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The Hill: Trump administration mulled kidnapping, assassinating Julian Assange
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:07 pm
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:07 pm
https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/cia/574058-trump-administration-mulled-kidnapping-assassinating-julian
A report from Yahoo News published Sunday says that the Trump administration and CIA considered kidnapping WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2017 and even raised the prospect of assassinating him amid concerns he may be planning an escape of his own.
Citing conversations with more than 30 former U.S. intelligence and security officials, Yahoo reported that "sketches" and "options" for how an assassination operation could be carried out were requested. One former official told the site that these conversations were taking place “at the highest levels.”
Though the CIA had been monitoring Assange for many years, the U.S. government reportedly ramped up its campaign against him following the "Vault 7" data leak of CIA hacking tools and Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential race.
Assange is currently imprisoned in London after being arrested in April 2019.
According to the Yahoo report, former CIA director Mike Pompeo wanted revenge on Assange and was described by one Trump national security official as being "completely detached from reality because they were so embarrassed about Vault 7."
“There was an inappropriate level of attention to Assange given the embarrassment, not the threat he posed in context,” one official said. "We should never act out of a desire for revenge.”
U.S. intelligence officials were supposedly provoked by rumors that Assange was planning an escape attempt from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had taken asylum. Russian intelligence was supposedly present around the embassy to help facilitate an escape. Yahoo noted that WikiLeaks had helped to facilitate U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden's escape to Russia from Hong Kong.
If Russian officials were able to get Assange onto a plane, one official told Yahoo that agents were prepared to block the plane with a car on the runway, shoot out the tires or even crash into a car carrying Assange.
When reached for comment by The Hill, the CIA declined to comment on the matter.
Responding to Yahoo, Trump denied ever having considered ordering the assassination of Assange, saying, “It’s totally false, it never happened."
“In fact, I think he’s been treated very badly,” added Trump.
Following the leak of the Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential race, Trump proclaimed, "I love WikiLeaks," and he reportedly offered Assange a pardon if he would say that Russia was not involved in the 2016 Democratic National Committee hack.
Barry Pollack, a lawyer for Assange in the U.S., told Yahoo, “As an American citizen, I find it absolutely outrageous that our government would be contemplating kidnapping or assassinating somebody without any judicial process simply because he had published truthful information."
“My hope and expectation is that the U.K. courts will consider this information and it will further bolster its decision not to extradite to the U.S.,” said Pollack.
According to Yahoo, there was no indication that the most extreme measures meant to target Assange were ever approved, largely due to objections from White House lawyers.
“While people think the Trump administration didn’t believe in the rule of law, they had good lawyers who were paying attention to it,” one former official told the news organization.
A report from Yahoo News published Sunday says that the Trump administration and CIA considered kidnapping WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2017 and even raised the prospect of assassinating him amid concerns he may be planning an escape of his own.
Citing conversations with more than 30 former U.S. intelligence and security officials, Yahoo reported that "sketches" and "options" for how an assassination operation could be carried out were requested. One former official told the site that these conversations were taking place “at the highest levels.”
Though the CIA had been monitoring Assange for many years, the U.S. government reportedly ramped up its campaign against him following the "Vault 7" data leak of CIA hacking tools and Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential race.
Assange is currently imprisoned in London after being arrested in April 2019.
According to the Yahoo report, former CIA director Mike Pompeo wanted revenge on Assange and was described by one Trump national security official as being "completely detached from reality because they were so embarrassed about Vault 7."
“There was an inappropriate level of attention to Assange given the embarrassment, not the threat he posed in context,” one official said. "We should never act out of a desire for revenge.”
U.S. intelligence officials were supposedly provoked by rumors that Assange was planning an escape attempt from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he had taken asylum. Russian intelligence was supposedly present around the embassy to help facilitate an escape. Yahoo noted that WikiLeaks had helped to facilitate U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden's escape to Russia from Hong Kong.
If Russian officials were able to get Assange onto a plane, one official told Yahoo that agents were prepared to block the plane with a car on the runway, shoot out the tires or even crash into a car carrying Assange.
When reached for comment by The Hill, the CIA declined to comment on the matter.
Responding to Yahoo, Trump denied ever having considered ordering the assassination of Assange, saying, “It’s totally false, it never happened."
“In fact, I think he’s been treated very badly,” added Trump.
Following the leak of the Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential race, Trump proclaimed, "I love WikiLeaks," and he reportedly offered Assange a pardon if he would say that Russia was not involved in the 2016 Democratic National Committee hack.
Barry Pollack, a lawyer for Assange in the U.S., told Yahoo, “As an American citizen, I find it absolutely outrageous that our government would be contemplating kidnapping or assassinating somebody without any judicial process simply because he had published truthful information."
“My hope and expectation is that the U.K. courts will consider this information and it will further bolster its decision not to extradite to the U.S.,” said Pollack.
According to Yahoo, there was no indication that the most extreme measures meant to target Assange were ever approved, largely due to objections from White House lawyers.
“While people think the Trump administration didn’t believe in the rule of law, they had good lawyers who were paying attention to it,” one former official told the news organization.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:10 pm to finchmeister08
Bull shite.
Yahoo News lies.
Yahoo News lies.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:10 pm to finchmeister08
I'm pretty sure that the list of things the CIA has "considered" throughout its manipulative and sordid history FAR outweigh the list of things it hasn't considered.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:10 pm to finchmeister08
I was going to post this earlier today. I saw Greenwald torching Pompeo for being a deep state neocon over this.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:11 pm to GhostOfFreedom
quote:
Bull shite.
Who cares if its true? We didn't do it.
I fully expect the CIA and every national security alphabet agency to have every possible contingency mapped out, and all options available in planning.
Today's media would have lost their ever-living-shite over the pre-WW2 rainbow plans.
This post was edited on 9/27/21 at 3:12 pm
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:13 pm to Indefatigable
quote:
pre-WW2 rainbow plans.
what's this?
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:14 pm to momentoftruth87
Yahoo, didn’t they help the circle-wrap smear tactic of Pelosi, reporting on Russian collusion?
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:14 pm to CamdenTiger
They are a far left dying business. Of course the moron OP would share it.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:15 pm to finchmeister08
So are all the Dems and progs going to fall in love with Assange now? Hillary made it very clear she wanted him dead.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:15 pm to finchmeister08
lol they will continue to have hit pieces on trump for another 8 years or so.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:16 pm to finchmeister08
quote:
what's this?
Color-coded war plans
In between the world wars, the US had a color-coded contingency plan for a general war with and against just about every possible combination of major power, along with Canada and Mexico.
As war drew closer, these were synthesized into the most likely "rainbow plans"--a play on the colors used in the previously established contingencies against individual nations. We ended up implementing portions of several of them (Rainbow 5, War Plan Orange, War Plan Black, War Plan Indigo, etc.)
Interestingly, our most 'accurate' two-front contingency actually contemplated war against Japan and Britain. We of course later subbed out Germany/Italy for the Brits in that one.
This post was edited on 9/27/21 at 3:21 pm
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:17 pm to finchmeister08
LOL...if they are going to make up stuff, at least make it believable. Obama, Hillary and their cronies were the ones that absolutely hated Assange. Remember Hilary's infamous quote ("Can't we just drone this guy?").
This post was edited on 9/27/21 at 3:18 pm
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:18 pm to finchmeister08
The POS who wrote this also peddled Russia gate BS for 4 years. MSM misses daddy Trump so bad
This post was edited on 9/27/21 at 3:19 pm
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:19 pm to finchmeister08
So the Trump admin wanted to assassinate the one guy that was releasing the Clinton emails?
Nobody believes that shite
Nobody believes that shite
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:21 pm to finchmeister08
Just because it was put forth as one of dozens potential options doesn’t mean it was seriously considered
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:22 pm to Indefatigable
quote:
I'm pretty sure that the list of things the CIA has "considered"
It's their job to have contingency plans for all kinds of horrid and vile activities.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:23 pm to Bunk Moreland
quote:
I saw Greenwald torching Pompeo for being a deep state neocon over this.
Greenwald is a knee-jerk fig for biting at this shiny fake news hook.
Posted on 9/27/21 at 3:24 pm to finchmeister08
quote:
30 former U.S. intelligence and security officials
This reminds me of the “17 intelligence agencies” lol
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