see URL:
https://www.quora.com/Can-the-US-charge-a-non-US-citizen-Julian-Assange-with-espionage
Some interesting non legal answers to the question. There are also some
other interesting questions posed by interested observers as to what
Assange can be extradited for, the terms and conditions of any potential
extradition and a link to the US version of their Extradition Agreement
with the UK.
As it appears that Assange has chosen not to go for the Swedish
Extradition option, it looks increasingly like the US Extradition
proceedings will take place within the UK court system, all be it on the
worlds stage. It may take a long time, but not too long. As I said
before the UK Extradition Treaty with the US is much easier to
implement, and the relationship between the US and the UK much
friendlier and closer. Assange may have won on his case not to face
interrogation for alleged sex offences in Sweden, and the women
concerned in the allegations unable to get any justice or answer to
their questions, but it may well be that he will be extradited to face
certain charges, and his campaign and that of his followers will be
increasingly compromised due to his refusal to give the same justice to
those two alleged Swedish victims as he is demanding on the worlds stage.
There are provisions in the Extradition Agreement which curtail
extradition, points on the death penalty, or whether penalties if found
guilty are greater than they are in the UK, or whether the allegations
are covered by the Law of the United Kingdom and so on, much negotiation
and dispute will,I take place regarding his proposed extradition, and
trial in the USA as well as whether there is the political will by the
powers that be to control events and outcomes.
It does seem strange that someone who has revealed so many truths about
wrongdoing by various governments in the world will be on trial for so
doing, but that appears to be the way of the world, to cover up ones
mistakes is more important than to reveal them, as it makes one
responsible, and avoiding responsibility for wrong-doing is paramount.
Admitting to wrong doing is a very difficult exercise for most of us,
getting things wrong affects our pride and ego and our standing in the
world, but always being right...means wealth and success.
It is interesting to note that the present UK Home Secretary supports
the application for an extradition warrant for Assange, and that...to a
man...the applicants for the Leadership of the Disunited Kingdom
Conservative Party are united in supporting Assange's extradition to the
US. But there again with a rump political party of 124,000 members,
mainly concentrated in the South East of England, mainly white and
mainly men, of middle and upper class backgrounds, of an average age of
around 57 to 72, (nobody knows as they don't reveal such statistics) and
66% against EU membership, about to elect, or should one say select the
next UK Prime Minister one can expect nuffink else. Another bunch of
dreamers.
The comedians and passed drug takers appear to be taking over the
political leadership of the planet. Apart from confessing to the
occasional snifter or top up with Coke, Cannabis Lassi, or chewing weed,
in mistake for a rejuvenating drink or breathing icing sugar through
one's nose as an exercise for increased calm, none of them have yet
admitted to drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. (It is interesting to
note that the Department of Health recommends that no one drinks any
alcohol these days, as it is bad for our mental and physical health and
decision making). One wonders if these honorable examples of the human
cause can make nuclear war, either intentional or unintentional, funny
and laughable enough to wage it.
Still, there you are, that's the way the planet is going at the moment,
floating and drowning in plastic, agricultural land becoming covered in
cancer making chemicals, and air pollution spreading all over the world,
local wars dumping pollution and materiels everywhere, with very little
control and plenty of money to be made for those entrepreneurs who only
care about how they can get the public, the taxpayer and the poor to
remove, minimise or subsidise their risk, so that they can accrue
capital so as to become more powerful, even at the expense of lead in
their water supply, of PFAs in their blood supply.
What a wonderfully democratic world we live in, full of the struggle for
human rights and freedom and choice, shining examples of racial and
religious and gender equality and the fight for the right of fake news
to take over from truth in the name of truth. One can't believe a think
these days far less a fact. Long after my passing, the planet will
reassert itself, cleanse itself and reassert itself, through the
continental shift, but that will take a few million years, and by that
time I won't even be a figment of my father's imagination.
How tough it is for the young these days. When I got born and grew up,
at least there was some hope and even some evidence that human beings
were improving their lives and life styles. Nowadays, even with all the
new discoveries and technologies, I am not so sure that we are
progressing or improving as a race, and seem to be heading for doom and
disaster, made by human beings and/or the laws of the environment...But
there you are, us "oldies" have always said that, and in some way human
beings have survived in some form or another for at least 5 million
years. I am not so sure about the next 100 million though...:-)
ATB
Dougie.
P.S. As part of my exploration of the planet I visited a number of
countries in the last couple of months, including, England, Scotland,
Northern Ireland, Eire and France. One thing in particular stands out,
or should I say, I didn't notice, and that was the border between Eire
and Northern Ireland when I crossed it, until the road signatures
changed. It made me come to the conclusion that there is no way that
there can be a physical border between Eire and Northern Ireland, not
without political and economic uproar, so if Brexit, which I now call
Brino (Brexit In Name Only) does go through, I will be much surprised.
Also, setting up a border between England and Scotland and England and
Wales will be extremely difficult in the event of them leaving the UK.
With that in mind, I think Brexit is dead in the water, meself, there
are too many remainers in parliament, who will prevent it. Dreams of
Utopia have a funny way of turning into the nightmares of Dystopia.