My strange interview with an opaque and secretive Julian Assange

[struggle4progress]

Voice of Australia
Charles Miranda in London
News Limited Network
August 03, 2013 7:03PM

... In 20 years, I've interviewed despots and coup leaders, moved with jungle rebels, hostage takers and gangsters and been on high-­security royal tours and US presidential trips, but a chat with Assange is in a category of its own.

We were told we could only film him for a strict 10 minutes and only once he was sitting down, not entering the room or greeting us ... Questions had to be within accepted topics ...

Then they stood behind Assange, out of camera shot, to count down with signals our 10 minutes. At the 10-minute mark, one motioned with their hand across their throat to stop filming immediately ...

Such is the operation that you forget Assange's home is Ecuador's London embassy, which today resembles more a WikiLeaks headquarters than a diplomatic post, as his staff have full run of the tiny post ...

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/special-features/my-strange-interview-with-an-opaque-and-secretive-julian-assange/story-fnho52ji-1226690740295

[struggle4progress]

1. Julian Assange confident of Senate bid, says ALP polling shows his popularity

Charles Miranda in London
News Limited Network
August 03, 2013 8:45PM

... Mr Assange has rejected notions his bid for a Senate seat and those by other WikiLeaks supporters in others states was a protest move by a nuisance party as critics have said, but rather for him it was a personal crusade against Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr and his "abuse" of WikiLeaks ...

Mr Assange also dismissed the plight of the Swedish women he allegedly sexually assaulted, saying he is the one facing an assassination plot and the kidnap of members of his family to put an end to his WikiLeaks movement.

Last month, one of the women he stands accused of assaulting reportedly blogged how her life had been turned upside down forcing her to go underground amid a barrage of threats and abuse ...

"Of course my personal situation, it is difficult here but I am doing great work so I don't need to worry too much about that," he said of expectation he will be at the embassy for years to come ...

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/special-features/julian-assange-confident-of-senate-bid-says-alp-polling-shows-his-popularity/story-fnho52jo-1226690736578

[yurbud]

2. gossip and character assassination is no substitute for substantive policy debate

[struggle4progress]

3. Both articles are by the person who did the interview aired this AM in Australia

[treestar]

4. It is about a direct interview of him

He is the one doing the speaking.

Don't know why he had to be an asshole about whether he is learning Spanish.

He is a lying drama monarch.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

5. One has to wonder what to draw from

the fact that it seems Assange's own words are considered gossip and character assassination by some of his supporters

[Fumesucker]

6. Eh, the four quoted paragraphs contain one sentence directly attributed to Assange

And the title is rather gossipy and redolent of character assassination.