WikiLeaks chief fears US ready to indict

THE founder of WikiLeaks yesterday said he fears that the United States is getting ready to indict him on espionage charges, but insisted that the secret-spilling site would continue its work despite what he has called a dirty tricks campaign.

Assange spoke from snowbound Ellingham Hall, a supporter’s 10-bedroom country mansion where he is confined on bail as he fights Sweden’s attempt to extradite him on allegations of rape and molestation.

Assange insisted to television interviewers that he was being subjected to a smear campaign and “what appears to be a secret grand jury investigation against me or our organisation.”

He did not elaborate, but said he had retained an unnamed US law firm to represent him.

Assange has repeatedly voiced concerns that American authorities were getting ready to press charges over WikiLeaks’ continuing release of some 250,000 secret State Department cables, which have angered and embarrassed US officials worldwide.

US officials are investigating WikiLeaks and considering charges against Assange, a case that if pursued could end up pitting the government’s efforts to protect sensitive information against press and speech freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment.

The government suspects WikiLeaks received the documents from an Army private, Bradley Manning, who is in the brig on charges of leaking other classified documents to the organisation.

A High Court judge freed Assange on bail on Thursday on condition he reside at the 600-acre estate in eastern England, wear an electronic tag and report to police daily.

Assange spent more than a week in prison after handing himself in to British police on December 7.

He is wanted in Sweden for questioning about sex allegations levelled against him by two women he spent time with while visiting the country in August.

Swedish officials — and the lawyer for the women involved — have denied accusations from Assange and his supporters that the allegations are politically motivated.

Assange appeared to come close yesterday to acknowledging that Manning was one of his sources, calling him “a young man somehow embroiled in our publishing activities.”

“We can see that he’s the only person, only one of our military sources, who has been accused,” he said.

But Assange appeared to be citing media accounts of Manning’s links to WikiLeaks, rather than his own knowledge. In an interview later on ABC’s Good Morning America, Assange said he had never even heard Manning’s name until the press began reporting it.

Although Assange promised to focus on clearing his name, he said his first priority was to his work — which he said would continue at a faster pace now that he was back in charge.

“Now that I am back to assist the directing of our ship, our work will proceed in a faster manner,” he said in an interview with the BBC late on Thursday.

Asked yesterday if he had confidence in receiving a fair and unbiased trial if eventually extradited to the US, he answered: “Absolutely not.”

He said he was expecting further smears.

He explained: “We are anticipating one some time. There’s an allegation that the Swedish prosecution has leaked out selective parts of their file illegally.”

The Australian said he was now looking forward to spending some time on the sprawling rural estate following his jail release.

He said: “I’m going to go out into the country and do some fishing.

“It makes a very significant change compared to being in a basement in solitary confinement,” he added.