Wikileaks Tweets Evidence That American Political Strategist And A National Correspondent Called For Julian Assange To Be Assassinated

Wikileaks is tweeting evidence that an American political strategist and a national correspondent have called for the organization’s founder, Julian Assange, to be assassinated, and a quick web search on the matter provides more proof that it likely has been a big concern for Assange over the years.

The tweets concern Time’s Senior National Correspondent, Michael Grunwald, and Democratic strategist Bob Bechtel. Both men have not been shy to use their bully pulpits and free speech rights to target Julian Assange, as seen in these recent tweets over on the WikiLeaks account. In the first response, Wikileaks comments on former Time’s Senior National Correspondent, Michael Grunwald.

America’s journalistic class showing class on assassination. Grunwald, an Obama hagiographer, is now at Politico. pic.twitter.com/M3kplF9NuF

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 10, 2016

And also the tweeted response to Democratic strategist Bob Bechtel.

Hillary Clinton strategist Bob Beckel called for WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange to be assassinated. #DNCLeak pic.twitter.com/9L2ixl24Er

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 10, 2016

Of course, Twitter is ubiquitous to those wanting control in handling a narrative. And, from some political viewpoints, Assange might be seen as a man helping earnest elected officials and politicians finally achieve what they have mostly declared to be the truth of their vaunted efforts: to finally make things more “transparent” to American voters. But perhaps that is only when he is calling “BS” on their personal and political enemies, if comments heard daily are to be correctly understood. Making the political machinations more transparent, as seen in the recent DNC email leaks, may also have pushed more in the media over an invisible red line and into the vitriol and rhetoric which Wikileaks is tweeting about.

Dutch News Interview

In a video interview given by Assange to the Dutch news program Nieuwsuur, which was published on the YouTube recently.

Assange was discussing the recent murder of Democratic National Party analyst Seth Rich with the host, and it seems clear the killing, in Assange’s thinking, was connected to the DNC leaks scandal. As writer Bob Eschliman reports the matter over at Charisma online, Assange suggested in his replies that the DNC analyst, 27, might be the one who leaked the emails showing favoritism towards Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders.

“WikiLeaks never sits on information. Whistleblowers go to significant efforts to get us material and often very significant risks. As a 27-year-old, works for the DNC, was shot in the back, murdered just a few weeks ago for unknown reasons as he was walking down the street in Washington.”

When the Dutch host asked Assange to clarify that answer, Assange obliged, somewhat.

“I’m suggesting that our sources take risks and they are—they become concerned to see things occurring like that.”

When asked directly by the Dutch host if the DNC analyst Seth Rich was one of WikiLeaks sources, Assange simply said the organization doesn’t comment about who its sources might be. The host further pressed the matter with Assange, however, asking why Assange would even bring up Rich’s murder.

“We have to understand how high the stakes are in the United States. Our sources are—you know, our sources face serious risks. That’s why they come to us. So we can protect their anonymity.”

Assassination Fears

One year ago this month, writer Samuel Osborne posted a story about the Wikileaks founder’s fear of being assassinated over at the Independent. In this article, the fact that Assange was being given political asylum since 2012, under the 1951 Refugee Convention, by the Ecuadorian government was mentioned, and the issue of being “droned” by the Central Intelligence Agency also was mentioned.

That is a scenario that came up previously in another interview last year and story from Giles Whittell over at the Times. Whittell described Assange as being “so paranoid he fears stepping out onto his balcony.”

This seems a political year of almost Biblical relevance to some. The one verse coming to mind might be found over at Biblegateway.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, [a]nd those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.”

However, as the rhetoric heats up, and as voters make big decisions on the leaders to put into places of authority over the rest of us, please, for the good of the nation, choose wise leaders who have actually accomplished worthwhile things for America.

[AP Photo/Frank Augstein]