The following statement by me was read out last night in front of parliament house in Canberra to support Julian Assange and Wikileaks:
In an age of government and corporate media spin, WikiLeaks stands tall as a unique voice of independence that demands support.
The last 10 years of the so-called “war on terror” has given the world criminal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, state-sanctioned torture and killing, Guantanamo Bay, secret prisons run by the US and supported by Britain, Australia and others and covert battles in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and beyond.
Documents released by WikiLeaks, including the most recent Detainee Policies, uncover the reality of this moral and legal morass. The public has the right to know what is being done in our name. As a journalist, I commend Julian Assange and WikiLeaks for believing that information is the key to enlightenment and the mainstream media have failed us consistently in the last years. It’s no wonder so many people trust little that is published by them.
Assange himself requires strong Australian government representation. He faces the serious risk of rendition to America, a long jail-term and torture. This is not because he’s committed a crime but another, more inconvenient fact; he’s deeply embarrassed the world’s only super-power.
The vast majority of the Australian public back Assange and believe he’s entitled to be treated justly by any court of law or state.
Antony Loewenstein is an independent journalist and author:… http://antonyloewenstein.com/