Saturday, August 21, 2010

I thought J. Edgar Hoover was dead?

Maybe it's just because I'm currently reading No Heroes, the memoir of former FBI Hostage Rescue Team commander Dan Coulson, whose career went back to the days of Hoover, but when I learned this morning that WikiLeaks founder Assange had been slapped with charges of rape and molestering, my first reaction was "I thought COINTELPRO had been shut down?"

I mean, you gotta admit that something like that would've been right up ol' Jaye Edgar's alley.

21 comments:

John said...

The CNN article notes that, strangely, the molestation charge does not carry a prison sentence upon conviction.

og said...

Don't know the dude or what he's done, but I especially like this:
"The rape charge carries a possible prison sentence, while the molestation charge would not"


...What? "Possible?" "would not?"

Another enlightened european country teaching us how it's done.

Anonymous said...

Conspiracy theories aside, I can see where Assange's basic attitude could lead to his doing that kind of stupid stuff. Granted, this is based on what I've seen of him on TV and the 'Net, and read of his press releases and stuff, so YMMV.
LittleRed1

Borepatch said...

Europe doesn't have any trouble with "Sentence first, then the trial."

Ritchie said...

"Arrested in absentia?" How convenient. None of that hurly burly and heavy jewelry. But it also sounds like molestation of language.

Anonymous said...

Yahoo news is reporting "charges dismissed, false accusation"

Divemedic said...

The charges have been dropped.

Still fishy, though.

Anonymous said...

Remember how the collectivist say, "Comrade, if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear!"

Wikileaks is letting the government prove it.


The charges first struck me as damage control, as every time the Wikileaks would be discussed, they talking head would be obliged to darkly intone, "Wikileaks, founded by accused RAPIST,...."

Bubblehead Les. said...

Something tells me that Jay Ass. better not squeal on Israel, or another "Suicide by Mossad" may occur.

Chuck Pergiel said...

How's the book? I looked it up Amazon and they are practically giving them away, which makes me think it might not be that great.

Spikessib said...

If you enjoy or find No Heroes interesting, you might also try Cold Zero by Chris Whitcomb, another FBI memoir and an HRT operator.

staghounds said...

What's odd about "possible"?

In my State, both rape and some types of sexual offenses are subject to having their sentences probated outright.

staghounds said...

Sexual offenses against children, sorry.

Steve Skubinna said...

My first thought on hearing this was that some government agency set it up - and it wouldn't have to be the US. But I doubt even Jedgar in his heyday would have had any influence over the Swedish legal system.

My preferense would be that Assange is simply discovered dead some morning, face down in a pile of cociane. Head in a gas oven. With a lethal dose of sleeping pills in his blood. And his wrists slit. Clutching an empty bottle of rat poison.

Then we could all conclude that his "conscience" had finally gotten the better of him.

Tam said...

Charles Pergiel,

"How's the book? I looked it up Amazon and they are practically giving them away, which makes me think it might not be that great."

Pretty good so far. Of course, they're still tracking Black Liberation Army cop-killers and bank robbers in early '70s NYC.


K,

"If you enjoy or find No Heroes interesting, you might also try Cold Zero by Chris Whitcomb, another FBI memoir and an HRT operator."

I found it very interesting. I've obviously read plenty of books on Ruby Ridge and Waco from my side of the fence, and one or two each from a fairly dispassionate journalistic perspective, but Whitcombe's is the only one I've read thus far by a Feeb on site. I recollect that he seemed less than impressed with Horiuchi's actions himself.

Dr Stuart Jeanne Bramhall said...

No, Cointelpro is alive and well, though who knows what they call it now. I write about my own close encounter with Cointelpro style covert harassment in my recent memoir THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY ACT: MEMOIR OF AN AMERICAN REFUGEE (www.stuartbramhall.com. I also live in exile in New Zealand.

Anonymous said...

Not really a comment, but here i'tis. Being a backward, slack-eyd man of the South, the thought of anything about J- Ed's alley just weird's me plum out. I don't have a need to know that. I do think that this wiki dumb-ass is trying to make a dollar by exposing the mistakes made by, for all intents and purposes, the US. I am very tired of that. If I turn on my TV, what I hear, and see, is just another reason for me to be wrong. I don't care which station, channel, website,etc.... I am always wrong. The truth is, I don't give a rat's ass, if you want the gov to redeem your right to be a human being, go ahead. You will learn.
Jerry

Joseph said...

I wondered if this was uncovered by a girl with a dragon tattoo...

Anonymous said...

Wiki"leaks" IS Cointelpro.

Ken said...

@Anon 10:01 am August 22, that is a popular idea at John Robb's place too. I'm not equipped to evaluate it at this time, but I note its existence.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Tam. I'll shut up. I was a bit 'liberated' when I read that one. I think my point was that being told I am wrong all the time, can get old, really fast. As an example, I have been teaching a ten year old child, and his favorite excuse to not learn something, is to say "I can't". It can be discouraging.
--
Jerry