Posts Tagged ‘arrest’
A policeman has accidentally revealed a secret plan to seize Julian Assange “under all circumstances” if he steps outside the Ecuadorian embassy, in an embarrassment for Scotland Yard.
The uniformed Met officer was pictured holding a clipboard detailing possible ways the WikiLeaks founder could try to escape from the building he has been holed up in for the past two months.
His target, who is trying to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning over alleged rape and sexual assault, is currently safe on diplomatic territory. He has been given political asylum by the Latin American country, on the grounds that he faces persecution in the USA over his whistle-blowing website, but faces arrest the second he steps outside because he has breached his bail conditions.
The policeman’s handwritten tactical brief, captured by a Press Association photographer as he stood outside the Knightsbridge embassy on Friday afternoon, discloses the “summary of current position re Assange”.
It stated: “Action required – Assange to be arrested under all circumstances.”
The notes said should the maverick Australian should be taken even if he emerges in a vehicle, under diplomatic immunity or in a diplomatic bag, which may involve “risk to life”. There had been speculation that he could be smuggled out of the building in a parcel or given a post in the United Nations by Ecuador in an attempt to evade arrest.
The operational guidance, marked “restricted”, also warned of the “possibility of distraction”, suggesting that the Yard fears Mr Assange’s supporters could try to create a commotion outside the embassy, providing cover under which he could flee.
Further details of the notes, which were obscured by the officer holding them, appeared to relate to the “everyday business” of the embassy and the possible need for “additional support” from an unknown agency known as SS10. Scotland Yard said it did not know what this referred to.
The last few sentences referred to SO20, the counter-terrorism command, and included the words “welfare” and “standards”.
A separate page carried by the uniformed officer, who was chatting to a colleague, showed an “event diary” including codes and phone numbers.
The blunder by the policeman, captured by a Press Association photographer on Friday afternoon, has echoes of the downfall of Britain’s senior counter-terrorism officer in 2009.
Bob Quick resigned after he was photographed carrying documents marked “secret” and detailing joint plans by police and MI5 as he arrived in Downing Street for a meeting, forcing an anti-terror operation to be rushed forward.
It is the latest embarrassment for the British authorities in the diplomatic stand-off over Mr Assange. Read the rest of this entry »
By Alexa O’Brien on June 26, 2012
The events that led myself and two other journalists – one from the Associated Press and the other from Courthouse News to be threatened by MDW with arrest.
Since December 2011, I have painstakingly covered and transcribed the Article 32 and Article 39(a) sessions of US v Pfc. Manning.
My work as a journalist is historical in perspective and includes a detailed, sourced time line and analysis of the U.S. joint-agency grand jury and military investigations into and against Bradley Manning, Julian Assange, WikiLeaks, and the Press.
Since January 2011, I have covered the WikiLeaks release of US State Department Cables, JTF memoranda known as the ‘GTMO files’, and revolutions across Egypt, Bahrain, Iran, and Yemen.
My live blog coverage of Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based, was in excess of 63,000 hit a day; I believe, because of little to no coverage in the main stream press, coupled with worldwide interest and concern.
I have interviewed a preeminent US foreign policy expert on the U.S. Cambodia cables, and published hours of interviews with former GTMO guards, detainees, defense lawyers, and human rights activists, as well as WikiLeaks media partners: Andy Worthington, a GTMO historian and author, and Atanas Tchobanov, the Balkanleaks’ spokesman and co-editor of Bivol.bg.
In spring of this year, I was one of seven plaintiffs – including author and former Middle East correspondent for the New York Times, Chris Hedges as well as Pentagon Paper whistleblower, Daniel Ellsberg – against the U.S. President for Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act FY2012, which a Federal Judge ruled was unconstitutional because it violated the First and Fifth Amendments.
On March 23, 2012, in the very middle of a two day deposition by the U.S. Government for that suit – which concerned my genuine fear that the NDAA’s vague language of “associated forces” and “substantial support” allows the U.S. Government to indefinitely detain me for my coverage of Guantanamo Bay, which includes interviews with individuals the U.S. Government considers terrorists – I magically received a reply to my June 21, 2011 request to visit Guantanamo as a member of the press – almost a year later.
Dear Ms. O’Brien,
Hello from Joint Task Force, Guantanamo! It’s been a while since we’ve heard from you regarding your request to visit to JTF. Are you still interested in visiting? If so, is there anything we can do to help you?
Thanks for your interest and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
V/r,
MC2 (SW/AW) Kyle W. Steckler
JTF-PAO Media Relations Specialist
Commercial: 011-5399-8157
DSN: 660-8157 cell: 84185
Commercial Fax: 011-5399-3650
DSN Fax: 660-3650
Email: kyle.w.steckler@jtfgtmo.southcom.mil
http://www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil
I had never received a confirmation or reply from Joint Task Force-Guantanamo Public Affairs Office before that day.
While I had not received a response from Joint Task Force-Guantanamo Public Affairs Office, I did receive threats from private security contractors working with the U.S. Government, obsessed with trying to tie an organization that I founded – which is based on the the democratic republican principle of Government’s independence in Federalist No. 52 and focused solely on reforming our corrupt elections – with Islamic jihadists.
I have been credentialed for every Article 39(a) session of US v. Pfc. Manning since his arraignment.
On March 15, 2012, on arriving to Fort Meade, Mary Doyle in the Public Affairs Office at Fort Meade informed me that there were server problems, so the Military District of Washington was unable to receive or send emails from members of the press seeking credentials.
In early March, journalists who had sent requests for credentials to US v Pfc. Bradley Manning were receiving “Delivery Status Notification (Delay)” responses from the media desk email server for the Military District of Washington.
Those server problems continue and on April 1, 2012; I received a “Delivery to the following recipients failed” when I sent an email requesting press credentials for the April 25 and 26, 2012 Article 39(a).
On May 8, 2012, I spent about two hours on the phone chasing down the Public Affairs Officers for the 10th Mountain Division, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion – all of which were Bradley Manning’s respective Division, Brigade, and Battalion.
I was told by a Public Affairs Officer at Fort Drum, Captain Shane Sanretto, that the Military District of Washington was the only office allowed to answer any questions, so I called them, spoke with Ms. Shante Kelly at the Military District of Washington about my telephone call and exchange with Sanretto.
She instructed me to send her the email chain, and that she would review and authorize his ability to answer my questions.
Those questions were:
- What was PFC Manning’s Chain of Command from Squad to Commander in Chief from October 2009 to May 2010? I understand after he was derog’ed and moved to supplies, did he become part of HHC [Headquarters and Headquarters Company]?
- Who was/were the Battalion Commander’s of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion between October 2009 and May 2010?
- Who was/were the Command Sergeant Major of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion between October 2009 and May 2010?
- Who was/were Bradley Manning’s immediate commanding officer in the T-SCIF October 2009 and May 2010?
- Was PFC Manning in a “squad”? If so, name of “squad”? Commanding Staff Sergeant(s) October 2009 and May 2010?
- Was PFC Manning in a “platoon”? If so, name of platoon? Commanding Lt. October 2009 and May 2010?
- Was PFC Manning in B Company (Military Intelligence)? Captain in Charge October 2009 and
May 2010?
- Captain Steven Lim spoke of a command change that occurred during deployment, around Jan 2010 and made official Feb 6? What are the name and positions of this command change that he spoke of?
- What Iraqi Federal Police Divisions did the 2nd Brigade have partnerships with between October 2009 and May 2010?
These questions are basic and fundamental to any decent contextual coverage of the Bradley Manning trial. Read the rest of this entry »
