When Leaker Becomes Leakee

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/greenwald/384769

Abe Greenwald - 12.21.2010 - 10:04 AM

Julian Assange thinks he’s doing the world an incalculable humanitarian favor by exposing all manner of leaked documentation to the public. But transparency has its limits, of course: “Speaking from the English mansion where he is confined on bail, the 39-year-old Australian said that the decision [by the Guardian newspaper] to publish incriminating police files about him was ‘disgusting.’”

Oh, really? Why is that? “Mr. Assange claimed the newspaper received leaked documents from Swedish authorities or ‘other intelligence agencies’ intent on jeopardising his defence. ‘The leak was clearly designed to undermine my bail application,’ he said.”

Only *he* can leak things to undermine targets of his choosing — understand? The hypocrisy doesn’t end there. Assange, naturally enough, has gone from whistleblower to blackmailer.

   Mr. Assange also confirmed that WikiLeaks was holding a vast amount of material about a bank which it intends to release early next year.

   Shares in Bank of America recently fell after speculation spread that it was the target.

   “We don’t want the bank to suffer unless it’s called for,” Mr Assange said. “But if its management is operating in a responsive way there will be resignations.”

Julian Assange does not expose secrets. He traffics in them. He is not an enemy of secrecy. He is a secrecy entrepreneur. Secrecy is his métier. It’s his capital and source of leverage. How far will his defenders go in sticking up for blackmail and hypocrisy?


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