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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   24627 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of April 8, 2024

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What your narrative doesn't explain is why the US is considering dropping charges now

There are several potentially unrelated items:

  • Britain is close to making a decision on extradition of Assange to the US

  • Australia Parliament in February this year decided to formally request the US to drop the charges against Assange

  • Biden made the stray comment after being asked by a US reporter during a visit by the Japanese Prime Minister

  • The AUKUS alliance is currently looking at expanding to include Japan

  • The Australian PM said something today about the release of Assange as being in Australia's National Interest

My guess is that its just a slow response from the US government in considering Australia's request from February because of the multiple levels/departments of the US government that have an interest in this. Also there is a very low chance (~10% chance) that some of this is about keeping Australia happy by throwing them a bone at the same time they're looking at upgrading a regional alliance.

Why do the Australians suddenly care about Assange?

The Labor and Green Parties seem to have have been lobbied for the last few years to make freedom for Assange actual policy of the Australian Govt. There has been crossbench support from the far left (Greens), centre left (Labor) and even some from the centre right (Liberal party) and independents, with the majority of support on the left side of the aisle.

Assange's father met with the then leader of the opposition (now PM) Albanese back in 2022 and even earlier to discuss the possibility of Assange's release. At the time there wasn't enough political support to push for his release, but Albanese seemed supportive.

When the Labor party came into power, Albanese became PM and Labor supported policies started making their way through parliament. This article says that a February 2024 UK High Court hearing gave impetus to putting a motion before the Australian Parliament.

From the article -

"The House of Representatives voted by 86 to 42 in favour of a motion that said, directly, that the United Kingdom and the United States should bring things to a close so Assange can return home to his family in Australia. Those in favour included Anthony Albanese and the prime minister’s Labor colleagues."

tldr - There has always been support and lobbying to free Assange in Australia (focused mainly within the left wing), but its only recently that enough political power was focused by the impetus of the UK actually looking like it was sending Assange to the US that things finally coalesced into official Australian Government policy.

Labor (centre left) are in power now after a long time of apathetic (in regards to Assange) Liberal (centre right) governments.

He is an Australian citizen

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