[Courrier International, France]

 

 

Global Times, People’s Republic of China

WikiLeaks: America Owes the World an Explanation

 

Is the U.S. government hypocritical to castigate China for limiting press and Internet freedom, while seeking to jail WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for making use of these very same freedoms? According to this editorial from China’s state-controlled Global Times, in pursing the arrest of Julian Assange, America only inflicts further damage to its tarnished public image.

 

EDITORIAL

 

December 14, 2010

 

People's Republic of China - Global Times - Original Article (English)

Embarrassed U.S. government officials have been busy apologizing to countries around the world for the political damage caused by confidential diplomatic cables released by the anti-secrecy Web site WikiLeaks two weeks ago.

 

One important explanation Washington owes to the world is whether it is behind the arrest last Tuesday in London of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on charges of alleged sex crimes in Sweden.

 

People naturally question the timing of the arrest and the refusal of bail for Assange, although some $150,000 in surety has already been guaranteed. There must be another confidential U.S. diplomatic cable somewhere that would shed light on these events.

 

New York Congressman Peter King has called on the U.S. government to go after Assange and prosecute The New York Times for publishing some of the cables. Meanwhile, Senator Joe Lieberman has suggested an investigation into The New York Times, describing its actions as "an act of bad citizenship."

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has depicted the leak as an attack on the fabric of responsible government. President Barack Obama has condemned WikiLeaks' actions as "deplorable," and the U.S. government is considering legal action against WikiLeaks.

 

Under such pressure, Amazon.com, Visa, MasterCard and PayPal have all suspended service for WikiLeaks. And the WikiLeaks Web site is no longer accessible in the United States.

 

American has been trying various ways of pressing charges against Assange, including using the outdated World War I-era Espionage Act, although some cables suggest that U.S. diplomats themselves would have cause to worry if that occurs.

 

And all of this is happening in a country that loudly boasts of its First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press and expression. In a town hall-style meeting in Shanghai in November 2009, Obama addressed the issue of Internet freedom. And in her speech at Washington’s Newseum last January, Hillary Clinton also went on at great length about Internet freedom, pointing an accusing finger at China and several other countries. [watch video below].

 

 

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

Le Figaro, France: And the Winner of the Bout Over WikiLeaks is … America

News, Switzerland: Assange the Latest Fall Guy for Crimes of World's Power Elite

Liberation, France: Who Rules? Hackers, the Press and Our Leaders - in that Order

Tal Cual, Venezuela: If Only Wikileaks Would Expose President Chavez

Berliner Zeitung, Germany: Assault on Assange Betrays U.S. Founding Principles

El Universal, Mexico: WikiLeaks Revelations a Devastating Shock to Mexico

L'Orient Le Jour, Lebanon: WikiLeaks Makes 'Mockery' of 'U.S. Colossus'

Jornal De Negócios, Portugal: More than We Wanted to Know. Or Maybe Not!

DNA, France: The WikiLeaks Disclosures: A Journalist's Ambivalence

Global Times, China: WikiLeaks Poses Greater Risk to West's 'Enemies'

FAZ, Germany: Ahmadinejad's Chief-of-Staff Calls WikiLeaks Cables 'Lies'

Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudis Ask: Who Benefitted from WikiLeaks Disclosure?

Guardian, U.K.: Cables Portray Saudi Arabia as a Cash Machine for Terrorists

El País, Spain: Cables Expose Nuance of U.S. Displeasure with Spain Government

El País, Spain: Thanks to WikiLeaks' Disclosure, Classical Diplomacy is Dead

Guardian, U.K.: Saudi Arabia Urges U.S. Attack on Iran

Hurriyet, Turkey: Erdogan Needs 'Anger Management' Over U.S. Cables

Saudi Gazette, Saudi Arabia: WikiLeaks Reveals 'Feeling, Flawed' Human Beings

Frontier Post, Pakistan: WikiLeaks Reveals 'America's Dark Face' to the World

The Nation: WikiLeaks' Release: An Invaluable Exposure of American Hypocrisy

Buenos Aires Herald, Argentina: Without Hypocrisy, Global Ties Would Be Chaos

Kayhan, Iran: WikiLeaks Release a 'U.S. Plot to Sow Discord'

El Universal, Mexico: WikiLeaks and Mexico's Battle Against Drug Trafficking

Toronto Star, Canada: WikiLeaks Dump Reveals Seamy Side of Diplomacy

Guardian, U.K.: WikiLeaks Cables, Day 3: Summary of Today's Key Points

Guardian, U.K.: Leaked Cables Reveal China is 'Ready to Abandon' North Korea

Hurriyet, Turkey: American Cables Prove Turkish Claims on Missile Defense False

The Nation, Pakistan: WikiLeaks: An Invaluable Exposure of American Hypocrisy

Kayhan, Iran: WikiLeaks Revelations a 'U.S. Intelligence Operation': Ahmadinejad

Novosti, Russia: 'Russia Will be Guided by Actions, Not Leaked Secrets'

Guardian, U.K.: Job of Media is Not to Protect Powerful from Embarrassment

ANSA, Italy: WikiLeaks: 'No Wild Parties' Says Berlusconi

 

 

But the Assange case exposes such rhetoric as just so much hypocrisy. It is apparent that when Internet freedom conflicts with self-declared U.S. national interests, or when Internet freedom exposes lies by the self-proclaimed open and transparent government, it immediately becomes a crime.  

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

 

The power of new media should never be underestimated. Even in China, many scandals involving corruption and mining disasters are broken first by new media.

 

Until recently, Obama must have loved new media and social media because they helped him raise funds and garner support to defeat John McCain in the 2008 presidential campaign. Now, he may be having some second thoughts.

 

The arrest of Assange has triggered widespread concern and protest both inside the U.S. and around the world. In the United States, academics and professionals have talked of its possible implications on a free press. In other parts of the world, people protesting the attack on Internet freedom.

 

Censoring the Internet by pushing charges against Assange will only inflict further damage on the U.S. While the leaked cables may have damaged the trust between the American and foreign governments, the crusade against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange will destroy the people's trust in the press freedom so Censoring the Internet by pushing charges against Assange will only inflict further damage on the U.S. While the leaked cables may have damaged the trust between the American and foreign governments, the crusade against WikiLeaks and Julian Assange will destroy the people's trust in the press freedom so assiduiously preached by the U.S.

 

Remember, Assange is a fellow journalist, or a citizen journalist in the age of new media, and uncovering the secrets of governments, corporations and interest groups is part of a journalist's job.

 

Please Read a Personal Appeal from

Worldmeets.US Founder William Kern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US December 16, 8:19pm]