Curiouser and Curiouser – How Deep is the Rabbit Hole?

62 Replies to “Curiouser and Curiouser – How Deep is the Rabbit Hole?”

1. WikiLeaks and Israel: Assange chose not to publish cables

   Agoravox is a public service news site located near Strasbourg, France. Two days ago, its reporters had the opportunity to interview Julian Assange for two hours. The subjects were varied and included his background, rise to fame, quest for truth in journalism, the international press, the famous leaks on Afghanistan and Iraq, and the diplomatic cables which managed to embarrass the United States.

   Assange, who is the founder of Wikileaks, is currently in England fighting an extradition order to Sweden where he has been charged with ‘sex crimes’. He told Agoravox that the whole ‘trial’ is rigged; he also had a few choice words for the New York Times, the BBC and The Guardian. But most importantly, we learned why so little had been said or published about Israel, a nation he claims to personally fear.

   As pointed out in an earlier article, Assange stresses that his work would not have taken on such importance had journalists done their jobs as investigators rather than become spectators. Below are extracts of the Q & A between Agoravox and Assange as it relates to Israel:

   AV: What relationship do you have with other UK media UK ? Why do they accuse you of being anti-Semitic?
   JA : Our relationships are not that great, particularly with the BBC. Toda, I was verbally attacked by a journalist while leaving the police station. It was John Sweeney of the Panorama show. The BBC is one of our biggest rivals. This network accused him us of collaborating with Israel Shamir, an alleged anti-Semitic man who lends us support. He is a journalist and writer born in Siberia who settled in Israel. He denied his Judaism and became pro-Palestinian. He subsequently converted to Russian Orthodoxy. That is why he is hated in the same manner as Salman Rushdie. He now lives in Sweden, and since he’s helped us for a while, some media accused us of being anti-Semitic, of having provided documents to the Russians and having relations with Lukashenko. Our competitors also contact our enemies for interviews. They are going to broadcast a show on Monday (coincidentally during the first day of trial) and try to influence the judges. We finally found out that the producer’s wife for this show was part of the Zionist movement in London …

   AV: Is it true that you fear Israel?

   JA: Of course.

   AV: Yet you made some choices when you decided to publish the first leaks …

   JA: We chose not to publish anything on Israel during the first week because it would have caused many problems. So we started publishing files on other countries. Once our “boat” had sailed, it was inconceivable to change course. At first we did not have many files on Israel and we were afraid of attacks from the East Coast of the United States (In the US, the major Jewish organizations are all on the East Coast). If we had published information on ‘sensitive’ countries from the outset, we would have suffered attacks that would have forced us to deviate from our path.

   AV: Have you more afraid of Israel or the U.S.?

   JA :It is the union of two countries that scares me the most. More so, because they shared a number of interests in the Iraqi conflict. Bush supported Israel since it was surrounded by friends who headed the oil companies. Israel, meanwhile, has strong ties with the East Coast of the United States. Not only because of the presence of many Jews on American soil, but also because Jews on the East Coast were given Israeli passports in order to strengthen their ties with their homeland. Russia has done the same with South Ossetia, distributing passports to the local population to promote the fight against Georgian nationalism.

   The balance of the interview focused on Egypt and its regime, and the current state of affairs in the country. According to Assange, the United States would prefer Suleiman to take over power from President Hosni Mubarak.

   The Agaravox interview is here (google translation)

2. British magazine: Assange says Jewish conspiracy trying to discredit WikiLeaks
   Julian Assange and the big picture John Kampfner:

   When urged at the start of January by Assange’s publisher to help him write his memoirs I said I was ready to assist, but only if I had strong editorial input and that no subject was off-limits. This, I was told, was not acceptable. Roughly at the same time our organisation started asking questions about Israel Shamir, a man accused of Holocaust denial and of being a close associate of Belarus’s autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko. Index is one of the founders of the Belarus Committee. Despite repeated but polite requests to WikiLeaks, our team was stonewalled, so we went public with our concerns.

   Assange’s reported conspiracy remarks to Private Eye magazine about me and senior figures in the Guardian do not help his cause. With so many genuine adversaries, why seek more? His approach has reinforced a view that whistleblowing is the preserve of irresponsible eccentrics – playing into the hands of malign forces in the US seeking to prosecute him for “terrorism” or under the espionage act.

   Thanks in large part to WikiLeaks, no matter how hard the authorities try, it will be impossible in future to prevent conscientious whistleblowers from passing on material that seeks to cast a light on the actions of the powerful – information that might otherwise remain secret. Due to the published documents, people around the world – notably in the Middle East and north Africa – have a better sense of what others thought of their autocratic leaders. All this is the positive legacy. The rest is soap opera or, dare I say it, Tinseltown.

3. Mother of all smears By Israel Shamir

   Wikileaks, Belarus and Israel Shamir

   It has been reported that an “accredited” journalist for Wikileaks, Israel Shamir, met with Uladzimri Makei, the Head of the Presidential administration in Belarus. Subsequently, it was reported in the Belarus Telegraf that a state newspaper would be publishing documents about the Belarusian opposition.

   Wikileaks has always maintained it takes care to ensure that names of political activists are redacted from cables before publication on its website. Index on Censorship is concerned that some of the Wikileaks cables relating to Belarus that have not appeared on the main Wikileaks website are now in the public domain.

   There are various “commercial crimes” in Belarus that make it a criminal offence to run an unregistered organisation. In turn, many NGOs are prohibited from registering their organisations. This places a lot of civil society in Belarus in a legal grey area which can mean political activists, who cannot register, are placed in breach of the law for accepting foreign funding. It is rumoured in Belarus that many of the Wikileaks cables outline foreign support for opposition groups. Our worry is that this information could be used to prosecute some of the political prisoners currently held by the KGB.

   In the immediate aftermath of the discredited Belarusian elections, Index on Censorship made repeated attempts to contact Wikileaks in order for them to clarify its relationship with Shamir.

   Our correspondence with Wikileaks:

   It is reported that Israel Shamir is representing Wikileaks in Russia and Belarus.

   The Russian press agency Interfax claim that Shamir met with Vladimir Makei, the Head of Administration for President Lukashenko of Belarus on 19 December.

   In an interview with the agency, Shamir confirmed the existence of a Wikileaks’ Belarusian dossier.

   Two days later in a press conference, President Lukashenko said this:

   “We’re simply going to publish certain documents. We’ll see how those who are published on the Belarusian WikiLeaks site — the supporters [of the opposition] and those who are working behind the scenes — react to this.”

   Lukashenko is reported to be setting up a state-sponsored Wikileaks site. At the moment the president’s state administrative apparatus, including the KGB, are attempting to bring prosecutions against members of the opposition including presidential candidates and the staff of independent media source Charter97.

   We have unconfirmed reports that Shamir has used his access to the Wikileaks’ US diplomatic cables to aid the prosecution of civil society activists within Belarus.

   We would be grateful if you could look into the following, and the following questions:

   a) What is the official status of Israel Shamir at Wikileaks?

   b) Is it true that Mr Shamir has released additional cables from the US embassy in Minsk (i.e. other than the five already on the website) to the Belarus authorities? If so, do you know which cables?

   c) How many cables from the US embassy in Minsk are in Wikileaks’ possession in total?

   We are especially concerned that cables which outline funding relationships between foreign bodies and the Belarusian government may be used to prosecute opposition activists for “commercial crimes”; therefore could you answer the following 2 questions:

   d) Other than the five cables already released on the website, can these be provided to Index on Censorship and or other groups? If so, which cables and when will they be available and to whom?

   e) Have any of the cables relating to Belarus been redacted by WikiLeaks?

   Index on Censorship, as you know, has been broadly supportive of Wikileaks on the question of free expression and freedom of information. Our overall mission is to promote free expression and safeguard the rights of those seeking to exercise their free expression. The actions of the Belarus government, by any standards violate those freedoms.

   We look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.

   Wikileaks response:

   A representative of Wikileaks responded, ‘We have no further reports on this “rumour/issue”. Another Wikileaks represantative told Index “obviously it is not approved”

   Julian Assange and Israel Shamir: An Update

4. Do Not Aftenposten

   He says Swedish journalist that he has acted like all freelancers with access to the sensational material would. Han har delt det med interesserte redaksjoner og tatt oppdrag for dem underveis. He has shared it with interested editors and made assignments for them en route. – Jeg har ikke solgt en database, sier Wahlström til Journalisten. – I have not sold a database, Wahlström said the journalist.

   When Wahlström met Julian Assange in England on Tuesday, he was given the impression that Aftenposten report back to the WikiLeaks when the newspaper has investigated and published reports, a diplomat, having reviewed the content editorial. Det avviser Hilde Haugsgjerd. It rejects Hilde Haugsgjerd.

   – Å snakke om et partnerskap mellom WikiLeaks og Aftenposten er kanskje rett, kanskje urett. – Talking about a partnership between WikiLeaks and Aftenposten are maybe right, maybe wrong. Hvis man har materialet, er man på en måte en partner, mener Wahlström. If you have the material, one is sort of a partner, according to Wahlström.

   – Men har Aftenposten forpliktelser overfor WikiLeaks? – However, Aftenposten has obligations to WikiLeaks?

   – Nei, klart ikke. – No, clearly not. Men jeg må tilstå at jeg ikke ser gevinsten ved avisas sololøp. But I must confess that I do not see the benefit of the newspaper’s solo performances. Pressefrihetens rammer er ulike fra land til land, og ikke perfekte noe sted. Press Freedom frames are different from country to country, and not perfect anywhere. Jeg blir ofte kontaktet av journalister i andre land som av politiske grunner ikke får publisert viktig materiale. I am often approached by journalists in other countries for political reasons do not get important material published. De spør om WikiLeaks kan bidra og om jeg kan formidle kontakt. They ask about WikiLeaks can contribute and if I can put you in touch.
   Ryggdekning Back Cover

   – Husk at bildene fra Abu Ghraib fantes i flere amerikanske redaksjoner før de ble publisert. – Remember that the pictures from Abu Ghraib were found in several American editors before being published. Washington Post hadde videoen av helikopterangrepet i Bagdad i halvannet år. Washington Post had video of the helicopter attack in Baghdad and a half years. Det dreier seg om politiske og juridiske hindre i de enkelte land. It is about political and legal barriers in each country. WikiLeaks styrker muligheten for at informasjon kommer ut. WikiLeaks strengthens the possibility that information comes out. Jeg synes vi bør etterstrebe større samarbeid mellom medier over landegrensene, publisere mer råmateriale og være mindre opptatt av eksklusivitet. I think we should strive for greater cooperation between the media cross-border post more raw materials and be less concerned with exclusivity.

   – Aftenposten samarbeider med aviser i flere andre europeiske land om dokumentene i Wikileaks-lekkasjen. – Events works with newspapers in several other European countries about the documents in Wikileaks leak. Slik bidrar vi til at journalister med ståsted i ulike nasjoner kan søke i dokumentene og bruke materialet journalistisk i sine land. How we contribute to that point of view of journalists in various nations can search documents and use the material of journalism in their countries. Men på grunn av ulike former for sikkerhetsrisiko knyttet til ”Cablegate”, gir vi ikke fra oss telegrammene, sier Haugsgjerd. But because of various forms of security related to “Cable Street ‘, we are not from us telegrams,” said Haugsgjerd.

   Wahlström spør om Aftenposten ville følt seg like fri til å publisere den fortrolige diplomatposten hvis avisa hadde hatt de 250.000 telegrammene helt alene. Wahlström ask Aftenposten would feel equally free to publish the confidential diplomatic record, if the newspaper had the 250,000 telegrams alone.

   – På meg virker det mer som et PR-grep når avisa ikke vil samvirke med WikiLeaks. – On me it seems more like a PR grip when the newspaper will not interact with WikiLeaks.
   Ikke kilden No source

   I Norge har det vært spekulert i om Wahlström var kilden da Aftenposten fikk tilgang på hele databasen. In Norway, it has been speculated about Wahlström was the source when Aftenposten gained access to the database. Det benekter han selv, og flere andre kilder støtter hans framstilling på det punktet. It denies himself, and several other sources support his presentation at that point.

   29-åringen gjentar at han har hatt tilgang på hele Cablegate, som den åpnede diplomatposten også kalles. 29-year-old repeats that he has had access to the Cable Street, which opened the diplomatic record is also called. Dette fortalte han også Morgenbladet før jul. This he told the Morning magazine before Christmas. Hans overenskomst med Assange gjaldt imidlertid rapportene fra USAs ambassade i Stockholm, og materiale som har direkte tilknytning til disse. His agreement with Assange concerned, however, reports from the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, and materials directly related to these. Verken Svenska Dagbladet eller Aftonbladet har tilsynelatende sett resten av lekkasjen, det samme gjelder SVT og VG. Neither Svenska Dagbladet and Aftonbladet has apparently seen the rest of the leak, as is the SVT and VG.

   Ifølge bladet Vanity Fair fikk den britiske frilanseren Heather Brooke hele diplomatlekkasjen fra en utbryter fra varslerorganisasjonen. According to the magazine Vanity Fair was the British freelance shoulder Heather Brooke entire diplomatic leak from a breakaway from the alerts the organization.

   Til Journalisten sier Wahlström at han tror personangrepene ikke bare har til hensikt å ramme hans omdømme, men også kan ha til hensikt å diskreditere WikiLeaks. To the journalist says Wahlström that he thinks personal attacks are not only intend to harm his reputation, but also may have intended to discredit WikiLeaks.

5. Holocaust denier in charge of handling Moscow cables

   Julian Assange’s security over the diplomatic cables, which he once described as worth at least $5m to any foreign intelligence agency, seemed less than watertight. At Ellingham Hall, the Norfolk country house where he is staying while on bail, Assange was seen handing over batches of them to visiting foreign journalists, including someone who was simply introduced as “Adam”.
   “He seemed like a harmless old man,” said one staffer, “apart from his habit of standing too close and peering at what was written on your screen.” He was introduced as the father of Assange’s Swedish crony, journalist Johannes Wahlström, and took away copies of cables from Russia and post-Soviet states. According to one insider, he also demanded copies of cables about “the Jews”.
   This WikiLeaks associate was better known as Israel Shamir.
   Shamir claims to be a renegade Russian Jew, born in Novosibirsk, but currently adhering to the Greek Orthodox church. He is notorious for Holocaust denial and publishing a string of antisemitic articles. He caused controversy in the UK in 2005, at a parliamentary book launch hosted by Lord Ahmed, by claiming: “Jews … own, control and edit a big share of mass media.” Internal WikiLeaks documents, seen by the Guardian, show Shamir was not only given cables, but he also invoiced WikiLeaks for €2,000 (£1,700), to be deposited in a Tallinn bank account, in thanks for “services rendered – journalism”. What services? He says: “What I did for WikiLeaks was to read and analyse the cables from Moscow.”
   Shamir’s byline is on two previous articles pillorying the Swedish women who complained about Assange. On 27 August, in Counterpunch, a small radical US publication, Shamir said Assange was framed by “spies” and “crazy feminists”. He alleged there had been a “honeytrap”. On 14 September, Shamir then attacked “castrating feminists and secret services”, writing that one of the women involved, whom he deliberately named, had once discussed the Cuban opposition to Castro in a Swedish academic publication “connected with” someone with “CIA ties”.
   Subsequently, Shamir appeared in Moscow. According to a reporter on Russian paper Kommersant, he was offering to sell articles based on the cables for $10,000 (£6,300). He had already passed some to the state-backed publication Russian Reporter. He travelled on to Belarus, ruled by the Soviet-style dictator Alexander Lukashenko, where he met regime officials. The Russian Interfax news agency reported that Shamir was WikiLeaks’ “Russian representative”, and had “confirmed the existence of the Belarus dossier”.
   According to him, WikiLeaks had several thousand “interesting” secret documents. Shamir then wrote a piece of grovelling pro-Lukashenko propaganda in Counterpunch, claiming “the people were happy, fully employed, and satisfied with their government”.
   Assange subsequently maintained he had only a “brief interaction” with Shamir: “WikiLeaks works with hundreds of journalists from different regions of the world. All are required to sign non-disclosure agreements and are generally only given limited review access to material relating to their region.”
   One can only speculate about whose interests Shamir was serving by his various wild publications. Perhaps his own personal interests were always to the fore. But while the newspapers hammered out a deal to handle the cables in a responsible fashion, Shamir’s backstairs antics certainly made WikiLeaks look rather less so.

6. WikiLeaks: US attempted to purchase KH-31 missiles in Belarus

   Below is the full version of the documents provided to the online Naviny.by newspaper by representative of the WikiLeaks media organization Israel Shamir.

   3/9/2005 6:49 C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000337 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2015 TAGS: MASS, PREL, EZ, UP, BO, RS SUBJECT: (C) RUSSIAN MISSILES FOR US NAVY COMING FROM BELARUS Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4 (a) (b) (c)

   1. (C) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. SEE PARAGRAPH 4. The US Navy has for some time been planning an open commercial purchase of 23 KH-31 (or MA-31) Russian sea-skimming missiles from a Czech arms dealer. It has come to our attention that the missiles are coming from Belarus, via a series of complicated transactions. This arrangement is reportedly necessary because the Russians themselves refused to sell the missiles to the Czech arms dealer.

   2. (C) 23 of the KH-31 missiles are currently in Belarus, where they have been for as long as three decades. The propsed sale of these missiles to the US Navy would begin with a transaction between the Russian Army and the Belarus Army, under which 23 newer missiles would be sent from Russia to Belarus. This is possible since the border between the two states lacks a customs inspection. As part of a cashless barter deal, the Belarus Army would ship back other goods. Once the newer missiles arrive in Belarus, The Belarus Army would sell the older missiles to a private firm in Belarus, which would then sell the missiles to a private firm in Ukraine. Post was told that it was not possible to ship the missiles directly from Russia to Ukraine.

   3. (C) The Ukranian middleman would take a 20% cut and pass the missiles on to the Czech arms dealer, who would bring them to the Czech Republic and make them available to the US contractor for delivery to the US. The Czech export license would only show that the missiles had come from the Ukraine. However, the serial numbers on the missiles would make it possible to trace their origin to Belarus.

   4. (C) Post requests guidance. Post’s believes this might be the only way for the US to acquire these missiles. Is the Navy’s need for these missiles strong enough to overcome US objections to military purchases, even indirectly involving Belarus?

   CABANISS

   WikiLeaks: Czech officials objected to US purchase of missiles in Belarus because of critical attitude towards Lukashenka

   3/10/2005 16:26 C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000356 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2015 TAGS: MASS, PREL, EZ, BO, RS, UP SUBJECT: (C) US NAVY POTENTIAL PURCHASE OF RUSSIAN MISSILES FROM BELARUS: CZECHS RECONSIDERING EXPORT LICENSE REF: PRAGUE 337 Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4 (a) (b) and (c)

   1. (C) Poloff was shown March 10 the request for an export license filed by the Czech firm that is working to provide an initial shipment of 23 Russian-made sea-skimming missiles (KH-31) to the US Navy. The application showed the name and address of the firm in Minsk that was supplying the missiles, but contained no other information about the role Belarus plays in this transaction. After issuing a preliminary opinion in favor of the transaction, partly in the belief that the U.S. supported the purchase, the Czechs are now putting the license application on hold while they gather more information and reconsider. The Czech government has been very critical of the Lukashenko regime, and some in the MFA, particularly those responsible for the promotion of human rights and democracy, have voiced objection to the deal. The matter has now been passed to ????????????????????????, who will make the final decision, possibly over the next couple of weeks. Please provide the U.S. Government position on the proposed purchase.

   CABANISS

   WikiLeaks: Czech government prevented US from purchasing missiles in Belarus through Czech arms dealer

   4/1/2005 14:50 C O N F I D E N T I A L PRAGUE 000470 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2015 TAGS: MASS, PREL, BO, EZ, RS SUBJECT: (C) CZECH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY SAYS NO TO SALE OF MISSILES FROM BELARUS TO US NAVY REF: A. PRAGUE 337 B. PRAGUE 356 Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4 (a) (b) and (c)

   1. (C) The Czech government has formally denied the license request of a Czech arms dealer to broker the sale of Russian KH-31 missiles, now in the possession of a state-run firm in Belarus, to the U.S. Navy. Poloff was told April 1st that the MFA licensing office had on March 31 sent a formal letter to the office within the Ministry of Industry and Trade which is responsible for arms sales, informing it of the MFA’s decision. To confirm this, ?????????????????, called his counterpart at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, who told him that no license has been approved, or will be approved for this transaction. The Czech government considers the matter closed and expressed its thanks for the consultations with the U.S. government.

   CABANISS

7. Bill Weinberg on Why the media blackout of WikiLeaks-Belarus scandal?

   If the point is that the Times is being less than honest in its reportage, we agree. But no indiscretions by either the Times or the federal government let WikiLeaks, Assange or Shamir off the hook for either (the most innocent possibility) reckless endangerment of dissidents in Belarussia and elsewhere, or (the worst possibility) active collaboration with the Lukashenko dictatorship. This much has been established:

   1. Both Shamir and Lukashenko have engaged in unseemly crowing about how WikiLeaks revelations “prove” the Belarussian opposition movement was “orchestrated” by the US State Department.

   2. Israel Shamir, as a representative of WikiLeaks, met with members of the Lukashenko administration in the immediate prelude to last month’s wave of repression.

   Being less presumptuous than Shamir, we will not say this “proves” collaboration between WikiLeaks and the Lukashenko regime. But we will say that Assange owes us a forthright accounting on the Belarus affair. And the silence has been deafening.

   Meanwhile, the New York Times (supposedly a pillar of the corporate media’s conspiracy to defame WikiLeaks) does not deem the claims of Shamir’s collaboration with Lukashenko “fit to print”-but does air non-news about a WikiLeaks cable from Belarus concerning (yes, really) UFO wackiness.

8. Shamir was an international observer for Israel of the fraudulent Belarus elections? [Google tr)

   (Israel Shamir, an international observer (Israel): “It was such a minor thing by today’s standards, I think that it’s not even worth consideration. This is not Tiananmen Square. It is not a crackdown on demonstrators that we see in Israel. It’s not worth creating “media-excuse.” Tehran even tougher action. As an example, in Tehran, CIA agent gunned down in a live girl to make out of this great epic, the girl died at the hands of torturers. There were no such incidents, and the police took action commensurate with it. Nothing like a giant was not. This is a minor event, which is comparable in scale with riot fans lost the match. “)

9. In which Shamir reveals that Assange approached him a few years ago.

   “The Belarusian dossier” and other secrets WikiLeaks disclosed in Minsk [Google TR]

   In Minsk, as an observer at the presidential elections in Belarus came proxy creator scandalous site WikiLeaks, the only Russian-language website with an accredited journalist Israel Shamir. . Immediately after his arrival he met with the correspondent of agency ” Interfax-West “for the interview in which he talked about Juliana Assandzhe, the struggle of the site WikiLeaks,” Belarusian dossier “and the limits of freedom on the Internet.

   – On December 19 in Belarus scheduled presidential elections. Related to somehow the date of your visit to Minsk?

   – I was accredited as one of the observers at elections in Belarus, and I agreed. I was very glad of this opportunity to look at the election in Minsk, which was not long ago. . The fact that my family is from Minsk: my mom – Minsker, lived here until June 22, 1941, and then went to Siberia.

   In other words, in my visit there and the personal and the public interest. Because it is difficult, perhaps, be found in Europe a second such country that would be caused by such permanent resentment of U.S. Department of State. It is sometimes surprising: I think that is already there so might not like, what was so objectionable.

   Interesting. Of course, it is necessary here to spend a lot of time to understand everything, but it is useful even during the elections here to visit and see.

   – Do you have any expectations or even steriotipy on elections in Belarus, the voting process and their results?

   – Truth, no. Elections can be always with surprises. Even when you think that everything is under control, everything seen. You never know. I am in my life many times seen when people were convinced that the elections will change nothing. And they have changed.

   Of course, I do not know anything about Belarus, but this possibility is always there.

   – Are you at least in part to monitor developments in Belarus?

   – Yes, of course. But not so very carefully. Especially recently I had the opportunity to get acquainted with the official State Department dispatches from Belarus, to refresh himself for some events of the past, say 6 years.

   – And this will allow you to reveal the mystery of why the “hard to find in Europe a second country, which would have caused constant resentment of U.S. State Department?

   – Apparently, we had more and more closely read … Materials related to the dispute about the number of embassy workers, the situation of (U.S. – IF ), I remember very well strained. And in fact – I think we should more carefully read than I actually read it. So I feel it is too early, it is difficult to judge, to give an unequivocal answer.

   – And in Belarus and the United States like the outlines progress in the relationship. ? In the framework of the OSCE summit in Astana, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and head of our Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov nice talk on nuclear disarmament …

   – Yes, on this issue they Belarus and happy. I also read in the dispatches that they are happy here.

   – Here in Minsk a joint statement and agreement was seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, because we’re used to a completely different way.

   – Well, maybe (U.S. – IF ) start out as something to put up with reality. Or maybe it’s still a “new style” (U.S. diplomacy – IF ): If Barack Obama. Of course, the U.S. is trying to at least talk once in a different way than it did under Bush.

   Well, of course, Kaki some changes in the world has seen. The events in Georgia, Ukraine, in another set accents, and a feeling that everything falls apart (the former Soviet Union – IF) has disappeared. Russia could become, to some extent, the other pole. ? And Belarus is now seen as such an interesting, independent power … The feeling is such that now all gets interesting is happening in Belarus.

   – So that the geopolitical role of Belarus is changing?

   – Apparently, yes. The country, which like “Throwing their hats, holding, stand, and it feels good. So the attitude towards Belarus has become more serious.

   . So that I was interested to see how things are here, what will be an independent development.

   – You are known as the only Russian accredited journalist at WikiLeaks, proxy site designer Julian Assandzha. I would like to hear your opinion about what goals the site, for which it was created, because now a lot of controversy surrounding WikiLeaks.

   – Site created himself Julian. He is a totally unique person, such person in the world is not enough. It has clear guidelines on the light, the transparency, the fact that people know what is happening, that the authorities do. To avoid the conspiracy behind the people. Kachetsya me, it’s great.

   – And how did you meet?

   – He (Dzh.Assandzh – IF ) called me one day, a few years ago.

   – Sam came in contact with you?

   – Sam. He is very apt to show himself the initiative …

   – Judging by the website, yes.

   – He was a wonderful person. What he did – has opened for us to create and have a complete picture of U.S. policy, as they try to influence the world to create their pockets of influence – is amazing.

   – But some see Assandzhe dummy figure.

   – People talk and think about it, because they are not able to do something.

   – From envy?

   – Yes. Therefore, they say, man can not do it, can only be a structure. But, I think, is finding its own alibi: “Why do not we?”. I am such an attitude not close. They come up with all sorts of schemes konspiratsionnye …

   Some – to information on the site skompromitirovat. Then it is direct or indirect orders from the State Department. And for them a way to combat natural – kompromatsiya.

   In Russia there are people who see in the WikiLeaks “a possible attack on Russia.” I say: “What might be a blow to Rosiii? If the dispatches from, we learned that someone in the Kremlin yavalyaetsya protege of the United States, it would be a blow to Russia?” No, it would be a blow for Russia. ”

   – A Assange arrest was triggered by someone?

   – Sure. Sitautsiya stupid, the whole story of rape ridiculous. In Sweden, for the year served 8 thousand reported rapes, one in the search filed exactly two – Dzhalian and a real tyrant, which, indeed, mass rape.

   And the story itself … The next day after the alleged “abuse” these girls are exchanged in twitter messages, which have been preserved, where they boasted of how they dovony life, like everything was fine. And then 4 days later, they changed their mind … Come try to understand. Their own psychology is hard to guess. They say that one girl had some ambitious plans for Julian … The situation is sad, like “married-phoned.” I do not want bad govvorit about these girls.

   But police immediately began to play it differently. Girls because even the complaints are not filed and brought to the police evidence. Is a form of Swedish law. They seem to be holding their police issue, but it was unscrew it with a newspaper, a very tough pro-American.

   In my opinion, there is certainly an order that could be realized. If not this, it would be something else.

   – A real Assandzha charges of espionage could be an alternative to what we are witnessing now?

   – But while some do not. While it may be because there is such a straining point: Sweden requires a London issue. Extradition is usually on two conditions: judged by the article on that issue, and without reference to other countries. And they (Sweden – IF ) need to transfer without conditions. That is, there is concern that he (Assandzh – IF) can be transmitted byt the U.S. …

   – Is it true that there is a secret dossier, which can be odnarodovano if a Assandzhem something happen?

   – True, called “insurance”. It is the Internet and 100 thousand people. This password-protected file, and longer enough to him Brost password, as this box Pandorry opens.

   – In addition to Assandzha, someone else has your password? Do you?

   – That we do not know … I have no “insurance”, I have not downloaded. I’m not not a representative of the site and accredited journalist at the site. I’m not so activist. But the activists they have.

   – Can you suggest what may be in this “insurance”?

   – I think it possible (not that I said it Julian – there is not mentioned): all the documents that are published do not include the “top secret”, “Top Secret”, and there may be “sovsekretnye materials.

   – And there will also be documents relating to U.S. policy?

   – I think so. But I’m trying to guess. But not even “top secret” things can be operational and have great resonance. For example, what objects are necessary for U.S. security in Belarus …

   – And what?

   – Well, “Friendship,” for example. Three sites, as I recall.

   – Projects that should be under the control of the Belarusian authorities, rather than, say, a Russian?

   – That should not be anywhere to go, let’s say … the objects you want an American in order to insure in case of any event …

   – But WikiLeaks somehow do not have much interest in Belarus? ..

   – A special something not there. Belarus is one of 240 U.S. diplomatic missions. But there is a “Belarusian dossier” – that Americans write in Belarus on Belarus. There may also be interesting stuff.

   For example, there appeared an attempt to stuff a few years ago to spend a few tens of thousands of dollars black cash in Belarus, which were obtained from American institutions in Lithuania. Since the move I do not remember … there is no document before the eyes …

   – That is, if pokapatsya to WikiLeaks, you can find something and about Belarus?

   – Oh, what else … now that you fight the State Department. Of course, will be material.

   – A task WikiLeaks exhaust opening motive of U.S. policy, or they are more widely?

   – While the center of power – the United States.

   – You see the world unipolar?

   – No, not unipolar. But the center of power there all the same. Preparing a large article on U.S. banks. Also very interesting thing.

   But, in principle, from which will merge (the information – IF ), and from there it will merge.

   – Could the WikiLeaks because of the special protection of sources, these drains become an instrument in the hands of those against whom they fight? Nobody knows who merges the information to the site.

   – Indeed, there is a total defense.

   – Can provide special plum against opponents …

   – So goes a lot of time to drain prior to publication. There is a complex process of verification. Otherwise. Of course, it would be a tool in the hands is not necessarily America, and anyone, if it were possible to merge any crap.

   – And how to define the documents that can be trusted, that can be published?

   – There are ways of verification. For example, the document sopostavletsya with other instruments, documents of the same source.

   – And how much are people then working on WikiLeaks?

   – I can not say I do not know.

   – Have you participated in some meetings WikiLeaks?

   – Yes. I was at the start of the last of the material. It was very interesting. There were about 12.

   – You got a favorite …

   – Yes. Very interesting were the last moments before starting the information …

   – Seconds before clicking …

   – Yes, the countdown. And off we go. It was like a rocket launch. Something of this kind.

   – A work WikiLeaks do you see as an information war against the United States? And activation of hackers after areesta Assandzha was conceived spontaneously or there?

   – It’s basically a spontaneous thing. This in-general, and the like: to create a network strutkury which themselves react, and not on the team.

   – There is much debate about freedom of the Internet, on its borders.In your opinion, should there be limits of freedom in the Internet?

   – De facto Internet is free space. In spite of everything. Another thing – it too has its own laws and rules. There is a very powerful sites that attract more people, and weak.

   – These laws are created spontaneously, or they can impose from the off-line?

   – Natural.

   – But some states seek reguulirovat Internet censorship.

   – Yes, in America since the government closed access to the site WikiLeaks. Everywhere there are any attempts to restrict. Authorities are trying, but people trying to reverse. This argument for transparency and freedom.

   – But these attempts to limit Internet access have perspective?

   – We’ll see. Not that the authorities had no way they are. It will all end – it’s hard skzat.

   – I guess it all depends on the response of communities and society?

   – Of course, everything depends on us. The future depends on us. And now depends on us. Everything depends on us.

   – And yet, perhaps, those documents that fall on the WikiLeaks threaten the national interests of states?

   – Of course, bear. But no national interests and the interests of some regimes, some politicians within these regimes, which soorintirovan on American vector. For them, this is a serious threat.

   For example, after the last publication (diplomatic correspondence of the USA – IF ) in some countries, found that there are ministers who directly poluayut instructions from Washington. Ambassador of Germany, wrote that the minister comes to us all rasskazvaeet what is happening at government meetings. This is certainly a blow.

   – And people who are grouped around the WikiLeaks, hold anarchist views or believe in the state, just do not see a decent model?

   – It’s a complicated question. A lot of people – different views. This is hardly some right ideological education. They see some common problems, but so was one of the ideological model – in my opinion, it is not.

   – That is WikiLeaks – an attempt to look behind the scenes of politics and of a conspiracy to search not worth it?

   – Conspiracy Theory … Instead of a conspiracy, I would say conspiracy. . A constant is plot, and WikiLeaks – an attempt to fight this conspiracy. A plot we have not yet seen. The picture that emerges is not so drastically different from the picture. Which we have in their heads. While there is a feeling that this pattern is similar to the one we imagine.

   – Returning to regulate the Internet. Belorusskimu government had to hear criticism, when there was a mechanism, in accordance with which state agencies and state organizations, cultural and educational institutions may be restricted access to sites that promote extremism, violence, illegal trade in weapons, drugs, people-oriented and pornographic so on.

   – Well, it is in many countries. True, getting around is not too difficult. . Can be very easy to nick it irresistible.

   I largely believe that it is not necessary. But this desire is understandable. In my opinion, the Internet – a space for thinking people. If a person is able to resist mere influence, then this can be done through the TV.

   In Julian there is even such an idea: Internet versus TV. Somewhere there is a struggle between the space where there is a choice, thought, and the space where it interferes with the picture.I, too, more on the side of the Internet and less on the TV.

10. From 20 December

    With representative WikiLeaks had a talk in Lukashenko’s administration

    Alexander Lukashenko’s Head of administration has had a talk with journalist WikiLeaks about the Belarus file of Assandzha

    Alexander Lukashenko’s Head of administration has met unique Russian-speaking journalist WikiLeaks who has arrived to Belarus for supervision over presidential election. The maintenance of conversation of the party do not inform, but most likely, they discussed the Belarus file WikiLeaks which part has been published just on the eve of presidential election in Belarus. According to this data, in conversations with foreign diplomats the Belarus leader criticised the Kremlin to win sympathies of the West. Lukashenko insists that was always fair with Russia, and promises to give for 1 % of the commission to the people billions which attributes to it WikiLeaks.

    Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday, on December, 19th, has commented on the documents published on Friday from so-called «the Belarus file» Wikileaks.

    Communicating with journalists on polling district ?1 at the Minsk University of physical culture, Lukashenko has been compelled oprover?t’ as the messages naming it with richest of the Belarus oligarchs, and the dispatches of the American diplomats retelling the matter of conversations by Lukashenko with representatives of other western states. According to Wikileaks, the Belarus leader not too minced words, characterising the western partners the Russian policy.

    «I am very careful and accurate»

    «Now I do not want to enter deeply into this question, but anything similar never was», – have declared on Sunday Lukashenko. He has added that «the position across Russia already repeatedly stated», and he also expressed independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia always «fairly and openly».

    «As to the foreign states, I assure that I am very careful and accurate, when there are confidential negotiations», – has added Lukashenko, and has advised to pay attention to sources of occurrence of the similar information. With a source had already a talk

    Earlier on Sunday it became known that the head of the Office of the President of Belarus Vladimir Makej has held a meeting with Israelem Shamir, the unique Russian-speaking accredited journalist of site WikiLeaks and the authorised representative of its founder Dzhuliana Assandzha.

    In Lukashenko’s administration inform nothing on the maintenance of conversation of Makeja and authorised representative Assanzha. Observers assume that conversation Could concern, including, the Belarus file Wikileaks which existence was confirmed with Israel Shamir.

    Shamir has arrived to Belarus as the observer on presidential election which pass in the country on December, 19th. «I very much was delighted to possibility to look at elections, to Minsk in which for a long time was not. In my visit is both personal, and public interest», – Shamir which family has the Belarus roots, to “Interfax” has told.

    Site Wikileaks, according to the journalist, has several thousand the classified documents, concerning Belarus. «The Belarus file – that Americans write from Belarus, about Belarus. There too there can be interesting things», – Shamir has told.

    At the same time, making comments on the relation of the West to Belarus, Shamir has noticed that it is difficult to find the second such country which would cause constant indignation of Gosdepa of the USA in Europe. «It even sometimes surprises: you think that already there so it can not be pleasant, than already so have not pleased», – the journalist has added. Lukashenko against the Kremlin and «Northern stream»

    Sooobshchenija of the American diplomats about the maintenance of conversations by the Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko and the western diplomats, “flowed away” in Wikileaks and published past Friday on a site «Russian reporter», svidetel’stvut about Lukashenko’s Antirussian position in such questions, as war of 2008 on Southern caucasus and gas pipeline building «Northern stream», and also about desire of Belarus to achieve from the western countries of the political and economic help.

    So, in conversation with head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmasom Paetom in October, 2009 Lukashenko has supported the Antirussian tone of a meeting and has told about the hopes that Sweden, Finland and Denmark will not authorise for pipeline building «Northern stream» on which Russia intends to deliver gas through Baltic sea directly to Europe.

    Lukashenko has promised to distribute the billions

    Lukashenko wins first place in the list of 50 richest oligarchs of Belarus. According to the former ambassador of the USA in Belarus George Krola which service records have been published by site WikiLeaks, its status is estimated in $9 billion

    On Sunday Alexander Lukashenko has declared to journalists that is ready to distribute all of them the of 9 billion dollars, possession with which is attributed to it by the American diplomats.

    «If we will find – we will distribute to you, women hardly have more, muzhiks – have less, – the Belarus president has told. – let’s be engaged, $9 billion – standing business if will find: 1 % to me, 99 ».

    According to a diplomatic correspondence of US State department, Lukashenko has offered alternatively cheaper project «Yamal 2» – a gas pipeline which would pass on territory of Belarussii.

    Lukashenko’s Error

    In conversation with other diplomat – head Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vigaudasom Ushatskasom, Lukashenko has told about the conflicts to Moscow. The Belarus leader admitted that, including Medvedev not less influential politician, than Putin, it has counted on relations with the Russian president.

    Lukashenko was in open confrontation with the prime minister, and counted that, having counted on Medvedev, it can adjust relations with Russia, but was mistaken: Medvedev and Putin had an identical view on on relations with Belarus.

    Medvedev has told about Lukashenko’s attacks personally on Putin

    In the video blog president Dmitry Medvedev has exclaimed surprise by the Antirussian rhetoric which was taken advantage”recently by a management of Belarus.

    The serious conflict between Lukashenko and Medvedev, poured out, including, in a series of exposing transfers on the Russian and Belarus central TV channels became Result of this error also.

    The Belarus president has accused Russia of provocation of the Georgian conflict

    Endurances from diplomatic correspondence of employees American gosdep? also testify that from Paetom Lukashenko has accused Russia of conversation in provocirov?nii the Georgian-Russian military conflict in August, 2008.

    The Belarus leader has complained to the diplomat that the Kremlin can force to recognise Minsk independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in exchange for cheap gas. He has told still that, having received from Michael Saakashvili the invitation to visit Georgia, has refused, that «not to irritate the Kremlin».

    In exchange for non-recognition of republics of Lukashenko expected to get economic and political support of EU.

    Incorrigible Lukashenko

    In published WikiLeaks documents it is said that, despite admonitions of the West, Lukashenko «does not repent of pressure upon a civil society» in Belarus and non-observance of the rights and freedom.

    Making comments on refusal of the Belarus leader to soften the internal policy, Hilari Clinton named attempts of Belarusii to improve the relation with the West «uncertain rhetoric without any obligations».

11. Belarus: Repeated searches at offices of Human Rights Centre Viasna

    The headquarters of Human Rights Centre Viasna (Spring) in Minsk was searched for the second time on 17 January 2011. Viasna is one of the most active human rights organisations in Belarus, with regional offices in most large Belarusian cities.
    Further Information

    Viasna focuses on the defence, protection and promotion of political and social rights. Together with the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Viasna led the “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign which had been created to observe the Presidential elections of 19 December 2010, in order to assess their conformity with Belarusian electoral legislation and international standards for free and democratic elections, and to keep the Belarusian public and international community duly informed about the conclusions of said observation.

    Viasna has been the subject of previous Front Line Urgent Appeals, most recently dated 12 January 2011.

    On 17 January 2011 at approximately 15:30, men in plain clothes attempted to enter the office of Viasna in Minsk; the individuals refused to explain the reasons for their attempted intrusion and the members of Viasna barricaded the office doors in order to prevent them from entering. However, at 16:40, KGB (State Security Agency) officers arrived at the premises with a search warrant issued by the Minsk Prosecutor’s Office, and were then allowed to enter. The search was carried out in the presence of two witnesses; a computer and a number of compact discs were seized.

    A further search was subsequently carried out at the Minsk Apartment of Viasna’s Chairman, Mr Ales Bialiatski in presence of his wife. Ales Bialiatski was taken by police to his summer cottage to assist a search there. He was released without being interrogated at approximately 22:00.

    On 15 January 2011, the official Belarusian newspaper Sovetskaya Belorussia (Soviet Belarus) published an article entitled “Behind the Scenes of a Conspiracy”, which presented the Belarusian opposition as being servile to “Western interests”, and sought to reveal the supposedly malignant agendas of Western organisations in financing the Belarusian opposition, including through human rights organisations.

    Among other things, it related a skype conversation which supposedly took place between Ales Bialiatski and representative of a Polish foundation concerning money allocated for the support of victims of repression in Belarus. Ales Bialiatski has since published an open statement declaring that this conversation never took place. It is feared that the objective of this article was to affiliate Belarusian human rights defenders with particular political interests and stigmatise their work.

    On 12 January 2011, police visited the home of human rights defender Mr Viktar Sazonau, a member of Viasna’s regional office in Grodno and the “Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections” campaign in order to ensure his presence as they carried out a further search at Viasna’s Grodno office.

    All the aforementioned searches follow the opening of a criminal investigation by the Minsk Department of Interior, under Article 293 parts 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus (participation and organisation of mass disorder), breaches of which are punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment.

    Previously, on the night of 19-20 December 2010, immediately following the Presidential Elections, Viasna’s Minsk office was raided twice by special security officers, resulting in the seizure of all their electronic equipment. A number of members of Viasna were arrested, and later released following interrogation.

    Front Line believes the searches at the offices of Viasna, and the private residence of Ales Bialiatski, as well as the stigmatisation of his work in Sovetskaya Belorussia, are directly related to the legitimate and peaceful work of Viasna in defence of human rights. These acts appear to reflect a wider context of intensifying harassment of human rights defenders in Belarus following the Presidential Elections of 19 December 2010.

12. Interview by Shamir on Youtube from the December with Assange.

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