CIA's 'Plot to Kill Julian Assange' Coming Out in Court May Have Been Catalyst for Surprise Plea DealChris MenahanInformationLiberation Jun. 27, 2024 |
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Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo's plot to have Julian Assange kidnapped or assassinated coming out in court may have been the catalyst for the Biden administration to give the Wikileaks founder a plea deal. National security reporter Zach Dorfman, one of the co-authors who exposed the plot along with Sean D. Naylor and Michael Isikoff, put forward the theory Tuesday on Twitter. "When Sean D. Naylor, Isikoff and I reported CIA Director Mike Pompeo lobbied to kidnap Julian Assange and render him to US -- and CIA had even toyed with lethal plans for the WikiLeaks founder -- we heard about objections to the plots. One stands out today," Dorfman tweeted.
"During the Trump administration, even many harsh critics of Assange, who wholeheartedly supported prosecuting him, thought Pompeo's extraordinary rendition plots foolhardy in the extreme, and probably illegal," he added. "They also -- critically -- thought it might harm Assange's prosecution." "Former Trump administration and US intelligence officials directly engaged in discussions about Assange argued strenuously that, should Pompeo's and CIA's plans come to light, it could make the discovery process nightmarish for the prosecution, should Assange ever see trial," Dorfman continued. "Moreover, and relatedly, some Trump administration officials had deep reservations about the legality of prosecuting Assange after the proposed rendition of the WikiLeaks founder from the Ecuadorian embassy was to be carried out."This theory seems entirely plausible. [Right-side header image of Assange by New Media Days / Peter Erichsen, cropped with overlay added, CC BY-SA 3.0] Follow InformationLiberation on Twitter, Facebook, Gab, Minds and Telegram. |