By Josh

Nov 29, 2010 3:50pm

Does Palin Want to Whack Assange?

ABC News' John Berman Reports: In her latest foray into the national discussion about Wikilleaks, Sarah Palin seems to open the door to the idea that the U.S. Government should have considered a targeted hit on Wilileaks founder Julian Assange. In a posting on her Facebook page, Palin lambasts the Obama administration for what she calls the “incompetent handling of this whole fiasco.” She wonders, “What if any diplomatic pressure was brought to bear on NATO, EU, and other allies to disrupt Wikileaks’ technical infrastructure? Did we use all the cyber tools at our disposal to permanently dismantle Wikileaks? Were individuals working for Wikileaks on these document leaks investigated? Shouldn’t they at least have had their financial assets frozen just as we do to individuals who provide material support for terrorist organizations?” But in the most eyebrow-raising section of the posting, Palin writes of Assange, “Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al Qaeda and Taliban leaders?” Given that the U.S. regularly targets suspected Al Qaeda leaders with missile or drone strikes, is she suggesting that Assange should have been whacked?

User Comments

Kim Jong-un, “Ha,ha,ha….Obama the boy is an idiot, with this wikileaks, no asian countirs want to be American allie anymore…. Soon we’ll be Obama’s one and only most trusted friend

Posted by: Obamakowtowtoasia | November 29, 2010, 4:20 pm 4:20 pm

If you can’t jail him alongside the traitors that sent him the info, why NOT shoot him?

Posted by: The Huntster | November 29, 2010, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm

She’s absolutely right!

Posted by: JoeB | November 29, 2010, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm

She’s absolutely right!

Posted by: JoeB | November 29, 2010, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm

This is why the Constitution allows for Letters of Marquis and Reprisal – to allow enemies of the state to disappear.

Posted by: DaveH | November 29, 2010, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm

“URGENCY” does not mean “VIOLENCE” for God’s sake. Sending a fast-strike team of 10 guys to run a Predator strike = same urgency as sending a fast strike team of 10 guys to arrest Mr. Wikitreason. She didn’t say anything about assassination. You guys did. Shame on you.
Why are you guys so obsessed with her? Does the thought of the phrase “Madam President” threaten your manhood or something?

Posted by: Richard L. Kent, Esq. | November 29, 2010, 4:53 pm 4:53 pm

The left, not the right, is about violence. Democide, death by government, took upwards of 150 million lives in the 20th century alone.
The mass murders commited by the Soviets, the National Socialists, the Chinese Communists, the Khmr Rouge, the North Vietnamese, among many others, demonstrate the depravity of the those that will use the brute power of government to impose their views.

Posted by: Mike Constitution | November 29, 2010, 5:00 pm 5:00 pm

Obama only knows how to divide US allies and unite all her enemies. A 27 year old boy from North Korea can openly challenge Obama to a nuclear stand-off. A 22-year year old US Private First Class can openly challenge Obama to a diploamtic breakdown. Obama is very, very imcompetent and impotent.

Posted by: Obamakowtowtoasia | November 29, 2010, 5:09 pm 5:09 pm

Obama had in fact tried to whack Assange even more clumsily and despicably. Obama did it in a way only a Democrat, liberal can only do, ie conduct a smearing campaign against Assange accusing him of rape and molestation !!! This is a joke and backfire, and help Assange gained public sympathy as most people perceive that this is an unfair attack against one’s personal life. Obama should whack Assange like a gentleman but he whacks him like eunuch

Posted by: Obamakowtowtoasia | November 29, 2010, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm

Explain how copying bits of Palin’s writing and attaching your own undeveloped questions makes this news? ABC is less and less a news source as the years go by and this is a sad demonstration of that failing.

Posted by: nanasusan | November 29, 2010, 7:38 pm 7:38 pm

I am okay with it — enemies of this country should think twice before bringing harm to us. BTW it wouldn’t be the first time we whacked someone either.

Posted by: ss26mar | November 29, 2010, 8:18 pm 8:18 pm

Time to buy some tickets and play Wack-a-mole. Kill the SOB.

Posted by: rotcodam | November 29, 2010, 9:13 pm 9:13 pm

This is treason in my opinion and deserves nothing less than death.
And no….I’m not being sarcastic.

Posted by: rotcodam | November 29, 2010, 9:17 pm 9:17 pm

Definitions of treason:
* a crime that undermines the offender’s government
* disloyalty by virtue of subversive behavior
* treachery: an act of deliberate betrayal

Posted by: rotcodam | November 29, 2010, 9:26 pm 9:26 pm

For once I agree with Sarah Palin – we should make an example of Assange. He should be arrested and tried as an enemy combatant, or he should meet with a litle unexplainable accident and never be heard from again. Maybe Israel could help us with this – they do this kind of thing all the time to people who betray them.

Posted by: Kate1149 | November 30, 2010, 12:38 am 12:38 am

How can an Australian commit treason against the United States?

Posted by: Quasi | November 30, 2010, 7:23 am 7:23 am

Sarah and her minions are clueless and every time they open their mouths they confirm it. Why the media continues to shine a light on this lightweight is the question. God save us from the idiots.

Posted by: TXNewswatcher | November 30, 2010, 7:32 am 7:32 am

Is Ms Palin a God-loving individual? If so, I see a contradiction here. “The truth shall set you free” All that WikiLeaks has done is reveal the truth. How does it help the cause for democracy and decent government to cover up lies, deception, and reprehensible behavior? Assange is a champion for transparency and honesty. If you want to speak on behalf of a decent government, be decent; don’t lie, don’t deceive.

Posted by: CarlosElio | November 30, 2010, 10:25 am 10:25 am

At this point I doubt it matters whether Assange committed a crime. The cat is out of the bag, so to speak, and if the man is jailed for life or even killed, Wikileaks will presumably continue to exist, and perhaps other similar services will also begin cropping up.
I think the important point is a formal one (not so much about content), and I think we’re missing what’s most important here if we focus on the U.S. government, which is obviously the easiest target on the planet for any whistleblower (given its sheer size and influence).
Fact is, whistleblowers now have an alternative outlet for their complaints. Given that every large organization, corporation, government has at least one disgruntled employee, it’s not altogether unreasonable to assume that more and more confidentiality agreements will be undermined, and it’s interesting to speculate on whether this could have serious social consequences over the next decade.
The philosophical (even spiritual) implications have to do with SECRECY – what purpose does it serve in our society and would we perhaps be better off (i.e., more enlightened) without it or at least much less of it? Perhaps Wikileaks and its ilk will help us find a preliminary answer…

Posted by: ParkIt | November 30, 2010, 11:16 am 11:16 am

Why make this about Palin? Assange, Wiki, Manning, and others have all compromised the security of the US and our allies. It’s that simple.
Try running a family, a 7-11, a multinational corporation, or anything else when private communications and documents are released for everyone to see. No one will trust anyone to keep anything private, people will obsess over personal differences, and everything will grind to a halt while animosity builds.
If someone releases any names or private date of witnesses, confidential informants, and others in law enforcement or elsewhere without having to do so, people will get injured, killed, or never cooperate again with authorities. One inadvertent slip of a SSN is trouble, yet this release of 100′s of thousands of classified documents is not? Bizarre. Now move that to the international level. People who support the U.S., our efforts against terrorism, nuclear proliferation, or anything else (e.g., diplomatic relations, human rights efforts, etc.) are no doubt in a weaker position today and tomorrow.
How many people in Afghanistan can be easily identified thanks to Wiki and have already been killed? It doesn’t take a name to ID anyone, simply enough information to eliminate others as likely individuals. How many soldiers and military strategies are threatened because there’s a glaring gap in security? And some people hold Wiki and Assange out as models? No, misplaced values.
Why are Holder and DOJ (including the National Security Division whose sole job is to deal with these types of crimes) asleep at the switch? They are hiring civil rights attorneys left and right on their website, yet can’t find the time to forcefully address this threat to national and international security? Where’s the NSC, NSA, DIA, etc., etc.? Assange really that hard to find? Really? When he’s popping up at conventions, giving interviews, and everyone knows what he looks like? Did he acquire Jason Bourne-like invisibility and counterintelligence skills somewhere between interviews, while grannies and others are being frisked and X-rayed at airports? Who’s running the show anyway? Any prosecutor with any intelligence could have drafted indictments long ago. Conspiracy, solicitation, breach of classified documents protocol, treason (in times of war for the U.S. citizens), espionage, all sorts of crimes having to do with unauthorized use of computers and networks, misuse of telecommunications devices, etc., etc.). I’d do it for free. Enough is enough. America’s security, our standing in the world, and our security (yes, the citizens still count as the priority) have all been compromised. Who will trust the U.S. to keep anything secret when this goes on month after month. DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM NOW!

Posted by: Assange must be like Jason Bourne or the government isn't really looking to stop him | November 30, 2010, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm

To argue “secrets” are bad is to take this issue to the absurd level of a preschooler. Maybe logic like that works when playing Candyland and drinking out of a spill-proof cup, but not in the world beyond that.
Perhaps ABC should reveal all emails from all its employees, all contracts, all conversations (internal and external), the names, addresses, ages, and Social Security numbers of everyone who ever interacted with it (contractors, employees, officers, and others), bank records for everyone, and everything else. It’s only a news organization, not like ABC deals with national and international security and has 300 million people to protect. So where’s the harm? Oops, guess the logic is so weak it’s best not to repeat it in writing.

Posted by: If it's not a big deal, ABC needs to release everything regarding its business and employees | November 30, 2010, 12:45 pm 12:45 pm

i am not obsessed w/palin. however it does concern me that so many americans find her an acceptable possible president. someone that is so badly educated should not be considered for that position. please do not come back at me w/any stupid obama comments as i did not vote for him either.

Posted by: bruceben9 | November 30, 2010, 6:16 pm 6:16 pm

What Palin means is that we should spend billions of more dollars unsuccessfully, just as we have looking for Bin Laden. The bottom line is that Palin does not understand what the laws are, much less the concept of Rule of Law. Like it or not, Assange has no more committed a crime than the New York Times has. Both are releasing these documents. Both are, for better or worse, protected by the 1st Amendment.

Posted by: Tyrone | December 1, 2010, 6:34 am 6:34 am

Julian Assange is a hero – It’s time someone showed the US and the world what happens behind the curtains.

Posted by: Reader | December 1, 2010, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm

What a stretch! Every now and then I’ll read a MSM article, just to check in to see if they’ve recovered their integrity. This article disappoints…again.
If Palin asks why hasn’t Obama gone after UBL with the same urgency, she’s talking about…uh..urgency, not assassination – the author, alone, makes that leap to, presumably, cash in on interest in Palin with a provacative headline. Problem is, once reader sees the headline has no basis – it will only strengthen the readers resolve never to trust ABC again.
btw…a better question might be why doesn’t ABC ask the questions Palin does?

Posted by: Matt | December 6, 2010, 11:35 pm 11:35 pm

He is a bloody Australian and a journalist… This woman is crazy.

Posted by: Define | December 9, 2010, 9:51 pm 9:51 pm

Even if one were to assassinate Assange,that would not stop WIkileaks. You cannot try a foreign national for treason as he is not an American, This just illustrates Palin ignorance about foreign affairs. Even Republican diplomats such as Schultz and Dr. Kissinger understood and were facile in the complexity of diplomacy, something Palin is either clueless about and is just pandering to her base.

Posted by: curious | December 19, 2010, 1:34 am 1:34 am

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