Friday, December 17, 2010

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Holes Up at Ellingham Hall

We don't know if any of The Children are like Your Mama, but we are riveted–riveted!–by the ongoing saga of Australian journalist and naughty naughty naughty WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The cool-as-a-cucumber seeming Mister Assange has become internationally famous–and infamous depending on your point of view–for posting reams of classified U.S. documents on the internets. Many of the documents already made public by WikiLieaks include unguarded and sensitive communications between folks like Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton and other geo-political operatives and high ranking diplomats from around the world. The document release has angered and embarrassed the United States government as well as many of its allies and enemies.

While we're certain the U.S. government would love nothing more than to shut Mister Assange and his semi-clandestine secret spilling operation down, it was rather different circumstances that brought Mister Assange into the custody of the British authorities last week. Two Swedish women have alleged that Mister Assange sexually assaulted them while visiting the country in August. Assange denies the allegations, natch, calling them, "tabloid crap." The bean spiller was released on bail yesterday with the assistance of controversial American political activist/documentary filmmaker/professional shit stirrer Michael Moore who put up $20,000 towards the £240,000 bail to help spring Mister Assange from the pokey.

Of course, we are not hear to discuss politics and discuss politics we will not. What interests Your Mama is where Mister Assange will be staying while he awaits proceedings in which Sweden will attempt to extradite him for a trial regarding the alleged sex crimes.

After being released from the jail, Mister Assange hightailed it to the English countryside where the whistle blower is holed up at the private and bucolic spread of friend and well-known free speech supporter Captain Vaughan Smith. Mister Smith founded The Frontline Club, an organization whose purpose is "championing independent journalism."

Mister Smith's family has reportedly occupied the 650 acre estate and the 10 bedroom Georgian style mansion for more than 200 years. Little else seems to be known about the house or property that include sustainable farmlands, fruit and vegetable gardens, a pond, pastures with cows, sheep and pigs, several outbuildings and a tennis court. Perhaps one of The Children knows a little sommum sommum more about Ellingham Hall? Give Your Mama a ringy-dingy iffin you do, okay?

At least one report (that includes excellent photos of the property) suggests that in addition to his host the Captain, while on house arrest Mister Assange may wine and dine with celebrity supporters that include film director Ken Loach, human rights fan Bianca Jagger and heiress turned glamorous human right activist (and ex-ladee friend of actor Hugh Grant) Jemima Khan.

photo: The Sydney Morning Herald

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

If one is to be confined, it looks like this is as good a place as any! And if he can track me down from this comment, I would just like to say his hair doesn't at all make him look like a James Bond villain!

commentator8 said...

Quite a juxtaposition between the front and rear facades of that house. The front looks like an abandoned rural prison, and the rear looks like a bucolic stately country mansion.

A bit of a Jekyll & Hyde situation going on there. Show the tax man the front, and your friends the rear.

Anonymous said...

Assange is marvelous in every way. Someone who can fling Truth into the face of sleazy Power and inflict needed blows on Imperialism and Warmongering and all the other ills that afflict us these days. Of course Power wants to work in secret the better to hide its nefarious deeds. So it would like to get rid of Assange with smears or any other methods it uses so well. The way it attacked Scott Ritter for telling the truth about Iraq before the stupid war.

anonymouse said...

Mr. Assange will be better served by a burly roommate, who can elucidate the subversive aspects of nefarious power trips.

Meanwhile, the hypocritical facade between asylum and egocentricity is pure poetry.

Madam Pince said...

I have mixed feelings about Mr. Assange, but none about this estate. Mr. Smith's shack seems like a nice place to hang out. Although I believe I'd have to pass on Bianca Jagger's companionship.

Anonymous said...

dear anonymouse: first, let me congratulate you on your recent purchase of a thesaurus. Second, allow me to point out that when so-called leaders are more embarassed by the revelation of their actions, instead of the actions themselves, something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Anonymous said...

He wont be extradited to Sweden b/c the European extradition treaty only extradites if someone has been charged, he hasn't. The Swedes only want him for questioning.

If he remains in Britain then he has a better chance at not being extradited to the U.S. Though having read a pretty detailed article it seems the U.S is going to have real trouble charging him with anything & having a plausible reason for extradition.

Anonymous said...

Julian A, poster boy of the digital age! Soon to open! WIkiLeak gift shops in every mall across the world, where you can have your very own truly corrupt and evil diplomatic secret printed on to the coffee mug, t-shirt, golf cap, mitten, or key chain of your choice! Kim Jong whoopee cushions, Hilary Clinton dog food bowls, Sarah Palin sex toys, Joe Lieberman chicken soup, all with their own personal "secret document" certificate attached, ala "Cabbage Patch" babies.(XENU dart boards can be made-to order at the customer's request, but you have to sign over a lot of money.)

Collect them all!

Anonymous said...

Truth was always an abolute defense in US law. It should still be. Assange has done nothing but reveal the truth. Of course liars hate that. And want to shut up the truthteller. Did the fellow who revealed the Pentagon Papers ever go to jail? I don't think the US got anywhere vs. him and he helped stop the stupid and wicked Vietnamese War.