Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Has Passport Confiscated 197
Taco Cowboy writes "The Australian founder of the whistleblower website Wikileaks had his passport confiscated by police when he arrived in Melbourne last week. While Assange has made himself particularly unpopular with the US military by publishing video of attacks on civilians in Iraq, he's been something of a thorn in the side for the Australian government too. Last year, Wikileaks published a list of websites which were to be banned under the government's proposed Internet filter. While the aim of the filter is to block extreme pornography and the like, the blacklist included a number of more prosaic sites such as those of a travel company and a dentist.
This is Julian (Score:1, Funny)
For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:5, Funny)
While it was returned 15 minutes later
Man, they are brutal down in Melbourne. And from the original article [theage.com.au] linked at TG Daily:
The Age has been told that Assange's passport is classified "normal" on the immigration database, meaning the Wikileaks director can travel freely on it.
They really know how to shake people up and intimidate you. Sounds almost as bad as my trip through United States customs coming back from vacation. They abducted me for three hours as I was forced to stand in line awaiting inspection and approval. They called it standard processing but I tell you what--it was more of a death march.
Australia would have to be insane to do something like that to Assange. He would trot that out in front of the media for weeks if that was what happened. What a claim to legitimacy. And for that reason I'm guessing this is likely a natural passport process turned into a PR stunt.
Assange mentioned it in an SBS Dateline interview [sbs.com.au].
So basically Australia said, "We need to renew your overly used passport and the authorities are looking into how you got a hold of a blacklist from our government." <sarcasm>The poor man! When will the persecution stop?! The only way you can only mitigate his suffering by making a tiny donation to Wikileaks.org.</sarcasm>
Obligatory Seinfeld reference (Score:4, Funny)
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:5, Funny)
ah, WikiDONATEleaWENEED$600kks (Score:2, Funny)
It rivals ED in its WE WILL HAVE TO SHUT DOWN IF YOU DON'T DONATE ability to remind you just how valuable their service is and WHY HAVEN'T YOU GIVEN ANY MONEY YET? just what an insanely high amount of money they claim they need to host a few third party files. Yet their site still manages to be down most of the PEOPLE ARE BEING TORTURED GIVE US MONEY time.
Re:Assassinated (Score:5, Funny)
Did anyone else see "Wikileaks founder Assassinated" before taking a second look?
No, most of us can read.
Re:Absolute power (Score:2, Funny)
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:5, Funny)
First they ignore you
Then laugh at you
Then hate you
Then they fight you
Then you win - you are here
Then you do a FATALITY!
Then the next challenger laughs at you.
Re:say goodnight (Score:3, Funny)
the powers that be eventually will either pull the plug or filter the internet, making the ability to express ideas, opinions and communications among the common folk more difficult.
And then we'll go back to a feudal monarchy. And then a slave empire. And then we'll go back to the caves.
I think your CIV was one of the flawed copies that played in reverse. Didn't you find it strange that you were the only one starting in Alpha Centauri?
Weekly World Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A bit too much sensationalism even for Slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
BROWN LEAVES HOTEL.
The bird is on the tree. I repeat. THE BIRD IS ON THE TREE.
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Absolute power (Score:3, Funny)
Mains power corrupts, mainly.
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:4, Funny)
Pshaw. Here in the US, things are so bad that if you commit a felony, and are convicted, you are not allowed to own and carry an automatic weapon. I don't see nothing in the Second Amendment that says I shouldn't be able to protect myself and my family with the firearm of my choice just because of a little armed robbery.
I mean, "First they came for the felons, then they came for the domestic terrorists trying to kill policemen at a funeral, then they came for me".
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Assassinated (Score:5, Funny)
No, most of us can read.
Citation Needed!
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:2, Funny)
Keep trying to be funny. Please do it. I am laughing my ass off... Continue!
Seriously now... Do you think I am trying to trick you with reversed phycology? I don't. Have I ever lied to you? I mean... in this thread?
Re:Absolute power (Score:5, Funny)
AC power corrupts, then it doesn't then it does then it doesn't...
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:4, Funny)
You found a US immigration agent with a sense of humor?
You truly have great talent.
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:3, Funny)
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:5, Funny)
It's "Gandhi".
OK, First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they correct your spelling.
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:5, Funny)
>>>British Commonweal.
Is this the Middle English speeling? Well let me call in me wyf. She war an Anglish taughter.
Re:Assassinated (Score:4, Funny)
Re:This is Julian (Score:2, Funny)
King Julian? [wordpress.com] From Madagascar?
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:4, Funny)
That must be in one of the early drafts of the bible, it doesn't seem to be in the released version.
Re:Wikileaks != Wikipedia (Score:1, Funny)
No but that fifth letter seals the deal
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:4, Funny)
Re:For a Whole Fifteen Minutes (Score:1, Funny)
>>>British Commonweal.
Is this the Middle English speeling? Well let me call in me wyf. She war an Anglish taughter.
Come now, let's keep our Cockneys to ourselves. There's a good chap.
Guessing you use an ATM machine (Score:2, Funny)
The TFA also includes a massive non-sequitur...
You realize you just said "The The Fucking Article," right?