Ecuador loves him - chaz2b

That is surprising. WikiLeaks is a great and much needed service, though I guess he may be scum. - Todd Hoff

There's a big difference between "WikiLeaks" and "Julian Assange" - Soup in a TARDIS

I think it's possible to dislike Assange as a person while recognizing that Wikileaks performs a valuable service. - John (bird whisperer)

^ this. I think he's spurred some really great things, and has been involved in a lot of them personally. I don't think that means he can't be a total asshat and potentially a rapist. I respect what Wikileaks has done, but have far less for him personally. - Jennifer Dittrich

It's a bit too convenient to me that very soon after he's identified as the founder of Wikileaks and they do a number of large data dumps that he gets arrested for rape. - Scoble, Alex Scoble

I'm not so naive that I think that his arrest is due to a sudden desire to see justice served (given the number of sexual assault extradition cases currently languishing,) but I think they cherry picked this particular problem because it has a grain of truth. These aren't the only women to accuse him of some pretty bad behavior in this arena. - Jennifer Dittrich

I think the fact that he has pretty much fallen out with everyone he's ever worked with speaks volumes about the guy's character and real motivations. - Kevin (aka ThreadKilla)

^^^ - Soup in a TARDIS

Yeah, I'd have more respect adn less suspicion if he faced the women's claims directly. - t-ra: not givin up from Android

Alex, Assange has been the public face of Wikileaks since 2007. - Johnny

... and let's face it, for all his grandstanding, the "leaks" have been mild at best. Embarrassing? Yes, but hardly enough to shake the foundations - Johnny

Setting aside the rape charges and the questionable reasons for WHY he did what he did, I think it's hard to respect someone who knowingly breaks the law and then doesn't expect to suffer the consequences. Cowboy up, dude. - Soup in a TARDIS

I don't think Sweden is a country where you'd get a kangaroo court. If he's innocent of rape, let him face charges. The fact that he ran speaks volumes to me. Also, what dendroica said. - Spidra Webster

FWIW, didn't Steig Larsen (sp?) have a low opinion of the Swedish justice system? - Andrew C (✓) from Android

He did, but one of his major complaints was that women weren't taken seriously if they were of a lower status than the men they were accusing of sex crimes. Make of that what you will. - Jennifer Dittrich

Meanwhile, several of the people who were complicit in the 'outing' of Valerie Plame, thereby undermining her work as an undercover CIA agent and endangering the work, and lives, of other undercover agents with whom she was working on active operations--all to retaliate against her husband for his challenge of their "yellow cake" premise for initiating the invasion Iraq--are among the most vocal in calling him a terrorist and stating that he should be executed as such. #DickCheney And, of course, the military justice system's 'setting aside' of the U.S. Constitution in its interrogation of Bradley Manning is perfectly ethical. When labeling someone as a terrorist affords the opportunity to bypass the long established tenets and legal principles concerning civil liberties and rights to a trial, it is inevitable that the definition of 'terrorist' will expand to suit the purposes of the accuser, and NOT to suit the intent of the laws on which the accusations are based. | But hey, let's just forget about those inconvenient constitutional constraints on treatment of the accused... after all, we just don't like the guy, so let's get on with the execution! #THATcouldNEVERcomebacktoBITEUSintheASS! [EndOfRant] - Jkram|ɯɐɹʞſ

The fact is, he was IN Sweden for multiple weeks after the allegations first surfaced, and was questioned by the police at that time. They did not seem to place a high priority on it (or see a likelihood of conviction based on a he-said, she-said case), and he was free to travel to the UK. And even in the UK he offered to meet with the prosecutors in London. Since he was not charged, they could not compel him to travel back to Sweden. Shouldn't there be actual criminal charges before anyone is extradited? If they only want to question him to clarify the case, that can just as well be done outside Sweden. - Nils Sandin

mostly yanks, he's been portrayed Monroe Doctrine V.2012 that is to say a threat to national security that is to say a threat to american imperialist strategy. Us others appreciate a subjugated knowledge & pov - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

One can think he's not the saintly guy that some believe he is without thinking he should be put to death. Also, it may come as a shock to you non-Americans, but a huge chunk of us could give a fig about prestige or imperialism. Just sayin'.... - Kevin (aka ThreadKilla)

What Kevin said - Jeff (Team マクダジ ) from iPhone

Well this thread sure seems to have developed some interesting gender & national patterns/biases. Hmm. - Soup in a TARDIS