WikiLeaks‘ Julian Assange believes people are out to smear him and his organization. That much seems clear. Today the New York Times‘ Ravi Somaiya writes a piece that would seem to confirm those suspicions.
The headline today:
Assange Complains of Jewish Smear Campaign
The issue here is what an editor at the British magazine Private Eye says Assange told him—that there is, in the Times‘ words, “a Jewish-led conspiracy to smear his organization.”
There’s no way for the Times to verify this information, as Glenn Greenwald points out at Salon. So why the definitive-sounding headline?
And the background to Assange’s “rambling phone call” raises more questions about the Times story. The paper reports that Assange
was especially angry about a Private Eye report that Israel Shamir, an Assange associate in Russia, was a Holocaust denier. Mr. Assange complained that the article was part of a campaign by Jewish reporters in London to smear WikiLeaks.
That makes it sound like:
a) Assange has some formal association with Israel Shamir, a Holocaust denier;
b) Assange is angry that this magazine reported that Israel Shamir is a Holocaust denier.
But Assange’s anger actually seems to stem from the suggestion that he has a formal relationship with Shamir. As a WikiLeaks statement put it:
Israel Shamir has never worked or volunteered for WikiLeaks, in any manner, whatsoever. He has never written for WikiLeaks or any associated organization, under any name and we have no plan that he do so. He is not an “agent” of WikiLeaks. He has never been an employee of WikiLeaks and has never received monies from WikiLeaks or given monies to WikiLeaks or any related organization or individual. However, he has worked for the BBC, Haaretz and many other reputable organizations.
WikiLeaks went on to say that “Shamir was able to search through a limited portion of the cables with a view to writing articles for a range of Russian media.” It’s possible that WikiLeaks is downplaying Shamir’s role; other accounts portray him as having a somewhat closer connection to the organization. But Assange’s and WikiLeaks‘ public pronouncements take issue with the linking of themselves to Shamir, not the exposure of his antisemitism (which seems to be quite real).
You get a very different impression from the headline and thrust of the Times piece, which would lead you to believe that Assange consorts with anti-Semitic Holocaust deniers, gets angry when they are exposed as such and alleges that a Jewish conspiracy is out to get him.
It’s clear that Assange does believe that people are out to spread misinformation about him and his group. The Times story won’t do much to convince him that he’s wrong.
Assange doesn’t need help in this regard – he’s doing a damn good job of it all by his little self….
Time he put the spotlight back where it should be.
Off him and onto the actual information Manning is suffering for giving him.
It is not Assange’s fault that Bradley Manning is suffering, he didn’t ask for those secret documents. And the NYT is definitely trying to smear him, I read their article about their association with him. It was definitely a hit-piece, treating him with utmost contempt, and questioning his character, and even making fun of his personal hygiene. Let’s not forget that the NYT was complicit in drumming up support for the Iraq war, they shamelessly aped the talking-points of the neo-cons in the Bush administration. They have much blood on their hands, and if anyone’s character should be questioned, it should be those at the New York Times.
The headline is now “Report Says Assange Cited Jewish Conspiracy” with this at the bottom: “This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: March 3, 2011 – The headline on this article has been revised to include attribution.”
However it seems like a lot of the attribtion INSIDE is still hit and miss, sometimes that he was “quoted” as saying something, others that he actually had said it. A bit messy…
It takes one helluva spine and courage to take the position of whistleblower in this country! Does Nazi Germany come to mind? We should be grateful there are people willing to expose the ruthless bastards for what they have, are and will do to ANY OF US if we stay asleep!
There is no was around it, Wikileaks is closely associated with the Holocaust denier Israel Shamir (when FAIR writes there is no “formal” association they are playing with words). And Daniel Domscheit-Berg says he quit because of Wikileaks ties to Shamir.
In Russia Wikileaks also works with the deeply antisemitic publication Zavtra.
When Julian Assange himself is caught expressing antisemitic views many find it upsetting.
FAIR, on the other hand, is upset that it is reported.
You write “NYT and the Julian Assange Smear Campaign”
You have not verified that there is a smear campaign against him, so why the definitive-sounding headline?
Also, when Assange was arrested in London he was on his way to Russia.
Israel Shamir had arranged a visa for him.
(http://www.expressen.se/kultur/1.2351221/solkar-ner-sig)
As for Israel Shamir, just look it up on Wikipedia, they even have sources for this one.
Shamir is a vocal backer of the WikiLeaks organization.[27] In a Sveriges Radio interview with WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson, Hrafnsson stated that Israel Shamir “is associated with” WikiLeaks, as are “a lot of journalists that are working with us all around the world” who “have different roles in working on [the] project”.[28] Russian Reporter claims that it has “privileged access” to the 2010 United States diplomatic cables leak via Shamir.[28] Shamir described his relation with WikiLeaks as being ‘a freelancer who was “accredited” to WikiLeaks’.[29]
Former Wikileaks spokesman Daniel Domscheit-Berg noted Wikileaks’ ties to Shamir among the reasons he quit the organization.[8] Domscheit-Berg described Shamir as a “famous Holocaust denier and anti-Semite.”[30]
Oh please!
NYT smearing a renegade?
Look up what they wrote about the black fighter Jack Johnson.
Mo things change, mo day stay the same.
Besides, anyone who’s been reading the NYT for a while knows who they’re beholden to. Give you a hint, it’s and institution known by a three letter acronym, and it’s not NYT.
LOL
Noam Chomsky is famous for his dagger-like critiques of the Times. And his wife used to point out to him that he ground his teeth audibly as he read it. Not sure if the comment above meant we were to full in the 3-letter blank, but I would say: G O P . All the news they want to print, and not good at telling the public about their leanings. -C H
I’m so very thankful for persons like Assange that would be so brave as to show us the wrongs our country is doing. We have a RIGHT to know as it’s all done in our name.
When crimes are done against innocent people & wars are started on a lie this is a crime & should be brought to light so those that do these things can be brought to justice & punished.
I thank my God for people like Manning & Assange. I’m hoping my country will do the same. If they(my country) have done wrong them let them make it right.
I want my country to wake up & make heroes of these two men instead of treating them like crimminals. When our leaders prececute these men then they show to me that they have something to hide. grammaellen
I agree with the majority of posts here. Even the supposedly left-leaning NYT slants its views to support controversial govt. actions. It’s outrageous for Bradley Manning to be kept in solitary all this time. Akin to torture, but then, as Chomsky has noted, torture is nothing new for the US. Neither is extermination of a race of people.
What happened to the sexual charges against Mr A?Last i heard it was moving forward.
this article asserts that assange’s anti-semitism “seems to be quite real.” but it doesnt give any evidence of it. that is the epitomy of UNFAIR. possibly he has criticized israel or AIPAC or made comments on jewish political influence? that is not anti-semitism. a lot of jews and israelis say the same thing. a catholic can criticize the church, an american can criticize the govt or the education or health care system, and they are not anti catholic or anti-american. i’m a jew, have several criticisms of israel, and i am not anti-semitic.
you say u represent FAIRNESS and ACCURACY in reporting, but it certainly doesnt look like it. if you make an accusation as damaging as calling someone a racist bigot, you ought to give a shred of evidence-and not the usual ‘he critcized israel or AIPAC’-that is not anti-semitism!
at least try to live up to your logo a little bit.
yael levine: You need to read more carefully! The sentence:
“But Assange’s and WikiLeaks’ public pronouncements take issue with the linking of themselves to Shamir, not the exposure of his anti-Semitism (which seems to be quite real).”
clearly refers to Shamir’s alleged ‘anti-semitism’, not Assange’s.