{"id":13465,"date":"2019-04-11T15:24:16","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T19:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jimbovard.com\/blog\/?p=13465"},"modified":"2024-09-11T16:56:48","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T20:56:48","slug":"assange-arrest-a-deadly-threat-to-free-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimbovard.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/11\/assange-arrest-a-deadly-threat-to-free-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Assange Arrest a Deadly Threat to Free Press"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I will write more on this shortly&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Unmentioned in Assange arrest coverage &#8211; the US govt. after 9\/11 dropped an Iron Curtain around itself.  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wikileaks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@wikileaks<\/a> exposed US govt. crimes no one else would touch. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MMahFJqyc6\">https:\/\/t.co\/MMahFJqyc6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimBovard\/status\/1116350757975011333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Julian Assange is charged with &quot;conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.&quot; What about all the politicians &amp; military officials who conspired to deceive Americans about the Iraq war?  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RnzGTjiGjh\">https:\/\/t.co\/RnzGTjiGjh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimBovard\/status\/1116332290030829575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Assange arrest proves that no government critic &quot;is above the law.&quot;  But governments remain free to secretly trample the law as they please.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimBovard\/status\/1116360297340645376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The cheering by some of the US media on the Assange arrest vivifies how journalists no longer understand how govt. coverups destroy democracy.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimBovard\/status\/1116356003564544001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Unmentioned in Assange arrest coverage &#8211; the US govt. after 9\/11 dropped an Iron Curtain around itself.  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wikileaks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@wikileaks<\/a> exposed US govt. crimes no one else would touch. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MMahFJqyc6\">https:\/\/t.co\/MMahFJqyc6<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimBovard\/status\/1116350757975011333?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Brit foreign secretary whoops that Assange arrest shows &quot;no one is above the law.&quot; Except for the governments whose crimes <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wikileaks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@wikileaks<\/a> &amp; Assange helped expose. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rvTbANnTHC\">https:\/\/t.co\/rvTbANnTHC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimBovard\/status\/1116353578220830723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Julian Assange has been arrested for his alleged role in exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq &amp; Afghanistan. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wikileaks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@wikileaks<\/a> was rescuing democracy from Leviathan. That\u2019s a crime?!? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RnzGTjiGjh\">https:\/\/t.co\/RnzGTjiGjh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimBovard\/status\/1116322895444303873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 11, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s my USA Today piece from last November when reports surfaced of Assange&#8217;s indictment &#8211;<\/p>\n<section id=\"module-position-RoFEevYFn1o\" class=\"storytopbar-bucket story-headline-module story-story-headline-module\">\n<h1 class=\"asset-headline speakable-headline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/opinion\/2018\/11\/20\/julian-assange-indictments-whistleblowers-medal-freedom-wikileaks-manning-trump-column\/2055900002\/\">Julian Assange deserves a Medal of Freedom, not a secret indictment<\/a><\/h1>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"module-position-RoFEevYk7ms\" class=\"storytopbar-bucket priority-asset-module story-priority-asset-module\"><\/section>\n<section id=\"module-position-RoFEevZXLdM\" class=\"storytopbar-bucket story-byline-module story-story-byline-module\">\n<div class=\"asset-metabar\"><span class=\"asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item\">James Bovard, Opinion columnist<\/span><span class=\"asset-metabar-time asset-metabar-item nobyline\"> Published 3:15 a.m. ET Nov. 20, 2018 | <span class=\"asset-metabar-time-updated\">Updated 10:03 p.m. ET Nov. 20, 2018<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"module-position-RoFEevY6XRE\" class=\"storytopbar-bucket piano-module story-piano-module\"><\/section>\n<section id=\"module-position-RoFEevY1nII\" class=\"storytopbar-bucket bounce-exchange-module story-bounce-exchange-module\"><\/section>\n<section id=\"module-position-RoFEevZE7zc\" class=\"storytopbar-bucket google-survey-module story-google-survey-module\"><\/section>\n<div class=\"asset-double-wide double-wide p402_premium\" role=\"main\">\n<div id=\"module-position-RoFEewIkQmg\" class=\"story-asset video-asset\">\n<div class=\"ui-video-wrapper \">\n<div class=\"js-ui-video-init ui-pluto-video js-video-aps js-uw-iframe-video uw-iframe-video story-video inline-story-video priority smallarticleattophtml5\" data-video-id=\"38544983\" data-snow-enabled=\"true\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ui-video-controls story-video inline-story-video priority\">\n<p class=\"video-desc\">The DOJ inadvertently named Julian Assange in a court filing in an unrelated case, suggesting they have prepared charges against the WikiLeaks founder under seal. Any charges could shed light on whether Russia coordinated with Trump&#8217;s campaign.(Nov. 16) <span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"module-position-RoFEewJb7F0\" class=\"story-asset story-leadin-asset\">\n<h2 class=\"lead-in\">Rather than federal indictment, Assange deserves a tweaked version of one of Washington\u2019s hottest honors \u2014 a Medal of Freedom with a steam whistle.<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"module-position-RoFEewJEBzc\" class=\"story-asset story-metadata-asset\">\n<div class=\"article-metadata-wrap\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"module-position-RoFEewJXnEw\" class=\"story-asset inline-share-tools-asset\">\n<div class=\"inline-share-tools asset-inline-share-tools asset-inline-share-tools-top\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been secretly indicted by the Trump administration\u2019s Justice Department, \u201ca drastic escalation\u201d of the feds\u2019 efforts against him, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/11\/16\/us\/politics\/julian-assange-indictment-wikileaks.html\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">New York Times reported<\/a>. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has denounced Wikileaks as a \u201cnon-state hostile <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/julian-assange-the-cia-director-is-waging-war-on-truth-tellers-like-wikileaks\/2017\/04\/25\/b8aa5cfc-29c7-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.e31a4f84ed7a\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">intelligence service<\/a>\u201d and labeled\u00a0Assange a \u201cfraud,\u201d \u201ccoward,\u201d and \u201cenemy.\u201d But rather than a federal indictment, Assange deserves a tweaked version of one of Washington\u2019s hottest honorifics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">Wikileaks has been in the federal crosshairs since it released scores of thousands of documents exposing lies and atrocities regarding the Afghan and Iraq wars, thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2013\/jul\/30\/bradley-manning-wikileaks-revelations\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">leaks<\/a> from\u00a0Army corporal Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Wikileaks released <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/damaging-emails-dnc-wikileaks-dump\/story?id=40852448\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">emails<\/a> from the Democratic National Committee showing that its nominating process was rigged\u00a0to favor Hillary Clinton. During the final month of the campaign, Wikileaks disclosed emails from Clinton campaign chief <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/onpolitics\/2016\/10\/13\/four-juiciest-leaked-podesta-emails\/92014368\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">John Podesta<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\">Trump loved WikiLeaks when it was convenient<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In the final month of the presidential campaign, Donald Trump declared, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/trump-wikileaks-campaign-speeches-julian-assange-2017-11\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">I love WikiLeaks<\/a>\u201d and\u00a0mentioned it more than a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politifact.com\/truth-o-meter\/statements\/2017\/apr\/21\/jackie-speier\/did-trump-really-mention-wikileaks-over-160-times-\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\"> hundred times<\/a>.\u00a0However, since Trump took office, he is following Washington protocols and viewing whistleblowers as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-trump-sessions-leaks\/trump-administration-goes-on-attack-against-leakers-journalists-idUSKBN1AK1UR\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">public enemies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The Assange indictment is far more threatening than Trump tweets snarling at CNN. The ACLU warns that prosecuting Assange for Wikileaks\u2019 publishing operations would be \u201cunconstitutional\u201d and sets a \u201cdangerous precedent for U.S. journalists, who routinely violate foreign secrecy laws to deliver information vital to the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jdakwar\/status\/1063410087052681216\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">public&#8217;s interest<\/a>.\u201d Trevor Timm of the Freedom of the Press Foundation declared: \u201cAny\u00a0charges brought against WikiLeaks\u00a0for their publishing activities pose a profound and incredibly dangerous threat to <a href=\"https:\/\/freedom.press\/news\/prosecuting-wikileaks-publishing-activities-poses-profound-threat-press-freedom\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">press freedom<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">It is difficult to appreciate Wikileaks without recognizing how federal secrecy has become far more pervasive and dangerous since 9\/11. If someone had massively leaked U.S. government documents on Iraq in January 2003, the Bush administration campaign for war might have been thwarted. The federal government made almost\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.archives.gov\/files\/isoo\/reports\/2017-annual-report.pdf\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">50 million<\/a> decisions\u00a0to classify information last year.\u00a0Politicians and federal agencies have long recognized that \u201cwhat people don&#8217;t know won&#8217;t hurt the government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cTruth will out\u201d is the biggest fairy tale in Washington. U.S. troops are now\u00a0fighting in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/05\/03\/opinion\/american-troops-yemen.html\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">14 foreign nations<\/a>: will the Pentagon tell us all about it? The National Security Agency illegally tracked every citizen\u2019s phone calls: no federal official disclosed the system that a federal judge castigated as\u00a0an \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/politics\/archive\/2013\/12\/federal-judge-nsas-almost-orwellian-phone-data-collection-likely-violates-constitution\/356207\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">almost Orwellian<\/a>\u201d\u00a0surveillance scheme. And what are the betting odds of Americans seeing the dirt on\u00a0the U.S. government\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/columnists\/sns-201810161306--tms--amvoicesctnav-a20181016-20181016-column.html\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">long-term collusion\u00a0<\/a>with the Saudi regime (despite its atrocities at home and abroad)?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">On the same day the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-assange-usa\/u-s-prosecutors-get-indictment-against-wikileaks-assange-court-document-idUSKCN1NL0G3\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Assange indictment<\/a> scored headlines,\u00a0Trump awarded\u00a0seven Presidential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2018\/11\/16\/president-trump-medals-freedom-elvis-babe-ruth\/2025294002\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Medals of Freedom<\/a>. No controversy greeted posthumous awards to Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley \u2014\u00a0unlike the\u00a0ruckus regarding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/think\/opinion\/trump-giving-miriam-adelson-medal-freedom-captures-transactional-nature-his-ncna937121\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Miriam Adelson<\/a>,\u00a0wife of Republican\u00a0super-donor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/trump-honor-donor-s-wife-presidential-award-n937101\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Sheldon Adelson<\/a>.\u00a0Public Citizen, a liberal nonprofit, howled that the Adelson award \u201cis just the latest sign of [Trump\u2019s] ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Public_Citizen\/status\/1063507705942482944\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">corrupt and corrode<\/a> all aspects of the government.\u201d\u00a0New York Times\u00a0columnist\u00a0Paul Krugman caterwauled\u00a0that it was \u201cludicrous\u201d and \u201cand an insult to people who received the medal for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/paulkrugman\/status\/1061324556751777793\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">genuine service<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"presto-h3\">Update the freedom awards to kill coverups<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p-text\">In reality, Presidential Medals of Freedom have routinely been exploited to buttress the political establishment, with bevies of awards for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/pagelayout\/reference\/two_column_table\/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom_Recipients.htm\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">political operators<\/a>, members of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/senators\/SenatorsPresidentialMedalFreedom.htm\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Congress<\/a>, and pliable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/politics\/archive\/2018\/11\/trump-presidential-medal-freedom-white-nostalgia\/575947\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">foreign leaders<\/a>. President Lyndon Johnson distributed a bushel of Medals of Freedom to his Vietnam War <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.li\/2q6vy#selection-905.1-905.14\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">architects and enablers<\/a>, perhaps as consolation prizes for losing the war. (The medal awarded to Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, whose\u00a0lies about the war making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2017\/10\/14\/this-day-in-politics-oct-14-1966-243670\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">progress<\/a> cost thousands of Americans\u00a0and Vietnamese their lives, fetched <a href=\"https:\/\/natedsanders.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/presidential-medal-freedom-award\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">$40,625<\/a>\u00a0at an auction a few years ago.)\u00a0President George W. Bush conferred <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/pagelayout\/reference\/two_column_table\/Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom_Recipients.htm\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Medals of Freedom<\/a> on his Iraq war team, including CIA chief <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2004\/ALLPOLITICS\/04\/18\/woodward.book\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">George \u201cSlam Dunk\u201d Tenet<\/a>, \u00a0Iraq viceroy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/pages\/frontline\/yeariniraq\/etc\/script.html\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Paul Bremer<\/a>,\u00a0and ambassador Ryan Crocker, whom Bush called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2009-01-16\/bush-honours-americas-lawrence-of-arabia\/267762\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">America\u2019s Lawrence of Arabia<\/a>.\u201d Some of the biggest fabulists of the modern era \u2014\u00a0including\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/geraldrfordfoundation.org\/centennial\/oralhistory\/henry-kissinger\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Henry Kissinger<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Afu9q68H7cY\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Dick Cheney<\/a> \u2014\u00a0also pocketed the award.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The controversies over Assange and Adelson provide a serendipitous opportunity to update the freedom awards. Because few things are more perilous to democracy than permitting politicians to coverup crimes, there should be a new Medal of Freedom category commending individuals who have done the most to expose official lies. This particular award could be differentiated by including a little steam whistle atop the medal \u2014 vivifying how leaks can prevent a political system from overheating or exploding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Assange would deserve such a medal \u2014\u00a0as would\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2016\/may\/22\/how-pentagon-punished-nsa-whistleblowers\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Thomas Drake<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"http:\/\/fortune.com\/2017\/10\/03\/edward-snowden-nsa-fisa-section-702\/\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Edward Snowden<\/a>\u00a0(who revealed NSA\u2019s abuses),\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/02\/10\/us\/former-cia-officer-released-after-nearly-two-years-in-prison-for-leak-case.html\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">John Kiriakou<\/a>\u00a0(who revealed CIA torture), and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2018\/01\/19\/579101965\/daniel-ellsberg-explains-why-he-leaked-the-pentagon-papers\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Daniel Ellsberg<\/a>\u00a0(who leaked the Pentagon Papers). Admittedly, there may be no way to stop presidents from giving steam whistle freedom awards to political donors\u2019 wives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Organizations like Wikileaks are among the best hopes for rescuing democracy from Leviathan. Unless we presume politicians have a divine right to deceive the governed, America should honor individuals who expose federal crimes. Whistleblowers should be especially welcome by anyone riled up over Trump\u2019s lies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\"><em>James Bovard,\u00a0author of &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Attention-Deficit-Democracy-James-Bovard-ebook\/dp\/B00TDQ1SJO\/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1509052899&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=attention+deficit+democracy\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">Attention Deficit Democracy<\/a>,&#8221; is\u00a0a member of\u00a0USA TODAY\u2019s\u00a0Board of Contributors. Follow him on Twitter:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/jimbovard\" data-track-label=\"inline|intext|n\/a\">@JimBovard<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I will write more on this shortly&#8230;. &nbsp; Unmentioned in Assange arrest coverage &#8211; the US govt. after 9\/11 dropped an Iron Curtain around itself. @wikileaks exposed US govt. crimes no one else would touch. https:\/\/t.co\/MMahFJqyc6 &mdash; James Bovard (@JimBovard) April 11, 2019 Julian Assange is charged with &quot;conspiracy to commit computer intrusion.&quot; What about [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1973,538,1974,1056,164,264,55,285],"class_list":["post-13465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-arrest","tag-freedom-of-the-press","tag-iron-curtain","tag-julian-assange","tag-leviathan","tag-lies","tag-secrecy","tag-wikileaks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Assange Arrest a Deadly Threat to Free Press - James Bovard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Julian Assange&#039;s arrest signals a grave peril for the free press. Now it is a federal crime to expose govt. lies &amp; crimes?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jimbovard.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/11\/assange-arrest-a-deadly-threat-to-free-press\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Assange Arrest a Deadly Threat to Free Press - James Bovard\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Julian Assange&#039;s arrest signals a grave peril for the free press. 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