretaryof Defense William Cohen said he supported Holder’s criminal investigation and said the U.S. government should seek to have WikiLeaks’ leaders extradited “to bring them back to face a trial here.”
On Sunday, as the first diplomatic cables began to dribble out, Larry Sanger, the co-founder of Wikipedia who has since left the organization, sent a public message to WikiLeaks on Twitter.
“Speaking as Wikipedia’s co-founder, I consider you enemies of the U.S. — not just the government, but the people,” Sanger wrote.
He added: “What you’ve been doing to us is breathtakingly irresponsible and can’t be excused with pieties of free speech and openness.”
Former Alaska Gov. SarahPalin called the release by WikiLeaks “treasonous.”
Assange, who is Australian, is facing possible prosecution in his country of origin if he returns there. The government in Canberra is exploring the possibility of filing charges against Assange.
In October, conservative columnist asked in a column: “Why isn’t Julian Assange dead?”
WikiLeaks gave an explanation for its actions in publishing the diplomatic cables Sunday that showed what appeared to be a strong anti-U.S. motivation.
“The cables show the extent of U.S. spying on its allies and the U.N.; turning a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuse in ‘client states’; backroom deals with supposedly neutral countries; lobbying for U.S. corporations; and the measures U.S. diplomats take to advance those who have access to them,” WikiLeaks wrote.
This document release reveals the contradictions between the U.S.’s public persona and what it says behind closed doors — and shows that if citizens in a democracy want their governments to reflect their wishes, they should ask to see what’s going on behind the scenes.
Every American schoolchild is taught that George Washington — the country’s first president — could not tell a lie. If the administrations of his successors lived up to the same principle, today’s document flood would be a mere embarrassment. Instead, the U.S. government has been warning governments — even the most corrupt — around the world about the coming leaks and is bracing itself for the exposures.
In its mission statement, however, WikiLeaks says its “primary interest is in exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East."
“But we also expect to be of assistance to people of all regions who wish to reveal unethical behavior in their governments and corporations,” WikiLeaks says. “We aim for maximum political impact.”
(This article originally appeared on the Daily Caller)
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
If the US Govt cannot get beyond an 'ongoing investigation' and put Assange in jail with Noriega for terrorism, well, it will prove to all of us, Americans and onlookers, that it is a very weak tiger.
Nov '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
The Daily Caller: BY JON WARD
In its mission statement, however, WikiLeaks says its “primary interest is in exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East."
Julian Assange is a disengenuous creep. Everything WikiLeaks does is intended to discredit the US and undermine our war against Islamofascism.
Assange knows full well that, if he tries to blow the whistle on any other country, he is likely to wind up on the greasy floor of an abandoned garage, with two bullets behind his ear. If that happened, it would not break my heart at all.
Jul '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
Let's get our priorities straight. First, let's designate the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Black Caucus as terrorist organizations. They're far more dangerous than Wikileaks.
Nov '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
There's a scene in the movie "The Untouchables" where Al Capone, played by Robert Deniro, has just been informed that Elliot Ness' team of untouchables has substantially disrupted his illegal liquor operations. His response (paraphrasing) is something like "this Nancy boy Elliot Ness, I want him dead, I want his family dead, I want his house burned to the ground, I want to go over there in the middle if the night and piss on his ashes". While the Assange family, unless complicity, cannot be held responsible for Julian Assange's crimes, when I read of what he is doing to our country, my first, most primal reaction is something like Deniro's... as I suppose is most Americans'. I pray President Obama feels the same and will hound and prosecute Assange to the limit of the law.
Nov '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
Complicit... (sp).
Jul '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
the US government, like all Western governments, is asking if this is 'legal'. That is, should the lawyers define the damage done by this baby faced Gollum.
When we are talking about a country's strength, well, the lawyers are a problem, not to speak of 'ongoing investigations'. It is time to declare Assange and Wikileaks a terrorist organization, which it IS.
If not, this will be another marker on the US's path to weakness.
Oct '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
I think defining them as a "terrorist organization" is watering down that designation too much.
However, there are so many other possible legal ways to go after him, and even some extralegal that would be acceptable given the fact that Wikileaks is undermining US foreign policy and national defense, that I can't believe they haven't moved past the "ongoing investigation" stage.
The article says: "White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that “WikiLeaks and people that disseminate information to people like this are criminals, first and foremost, and I think that needs to be clear.”"
Hey, how about going after the New York Times, then? And any other US paper that is putting these out? They're "disseminating" this information just as much as Wikileaks is.
Aug '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
I agree that going after Wikileaks under the rubric of terrorism is not a good fit. I don't like it when the left plays games with language, and we shouldn't commit the same sin.
But in a way, it's worse. What Wikileaks is doing is unprecedented in human history, because revealing a country's state secrets on this magnitude could never have been done before the age of the Internet. It therefore doesn't fall neatly into any existing category of crime, and it's proper punishment cannot be deduced by analogy to other crimes.
One foreigner claiming a veto power over the foreign policy of a country is certainly as serious as many acts of war, even if it doesn't look exactly like a typical act of war. And this has nothing to do with the actual content of the releases, so arguing that "there are no smoking guns" is no excuse. It is as important to shut down Wikileaks as it is to deny certain serious weapons (although probably not nukes) to our enemies. This man and his organization must be stopped, and I doubt the law in all its politeness can do it.
Jul '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
well, one hopes that the US Govt is going to do anything/something about this guy. Look at him: a baby face, complacent in his pride, totally aware that he is perfectly safe, because the US is filled with law abiding people, many of whom would LOVE to defend him in 'court.' "Ongoing investigation". Ridiculous.
And then there is that PFC, who very probably has been told by one and all, by his parents and his pre-school teachers, and everyone he has ever met, that he is a really nice guy, and wasn't it fun to just 'download' all those files, it was so easy.
Assange hates the US and has found a great way to destroy it; the PFC is just 'having fun' and very probably wonders why so many people are angry with him.
Oct '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
I prefer the label "enemies of the state". Look, if wikileaks did this to China, the Chinese gov't would be demanding countries that hide or harbor people like Assange and his ilk to give them up... or else. And continue escalating the belligerent rhetoric until a country like Sweden gives in.
Remember how they bitchslapped the japanese over boating incident?
edit: i'm sure a move like this would make tom friedman proud LMAO.
Edited on Nov 29, 2010 at 7:57pmOct '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2010/11/29/helplessly-hoping-2/
But what the financial meltdown and the execrable record of the Obama administration broadcast is that Obama’s USA is no longer what it used to be. It has beclowned itself to the point where it is unable to even prevent its secrets from being thrown in its face. The danger, argues the Asia Times, is that this contempt is cumulative; and that North Korea, Iran and China will either successfully challenge or miscalculate. Either way disaster impends.
It would be a sad epitaph for an president who once campaigned on a platform of restoring international America’s prestige. This is how it all ends: not with bang, but with a whimper and lots of potential bangs.
Aug '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
What is wrong with you people?
In the above comments I've seen expressions of envy for lawless totalitarianism, fantasizing about murdering someone's family, and comparisons of misguided but legitimate American politicians to terrorists. Even if all of this was meant facetiously, you should all be ashamed of yourselves. If it is not sufficient that such things are intrinsically repellent, then just consider that you've made some Media Matters intern wet his pants in delight at this supply of clippings to add to the "Ricochet is a hate site" report.
(I exempt David and Paul from this scolding).
Oct '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
Assange should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. At the very least be declared persona non grata so he can never set foot hear. I did read that Australia was considering pressing charges against him as well and canceling his passport.
As for the PFC, I certainly hope he is being court-martialed, given his dishonorable discharge and perhaps spend a few years in Ft. Leavenworth for his efforts.
Aug '10
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
anon_academic: What is wrong with you people?
In the above comments I've seen expressions of envy for lawless totalitarianism, fantasizing about murdering someone's family, and comparisons of misguided but legitimate American politicians to terrorists. Even if all of this was meant facetiously, you should all be ashamed of yourselves. If it is not sufficient that such things are intrinsically repellent, then just consider that you've made some Media Matters intern wet his pants in delight at this supply of clippings to add to the "Ricochet is a hate site" report.
(I exempt David and Paul from this scolding).
Don't be too quick to exempt me. My point is that this is as serious a threat as many things that are routinely considered acts of war, and that therefore treating it as a military matter is not a prima facie case of "lawless totalitarianism". Playing by the criminal laws, even if ends up with Assange behind bars for a while, may not sufficiently deter future massive Internet releases by others. In that case, playing by the laws of war may be necessary and justified.
Re: Top GOP Congressman Says WikiLeaks Should Be Named Terrorist Organization
Much in the way that one can now be accused of being racist against trees, we all ought to strive to avoid a world in which every crime is a variety of terrorism. Isn't treason enough? As much of a creep as Assange appears to be, it's guys like Manning who are the really serious problem. (No, that doesn't mean I support a Total Information Awareness-style surveillance state.) My strong suspicion: as big new chunks of this madness drop, or don't, there's far more going on behind the scenes here than we the people know -- and that's not necessarily a bad thing.