(Newser)
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Julian Assange thinks Washington is after him, but that might just be delusions of grandeur at work. Not only has the US not issued any charges against or made any attempt to extradite the WikiLeaks founder, officials aren't even sure it's a good idea to do so. If anything, the US is becoming less likely to prosecute as WikiLeaks' influence wanes, US and European government sources tell Reuters, because when all is said and done Assange may be protected by the Constitution and freedom of the press—not to mention the fact that attempting to prosecute him could just turn him into a martyr and energize his supporters.
Assange has made "wild assertions about us, when, in fact, his issue with the government of the United Kingdom has to do with whether he's going to ... face justice in Sweden for something that has nothing to do with WikiLeaks"—a rape case, a US State Department spokesperson said this week. Assange's lawyer discussed that case this week, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Baltasar Garzon says the public only has "fragmented knowledge," but he knows details about the case that will come as a "big surprise" to people when revealed. Garzon also accused Assange's native Australia of ignoring a request for diplomatic assistance.
