Assange nonsense

[DodgyAgent]

He is a complete twat and should be sent to Sweden immediately

[SupremeSpod]

He is a complete twat and should be sent to Sweden immediately

If that were his only crime we'd have got rid of you a long time ago.

Just saying, like...

[NickFitz]

Protesters being arrested outside the Edcudorian embassay. The police are just doing their job as are the protestors, has the Goverment came out with statement yet, or is it still going through 10 layers of PR spin and checks.

It's not for the government to come out with a statement; it's for the Ecuadorean government to say if it's giving him asylum (which it's just said it is) and why it's deliberately leaking and distorting normal diplomatic communications to try to stir up a tulipstorm.

[BrilloPad]

deliberately leaking and distorting normal diplomatic communications

you mean sending the exocets in?

[DodgyAgent]

If that were his only crime we'd have got rid of you a long time ago.

Just saying, like...

[BobTheCrate]

I strongly suspect the Foreign Office, rightly or wrongly are trying to help Assange. Within the domestic legal domain, there wasn't much they could do. The legal issue is now largely successfully side lined. Now it's more in the diplomatic domain where the FO can influence things.

Threatening to forcibly enter a Latin American embassy to get someone claiming asylum there. Is anyone here surprised how Ecuador (or any other country for that matter) would react ? Do you think such a threat would help persuade or dissuade Ecuador from granting Assange asylum ?

If like me you're not surprised, then do you really think the FO are the only ones surprised by the decision ?

On the other hand, maybe our FO is full of arrogant, clumsy idiots who know nothing of human nature let alone international diplomacy. They can't be that stupid can they, surely ... But that would mean they actually plan to pave the way for the Police to forcibly enter a foreign embassy. Yea, like that's remotely sensible in anyone's book.

I'm only surprised the Gov't didn't simply have a quiet word with the Ecuador ambassador, "We'd quite like it if you granted this individual asylum". Or maybe they estimated such a gentle approach would end up with them refusing asylum.

The Yanks are really gonna love us.

[chef]

I think most people have not quite got the point..

Assange has stated publicly that he would happily go face his accusers in Sweden if he was guaranteed that he wouldn't be extradited to the US, it was Sweden who refused to give this assurance and also Sweden who refused to interview him in the Ecudorian embassy (he hasn't been charged with anything yet).

The UK if they really wished to get Assange could simply end diplomatic relations with Ecuador and therefore expell the embassy, very different from implementing an old law going against internationally agreed diplomacy rules of entering a foreign embassy uninvited. instead they chose to announce that they could do it if they wished and so forced Ecuador to grant him asylum. this way they can say to the US and Sweden "well we tried" without officially supporting the asylum.

So many on the BBC comments are going on about if he raped ur daughter what would u think. He hasn't actually be charged with rape, he is wanted for questioning which in my book falls in the innocent until proven guilty category and as stated above he would attend the questioning if it wasn't that he believed that it is simply a ploy to extradite him to the US to face far more serious charges of terrorism which depending on which state he is extradited to could at worse case see him face the death penalty.

[Sysman]

On the other hand, maybe our FO is full of arrogant, clumsy idiots who know nothing of human nature let alone international diplomacy. They can't be that stupid can they, surely ... But that would mean they actually plan to pave the way for the Police to forcibly enter a foreign embassy. Yea, like that's remotely sensible in anyone's book.

Dunno. I remember some posh voiced FO official talking to a load of British contractors who had just escaped from Iran and telling them "You're British. Keep a stiff upper lip." or some such nonsense.

I thought he was lucky not to get clocked one for that comment.

[minestrone]

He is a smarmy tosser.

[moggy]

I think most people have not quite got the point..

Assange has stated publicly that he would happily go face his accusers in Sweden if he was guaranteed that he wouldn't be extradited to the US, it was Sweden who refused to give this assurance and also Sweden who refused to interview him in the Ecudorian embassy (he hasn't been charged with anything yet).

The UK if they really wished to get Assange could simply end diplomatic relations with Ecuador and therefore expell the embassy, very different from implementing an old law going against internationally agreed diplomacy rules of entering a foreign embassy uninvited. instead they chose to announce that they could do it if they wished and so forced Ecuador to grant him asylum. this way they can say to the US and Sweden "well we tried" without officially supporting the asylum.

So many on the BBC comments are going on about if he raped ur daughter what would u think. He hasn't actually be charged with rape, he is wanted for questioning which in my book falls in the innocent until proven guilty category and as stated above he would attend the questioning if it wasn't that he believed that it is simply a ploy to extradite him to the US to face far more serious charges of terrorism which depending on which state he is extradited to could at worse case see him face the death penalty.

+1