post from a friend, IMHO, the best..
John Gargano commented:
“The guy (Assange) has clearly committed crimes against the US, and I believe our allies will assist in brining him to justice in our country because they are all equally as embarrassed by the publication of these documents as we are.
As the dust is settling around this entire affair, it is clear that Assange has unintentionally done the world a big favor in one respect and it is this: He has absolutely exposed that the emperors of the world collectively have absolutely no clothes whatsoever. When we read these documents it is painfully obvious that these “esteemed leaders” and “worldly statesmen” conduct their affairs with the level of immaturity and pettiness that barely raises to the level of a low budget soap opera script. While Assange has violated our sovereignty and committed crimes for which I believe he should be punished, we must not lose sight of this larger fact. If there was ever any doubt, it is quite clear now that most world leaders are nothing more than people of infantile incompetence. While many people have speculated that the world’s affairs were being tended to by nothing but diminutive people – there is no longer any doubt. Now we all know this is the case and I find this revelation to be even more disturbing than the violation of diplomatic and State privacy.”
Having served honorably on active duty as a Naval Officer I have no truck with those who deliberately transmit classified information to those not authorized to receive it with the intent of doing harm. Unfortunately, Assange, with good attorneys, may be beyond prosecution exactly because of this Gargano's argument. You cannot cover up government incompetence with classification. That is why whatshisname could not be prosecuted for the Pentagon papers.
And, if the government seeks to hide its incompetence in other information that would legitimately be classified, one can argue that it is the government that is as responsbile for the release of the classified information because of the people's right to know what its government is doing on its behalf.
As for the intent argument, the problem is that Assange can argue that his intent was exactly to do the world this big favor, which was arguably doing far more harm to the citizens of their respective, mismanaged, countries than the collateral release of the information could possibly have done.
For instance, the revelation that Obama chose as a matter of policy to put off dealing with Iran until hell freezes over, in the form of resolving the Palestinian question, is exactly an issue of this magnitude.
Let me repeat, before I get attacked, that anyone who releases information that is legitimately classified with the intent to bring harm to the US is a traitor and should be so treated, tried and dealt with.
Having served honorably on active duty as a Naval Officer I have no truck with those who deliberately transmit classified information to those not authorized to receive it with the intent of doing harm. Unfortunately, Assange, with good attorneys, may be beyond prosecution exactly because of this Gargano's argument. You cannot cover up government incompetence with classification. That is why whatshisname could not be prosecuted for the Pentagon papers.
And, if the government seeks to hide its incompetence in other information that would legitimately be classified, one can argue that it is the government that is as responsbile for the release of the classified information because of the people's right to know what its government is doing on its behalf.
As for the intent argument, the problem is that Assange can argue that his intent was exactly to do the world this big favor, which was arguably doing far more harm to the citizens of their respective, mismanaged, countries than the collateral release of the information could possibly have done.
For instance, the revelation that Obama chose as a matter of policy to put off dealing with Iran until hell freezes over, in the form of resolving the Palestinian question, is exactly an issue of this magnitude.
Let me repeat, before I get attacked, that anyone who releases information that is legitimately classified with the intent to bring harm to the US is a traitor and should be so treated, tried and dealt with.