WikiLeaks Still Under Fire as Bank Account Closed
WikiLeaks Still Under Fire as Bank Account Closed
Posted 12/06/2010 at 3:56pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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Postfinance, the financial arm of Swiss Post, has made the decision to close the bank account of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. This was one of the main ways Assange took contributions to fund the secret document posting site. According to the AP, Postfinance investigated the claims Assange made when opening the account, namely that he was a Swiss resident. They found that he provided no evidence of that, and closed the account.
Assange will get the cash from that account, but this further reduces Assange's options for fundraising after PayPal cut ties with the organization. WikiLeaks is also still under attack online as groups attempt to knock the site offline. They were forced to move to a Swiss host last week and adopt a new domain name, WikiLeaks.ch.
As various services flee, others are seemingly happy to have WikiLeaks around. Both Facebook and Twitter have allowed WikiLeaks to stick around. Perhaps the dividing line that of financial ties. A business may feel very wary about taking money from an organization so openly despised by the US administration. What do you think WikiLeaks' next step will be?
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ThunderBolt
December 07, 2010 at 4:54am
He's shown the truth. Only those who do not want the public know the truth fear him.
He did not put anyone in danger. The governments did it to themselves.
big_montana
December 07, 2010 at 5:46am
Rich Galen says it best - If Julian Assange were exposing Chinese or Russian secrets, he would already have died at the hands of some unknown assailant. As a foreigner engaged in hostile acts against the U.S., Mr. Assange is certainly not protected from U.S. reprisal under the laws of war. For all of his self-justification as an agent of 'pure' transparency, Mr. Assange is not serving the interest of free societies. His mass, indiscriminate exposure of anything labeled secret that he can lay his hands on is a hostile act against a democracy that is fighting a war against forces bent on killing innocents. He has decided that he, among the 6.7 billion humans on the Earth, is solely qualified to decide what should be held secret and what should be made public. News outlets worldwide have taken to describing Wikipedia as a 'whistleblower website.' That's like saying the Central and South American cocaine drug cartels are 'entertainment entrepreneurs.' Now that he is being hunted like the dog he is, Assange has made it known that he has posted a file containing more than a gigabyte containing many secret documents not previously released. That file has been sent to cohorts around the world, but it is password protected. His threat is: Arrest me (and/or knock Wikileaks.com off the internet) and the password will be made public, the files will be unlocked, and massive harm will be done to the United States government and at least one major U.S. bank. Assange is blackmailing the world to allow him to continue to play his part in this international game of Russian roulette. Like every megalomaniac from Napoleon to Lex Luthar he believes only he knows the path to truth.
Keith E. Whisman
December 07, 2010 at 9:47am
I'm so glad that I'm not alone in my feelings on this matter. With his doomsday threat, he reminds me of a freaking James Bond villain.
mesiah
December 07, 2010 at 12:09am
It's too bad this isn't Russia and these were leaked Russian Cables. This tool would probably already be face down in a ditch. I hope everyone involved in this pays a heavy price for endangering the lives of our armed forces. There are secrets that need to be kept, because our enemies can and will take advantage of them. Saying our government should be completely open is akin to saying a bank should keep their vault open because your have the right to count your own money. While you are counting someone else is in there stealing.
Zachary K.
December 06, 2010 at 8:16pm
he cannot be tried to treason, but the people who leaked the info sure can, we can't forget their part in all this.
blkpanthr
December 06, 2010 at 8:22pm
yeah, some private in-theater in Iraq. Hes going to give new meaning to the phrase "Hoist with his own petard"
blkpanthr
December 06, 2010 at 9:37pm
The really sad thing about all these people defending this dirt bag is that they fail to miss the effect this will have on theater operations, the transmssion of sensitive information, and the general moral of our service men and women in the field. And i dont mean just the US, i mean ALL allied service members.
Jerks like this are the reason why goverments arent as transparent as people would like. Hes not helping, hes actually making it worse. Why bother being transparent when some douche bag is gonna be a dumb ass anyway? its easier to applogize, than ask for permission people...
The fact that there are people in the world that think this kind of nonsence is justified just reinforceces my belief that most of the world is basically uneduacted ignoramuses.
This is reality: There is ALWAYS some bozo who thinks he should have more power than the person next to him. Welcome to the human experience. As soon as the rest of the world accepts that, the sooner we can all be on the same page and find a solution. Until then, a wack upside the head with a big stick is the only solution that works.
I have to wonder wether or not all these liberal/leftist/socialist wack-jobs defending this guy have read, or comprehended for that matter, any history at all.
All this peaceful transparance non-sence is fine in concept, however due to human nature, its not paractical or implementable.
Communism/Marxism anyone? looks nice on paper, not to much in reality...
This jerks reckless disregard for other peoples lives is eclipsed only by his regard for his own, as hes now hiding like a little bitch somwhere in the UK (that wont last long, if anyone finds out who he is, hes good as dead)...typical...
usucdik
December 09, 2010 at 3:54am
Why should morale be up when they are really fighting for the interests of others? You seem to be continually defending motives to brush any kind of dirt under the rug. Does that really protect people that continue to sign up just to carry out questional motives?
By the way, it seems that all you can do here is try to label the other side as liberal/communist/etc. I don't really see any good arguments about why things should be as they are. The simplistic notion of "think of the troops!" just doesn't cut it, no matter how it is sliced.
Slipdisc
December 06, 2010 at 7:47pm
WikiLeaks now hosted at 507 locations, planet wide http://wikileaks.ch/mirrors.html It will be over 1000 by the end of the week. Theres no stopping it now.
blkpanthr
December 06, 2010 at 8:19pm
507 more DOS attacks for me!!! Yay!
Hope these hosts enjoyed their ISPs...wont have them for long...lol..They will all probobly be russian domains by the end of the week...lol
TechJunkie
December 06, 2010 at 6:15pm
Wikileaks needs to burn. There are things that need to be kept secret for our national security. I mean, come on people, do you want your enemies knowing everything your up to? If this jerko wanted to just release the cables of our diplomats talking trash against other leaders, then so be it. Some of it was funny. But to release communicae between our allies against our enemies and so forth is treason and he should be burned at the stake for what he has done.
This has nothing to do with keeping governments open and honest, it had everything to do with him showing the world how easy it is/was to obtain secure/classified information for a major power. Also his statements about his "pill" is just a ploy and bargaining chip to help keep him out of jail for possibly molesting two girls and/or arrested for treason. This moron holds no water with me...in fact...I wish it was me that was able to step on his head while holding it under water as he gasps for air at the center fountain in Washington D.C.!
Keith E. Whisman
December 06, 2010 at 6:39pm
He can't be tried for treason because he is an Australian citizen and the Wikileaks organisation was run in Europe. He can and should be charged with Espionage with extreme malice with intent to harm US foreign relations and foreign policy and US war efforts. For these charges if found guilty, he can be hanged or shot. But historically spies are hanged. He should be given a count for every person that was victimized by his actions and also receive counts for damage that is related to his actions. Everyone in the Wikileaks organisation should be detained and investigated for and those that are found related with this action should be charged with complicity in committing sabotage and espionage. They should also be charged with conspiracy to commit sabotage and espionage with intent to cause harm.
Keith E. Whisman
December 06, 2010 at 6:47pm
Sadly this is a result of breech of trust. An enlisted soldier downloaded all the secret information and relayed it to wikileaks. That Private should be executed for high treason and engaging in espionage against the US government. The fact that he was in the Army disgusts me. I say skin him alive. The Brits would say hang him but not until death and then disembowel him and then burn him alive or something to that effect.
I Jedi
December 06, 2010 at 8:24pm
No, no, death is far too easy of a punishment to receive. Keep the asshole alive indefiniately. Force him to apologize to people individually, for which the U.S. government knows people died do to secretly released documents he had a hand in. Let him suffer, as he watches these family members, friends, and loved ones scream at him for what he has done. After every victim has been apologized to, send him prison to do hard labor for the rest of his life. Let him not know any peace of mind for the rest of his days. That is deserved a life of hardship to me.
Keith E. Whisman
December 07, 2010 at 9:44am
Listen that sounds like a good punishment but this guy believes he is justified and in reality a hero. He would just sit there and smile as the families of his victims file by screaming at him. He is a smug, arrogant fuck. So you have to re-arrange your punishment so that he'll actually learn to realize that he is the bad guy in this. That what he did is in reality wrong. So you see, it's like trying to free the madness from an islamic terrorist. It's just not going to work. He thinks he is the one good guy on this planet. That he is right and everyone else is wrong.
pepper_roni
December 06, 2010 at 4:37pm
So far nothing has been endargering lives, just embarasing US officials. Wikileaks is the ultimate form of government accountability
Zachary K.
December 06, 2010 at 4:51pm
the government's and the people in government, i think they have some right to privacy.
Walnut
December 06, 2010 at 5:25pm
They have the right to personal privacy. That hasn't been breached in any way. I don't understand why we should be okay with letting them keep secrets from us. WE put them in power so serve OUR best interests. It's time they remembered that. They're playing games with the trust we've given them. It's become a laughable instituation and it's about time someone comes up and makes them accountable.
cmiller
December 06, 2010 at 6:21pm
I think a soldier in the field has a right to privacy for his assessment regardless of a war time theater or not. He is a volunteer, you did not put him anywhere. What you say is 'okay' is part of a massive group of cables leaked that effect the way critical information is passed to those in the field that need it in a timely manner - which does put people at risk. (I am not even considering diplomatic cables, in which they should be entitled to some degree of privacy to insure they speak in a frank, plain manner. I don't want some jackass so worried about how he says something that he doesnt - what benefit is that to 'us'?).
So pick up a rifle, man a line, or shut the fuck up about 'your' best interest.
TechJunkie
December 06, 2010 at 6:19pm
OUR interests is to keep such information from our enemies. To keep americans and it's allies citizens safe and secure from these morons we are at war with. Period.
I Jedi
December 06, 2010 at 4:27pm
I'd say let the mother fuckers burn. Releasing documents that could endanger others lives is wrong. I don't care for what righteous reason they run under about the freedom of information, there are lines that shouldn't be crossed so hastly.
Danthrax66
December 06, 2010 at 5:43pm
"blah blah blah HAIL HITLER"
Nazi's said the same thing when Hitler was attacking other countries and killing Jews the people didn't care. We are involved in the killing of thousands of people in the middle east we need to be aware and we need to call into question our leaders.
teknomagik
December 06, 2010 at 7:32pm
I congratulate you sir. You've invoked Godwins Law. Thank you, and good night.
Keith E. Whisman
December 06, 2010 at 6:59pm
Nazis killed 6million jews. During WW2 the world lost some 70million dead. The US employs people of every race and religion and encourages it's soldiers, diplomats, spies, and dignitaries to all be active in their religion. There are many Jews and Muslims and Christians that are in important positions in government and the military. I can tell you with experience as a soldier that the US armed forces does not engage in wanton killing of civilians in large numbers. Accidents happen, if it's an accident it's not murder. Do you realize how many soldiers and marines have died because they would not shoot at an enemy fighter that was protected with human shields made up of civilians? Once those civilians use their bodies to protect a military target they then become a legitimate military target. Also you have to wonder how many thousands of civilians that are listed were killed by car bombs and road side bombs.
Do yourself a favor and don't ever, ever call American armed forces nazis.
usucdik
December 09, 2010 at 3:41am
Meanwhile, 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed over lies a God-fearing alcoholic and The Penguin went to "conflict" over.
KenLV
December 06, 2010 at 5:57pm
Clearly, you are trying to imply that ANYONE who disagrees with the reckless release of confidential information is a nazi. OK. You know what many nazis also said? That they love their mothers. So, are you also going to imply that every time someone says that they love their mother, they are a nazi? Brilliant.
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