"Assange closer to hi-tech terrorist"

U.S. Vice-President Joseph Biden has compared WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to a "hi-tech terrorist". The Guardian reports on its website that this was "the strongest criticism yet from the Obama administration" directed toward the whistleblowing website and its editor-in-chief. "Assange closer to hi-tech terrorist" Biden repeated claims that the ongoing publishing of U.S. diplomatic cables "put lives at risk and made it more difficult for the U.S. to conduct its business around the world". Compared to the leaked Pentagon papers in 1970s, which revealed the lie on which U.S. involvement in Vietnam was based, Biden said, "I would argue it is closer to being a hi-tech terrorist than the Pentagon papers". The U.S. justice department is struggling to find legislation with which to prosecute Assange, reports the newspaper, and adds: "Asked if what Assange had done was criminal, Biden seemed to suggest it would be considered criminal if it could be established that the WikiLeaks founder had encouraged or helped Bradley Manning, the U.S. intelligence analyst suspected of being behind the leak. Biden claimed this was different from a journalist receiving leaked material". "If he conspired to get these classified documents with a member of the U.S. military that is fundamentally different than if someone drops on your lap… you are a press person, here is classified material," said Biden. Meanwhile, another British newspaper, the Independent, reports on its website that his friends say Bradley Manning is being pressurized into giving evidence against Julian Assange. Manning, who is yet to be charged, has for months been kept in solitary confinement, where he is "awoken at 5 a.m. and is then allowed to put on his clothes, which he surrendered on going to bed the night before". He us not allowed to sleep at any time between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m.; "if he does so, he is made to sit up or stand by the guards". "He is allowed just one hour of exercise a day, even then not in the fresh air, but an empty room where he can walk in figures of eight. Any attempt by him to keep himself busy by, for example, doing press-ups, or sit-ups, is forbidden," says the article. Furthermore, "he is not allowed to associate with his fellow inmates and has never seen them, although he does occasionally hear their voices. The guards have to check every five minutes that Manning is ok, and he has to verbally confirm that he is alright. The same checks are continued during the night, and, if the guards cannot see Private Manning because he has pulled a blanket over his head (he is allowed blankets but not sheets or pillows) then they wake him up." In Britain, Julian Assange is out on strict bail conditions after he was arrested and kept in prison for more than a week on a Swedish warrant. He is wanted in that country for questioning for alleged sex crimes, although he has not been charged. Assange has rejected the accusations against him as part of a smear campaign, and says will fight extradition to Sweden out of fear that it might ultimately lead to his extradition to the U.S. Meantime, WikiLeaks and several of its large media parters around the world continue to publish batches of a total of more than a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables obtained by the website. Julian Assange (Beta/AP)

"Assange closer to hi-tech terrorist"

Biden repeated claims that the ongoing publishing of U.S. diplomatic cables "put lives at risk and made it more difficult for the U.S. to conduct its business around the world".

Compared to the leaked Pentagon papers in 1970s, which revealed the lie on which U.S. involvement in Vietnam was based, Biden said, "I would argue it is closer to being a hi-tech terrorist than the Pentagon papers".

The U.S. justice department is struggling to find legislation with which to prosecute Assange, reports the newspaper, and adds: "Asked if what Assange had done was criminal, Biden seemed to suggest it would be considered criminal if it could be established that the WikiLeaks founder had encouraged or helped Bradley Manning, the U.S. intelligence analyst suspected of being behind the leak. Biden claimed this was different from a journalist receiving leaked material".

"If he conspired to get these classified documents with a member of the U.S. military that is fundamentally different than if someone drops on your lap… you are a press person, here is classified material," said Biden.

Meanwhile, another British newspaper, the Independent, reports on its website that his friends say Bradley Manning is being pressurized into giving evidence against Julian Assange.

Manning, who is yet to be charged, has for months been kept in solitary confinement, where he is "awoken at 5 a.m. and is then allowed to put on his clothes, which he surrendered on going to bed the night before".

He us not allowed to sleep at any time between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m.; "if he does so, he is made to sit up or stand by the guards".

"He is allowed just one hour of exercise a day, even then not in the fresh air, but an empty room where he can walk in figures of eight. Any attempt by him to keep himself busy by, for example, doing press-ups, or sit-ups, is forbidden," says the article.

Furthermore, "he is not allowed to associate with his fellow inmates and has never seen them, although he does occasionally hear their voices. The guards have to check every five minutes that Manning is ok, and he has to verbally confirm that he is alright. The same checks are continued during the night, and, if the guards cannot see Private Manning because he has pulled a blanket over his head (he is allowed blankets but not sheets or pillows) then they wake him up."

In Britain, Julian Assange is out on strict bail conditions after he was arrested and kept in prison for more than a week on a Swedish warrant. He is wanted in that country for questioning for alleged sex crimes, although he has not been charged.

Assange has rejected the accusations against him as part of a smear campaign, and says will fight extradition to Sweden out of fear that it might ultimately lead to his extradition to the U.S.

Meantime, WikiLeaks and several of its large media parters around the world continue to publish batches of a total of more than a quarter of a million U.S. diplomatic cables obtained by the website.