Julian Assange - latest

He is a genius! That's all I can say. Before his arrest today, Assange wrote an open letter to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard published today in the Murdoch-owned The Australian newspaper. Assange knew how to play upon the parochialism and identity politics which dominates Australian political and social discourse, while also comparing himself to Rupert Murdoch's father - master stroke!

Assange wrote that he sees himself as following in the footsteps of Keith Murdoch, who revealed that Australian troops were being needlessly sacrificed by incompetent British commanders on the shores of Gallipoli (Australia's first engagement as an independent entity in World War I and is core to the nation's historic identity), and reveals that his values were forged while growing up in pre-Fitzgerald era Queensland towns, where distrust of government ran strong.

In the wake of US figures calling for him to be "hunted down", Mr Assange wrote: "Australians should observe with no pride the disgraceful pandering to these statements by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and her government. The powers of the Australian government appear to be fully at the disposal of the US as to whether to cancel my Australian passport or to spy on or harass WikiLeaks supporters. We are the underdogs". Again, using the 'underdog' context is another plus to him in gaining the side of Australian public sympathy.

Assange went to say: "The Gillard government is trying to shoot the messenger because it doesn't want the truth revealed, including information about its own diplomatic and political dealings. The Prime Minister, and especially the Attorney-General, are meant to carry out their duties of their office with dignity and above the fray. Rest assured, these two mean to save their own skins. They will not."

Meanwhile, an open letter posted on the Australian public broadcaster ABC's website, signed by Noam Chomsky and a wide range of prominent Australian media, political and literary figures, called upon the Australian government to protect its own citizen, Julian Assange, from physical harm in light of threats made from US journalists and politicians. The threats made include:

- Jefffrey Kuhner in the Washington Times: "We should treat Mr Assange the same way as other high-value terrorist targets: Kill him";

- William Kristol, former chief of staff to vice president Dan Quayle: “Why can’t we use our various assets to harass, snatch or neutralize Julian Assange and his collaborators, wherever they are?”;

- Jonah Goldberg: “Why isn’t Julian Assange dead?”;

- John Hawkins on Right Wing News site: “The CIA should have already killed Julian Assange”;

- Sarah Palin compared Assange to an Al Qaeda leader with 'blood on his hands';

- Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania senator and potential presidential contender, accused Assange of “terrorism”.

These threats on people, many of whom consider themselves to be good Christians, are disgusting.

The rather swift moves made by authorities to arrest Assange has been questioned by rape victims' groups, whose members have often faced major obstacles and delays in getting their cases heard and charges made. This very swiftness and inconsistency in the application of legal procedures is leading many to wonder how much has political pressure actually played - well... it seems quite a lot. Had Julian Assange not been the face of a high-profile dissident organisation that is embarrassing the most power government in the world, we can safely assume that the extradition charges from Sweden would not have been so rigorously applied and executed. The parallels with the uncharacteristic effectiveness that the Russian justice system was applied when dissident Yukos boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky was charged for 'tax avoidance' to that of Assange's swift extradition are uncanny. The West, especially the same people who are now calling for Assange's head, are quick to describe Russia as an undemocratic, authoritarian state, but they are so blinded by their myopic view of the world to see that they are of the same ilk. He who casts the first stone...