What did Julian Assange do? | ABC News In-Depth

Summary

In 2010, WikiLeaks and its editor Julian Assange became notorious for releasing classified military footage and documents, including the 'Collateral Murder' video and the Afghan War Diary. These disclosures highlighted civilian casualties and military misconduct, sparking debates on transparency and press freedom. However, the unredacted release of sensitive information put lives at risk and drew criticism. Assange's subsequent legal battles, including rape allegations and asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy, culminated in his arrest and potential extradition to the US, where he faces charges under the Espionage Act for his role in publishing the leaks.

Takeaways

• 🌐 2010 was a pivotal year for WikiLeaks, catapulting it from obscurity to notoriety as it released a series of controversial documents.
• 🔎 'Collateral Murder' was a video released by WikiLeaks in April 2010, showing a US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that resulted in civilian deaths, including two Reuters journalists.
• 🔍 The video was controversial as it was not censored or edited for sensitive content, leading to accusations of endangering lives by revealing the identities of those involved.
• 📚 In July 2010, WikiLeaks published the 'Afghan War Diary,' a collection of secret US military reports about the war in Afghanistan, highlighting the grim realities of the conflict.
• 🗞️ Major news outlets like The New York Times, Der Spiegel, and The Guardian collaborated with WikiLeaks, but disagreed on the extent of redaction needed to protect sensitive information.
• 📈 In October 2010, WikiLeaks released a massive trove of 400,000 classified files on the Iraq War, detailing atrocities, torture, and civilian deaths, further fueling public debate on transparency and war.
• 🌐 November 2010 saw WikiLeaks publish 251,000 US diplomatic cables, exposing sensitive diplomatic communications and potentially endangering sources and relationships with other countries.
• 🚨 Julian Assange, the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, faced legal challenges, including an arrest warrant from Sweden over sexual assault allegations, leading to his asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
• 🏛️ The US government pursued a case against Chelsea Manning, the intelligence analyst who leaked the military material to WikiLeaks, charging her under the Espionage Act and sentencing her to 35 years in prison.
• 📊 WikiLeaks' actions were seen by some as a threat to national security and diplomatic relations, while others viewed them as a necessary step towards transparency and accountability.

Q & A

What was the significance of the year 2010 for Wikileaks?

2010 was a pivotal year for Wikileaks as it released several high-profile leaks, including the 'Collateral Murder' video, the Afghan War Diary, and the Iraq War Logs, establishing itself as a major force in the realm of whistleblowing and transparency.

What is the 'Collateral Murder' video?

The 'Collateral Murder' video is a recording from a US Apache helicopter showing an attack in Baghdad in 2007, which resulted in the deaths of 18 people, including two Reuters journalists. The video was released by Wikileaks in April 2010.

Who was the US intelligence analyst accused of leaking the 'Collateral Murder' video?

The US intelligence analyst accused of leaking the 'Collateral Murder' video was Private Chelsea Manning, who was known as Bradley Manning at the time.

What was the content of the Afghan War Diary released by Wikileaks?

The Afghan War Diary, released by Wikileaks in July 2010, contained tens of thousands of secret US military reports about the war in Afghanistan, revealing a grim and unvarnished picture of the conflict.

Why was the release of the Afghan War Diary controversial?

The release of the Afghan War Diary was controversial because Wikileaks did not redact the names of Afghan civilians, potentially putting them in danger and driving a wedge between Julian Assange and some of his colleagues and media partners.

What were the Iraq War Logs?

The Iraq War Logs were a collection of 400,000 classified US military files on the Iraq War, detailing atrocities, civilian deaths, and the involvement of Iraqi security forces in torture. Wikileaks released these files in October 2010.

What were the US diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks in November 2010?

In November 2010, Wikileaks released 251,000 US diplomatic cables, which covered interactions between US embassies from 1966 to 2010, revealing sensitive and often embarrassing details about US foreign relations.

Why was Julian Assange arrested in the UK in 2010?

Julian Assange was arrested in the UK in 2010 due to an arrest warrant from Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations, which he denied.

What happened to Julian Assange after he entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012?

After entering the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012, Julian Assange was granted diplomatic asylum and remained there for seven years, avoiding extradition to Sweden and the US.

What were the charges brought against Julian Assange by the US in 2019?

In 2019, Julian Assange was charged by the US with 18 criminal counts, including violating the Espionage Act by conspiring with Chelsea Manning to obtain, receive, and disclose classified information. The charges could result in a life sentence.

Outlines

00:00

😱 'Collateral Murder': The Impact of Wikileaks' 2010 Releases

In 2010, Wikileaks and its editor-in-chief Julian Assange gained global notoriety, especially after releasing a video titled 'Collateral Murder', which depicted a 2007 US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that resulted in civilian deaths, including two Reuters journalists. The video was controversial as it was seen as a stark contrast to the sanitized images of war typically shown in the media. Wikileaks continued to publish secret US military reports, first from Afghanistan, known as the 'Afghan War Diary', and then from Iraq, revealing higher civilian death tolls and implicating Iranian support for insurgents. Despite claims of transparency, the releases were criticized for not redacting sensitive information, potentially endangering lives. The actions led to the arrest of Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who was accused of leaking the footage, and raised questions about the boundaries of transparency and the role of journalism in conflict.

05:02

📜 Diplomatic Fallout: Wikileaks' Publication of US Cables

Following the release of military footage and reports, Wikileaks further shocked the world by publishing 251,000 US diplomatic cables in 2010. These cables spanned from 1966 to 2010 and covered a wide range of topics, from nuclear threats to critiques of foreign governments and the handling of intelligence assets. The release was seen as a massive breach of diplomatic confidentiality, potentially endangering sources and damaging international relations. Despite claims of careful redaction, the documents were released uncensored, leading to accusations of recklessness and a disregard for the safety of individuals named in the cables. The releases sparked a debate over the role of transparency in diplomacy and the potential consequences of such disclosures on global politics.

10:03

🔒 Assange's Asylum and Legal Battles: From Embassy to Prison

Julian Assange's actions led to significant personal consequences, including an arrest warrant from Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations, which he denied. This initiated a series of legal battles, culminating in his breach of bail conditions and subsequent asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Assange's stay at the embassy was marked by a complex relationship with Ecuador's government, which eventually soured, leading to his removal by UK police and arrest on behalf of the US in 2019. The US charges against Assange were numerous, with 18 criminal charges including breaches of the Espionage Act, potentially resulting in a life sentence. The case raised questions about the implications for press freedom and the prosecution of non-US citizens for actions taken outside the country.

Keywords

💡Wikileaks

Wikileaks is an international non-profit organization that publishes news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous sources. In the video, it is portrayed as a major player in 2010, releasing significant information that brought transparency to various conflicts and political situations, including the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War.

💡Julian Assange

Julian Assange is the editor-in-chief of Wikileaks. He is a central figure in the video, known for his role in publishing classified information and for his subsequent legal troubles, including an arrest warrant issued by Sweden and asylum granted by Ecuador, which is tied to the video's theme of transparency and freedom of information.

💡Collateral Murder

The term 'Collateral Murder' refers to a video released by Wikileaks in 2010, showing a US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad in 2007 that resulted in civilian deaths, including two Reuters journalists. This video is a key example in the script of how Wikileaks exposed the realities of war and the consequences of military actions.

💡Afghan War Diary

The 'Afghan War Diary' is a collection of over 90,000 leaked reports about the war in Afghanistan published by Wikileaks in 2010. The video script describes it as providing an unvarnished and grim picture of the war, highlighting the role of transparency in informing the public about the realities of conflict.

💡Redaction

Redaction in this context refers to the process of editing or removing sensitive information from documents before they are made public. The video discusses the controversy surrounding Wikileaks' decision not to redact the names of Afghan civilians, which raised concerns about endangering those who helped coalition forces.

💡Espionage Act

The Espionage Act is a U.S. federal law that criminalizes the disclosure of classified information relating to national defense. In the video, it is mentioned in relation to the charges against Julian Assange for his role in publishing classified documents, illustrating the legal implications of Wikileaks' activities.

💡Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning, previously known as Bradley Manning, is an Army intelligence analyst who was convicted under the Espionage Act for leaking classified material to Wikileaks. The video script discusses her role and the legal consequences she faced, which is central to the narrative of the conflict between transparency and national security.

💡Diplomatic Asylum

Diplomatic asylum refers to the protection granted by a foreign government to an individual who has been forced to leave their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution. In the video, it is mentioned in the context of Julian Assange being granted asylum by the Ecuadorian government, which is a key point in the narrative of his legal battles.

💡Transparency

Transparency in the video is depicted as the principle of openness, communication, and accountability. It is the overarching theme of the video, as it discusses the impact of Wikileaks' releases on revealing information about war, diplomacy, and government actions, and the ethical and legal debates surrounding such disclosures.

💡National Security

National security is the concept of protecting a nation from threats that could harm its citizens, economy, or institutions. The video script explores the tension between the public's right to know and the government's responsibility to protect sensitive information, as exemplified by the reactions to Wikileaks' disclosures.

💡Extradition

Extradition is the process by which one country or jurisdiction sends a person found within its territory to another country or jurisdiction to stand trial or serve a sentence for a crime. The video discusses the legal efforts to extradite Julian Assange to the United States, which is a pivotal point in the narrative of his legal struggles.

Highlights

2010 marked a pivotal year for Wikileaks and its editor-in-chief Julian Assange, leading to the website being labeled as the most dangerous in the world.

Wikileaks released the video 'Collateral Murder' in April 2010, showing a US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that resulted in civilian deaths, including two Reuters journalists.

The video was wrongly identified as a weapon by the crew, leading to the engagement order and subsequent civilian deaths.

The footage was initially denied to Reuters under the Freedom of Information Act by the US government.

Wikileaks released the video with subtitles and eyewitness reports to illustrate a political viewpoint on transparency.

The official military investigation cleared the soldiers involved in the video of any wrongdoing, stating they acted within the Rules of Engagement.

In July 2010, Wikileaks published the 'Afghan War Diary', consisting of secret US military reports about the war in Afghanistan.

Major news outlets协作 with Wikileaks to redact sensitive information from the 'Afghan War Diary' to protect sources and informants.

Wikileaks did not redact the names of Afghan civilians, putting those who helped Coalition forces in danger.

In October 2010, Wikileaks leaked 400,000 classified files on the Iraq War, detailing atrocities and higher civilian death tolls.

The Iraq War files were released with a media strategy for maximum effect, similar to the 'Afghan War Diary'.

In November 2010, Wikileaks published 251,000 US diplomatic cables, covering a wide range of interactions between US embassies.

The diplomatic cables included sensitive information and personal details about world leaders, causing a significant impact on international relations.

Julian Assange claimed to have reached out to the State Department to help redact confidential names from the cables, but this was disputed.

Assange's actions were criticized as sabotaging peaceful relations between nations and endangering sources and activists.

Assange was issued an arrest warrant from Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations, which he denies.

Assange sought asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he remained for seven years.

The US pursued a case against Chelsea Manning, the intelligence analyst accused of leaking the military material to Wikileaks.

Assange's stay at the Ecuadorian Embassy ended with his arrest by UK police on behalf of the US in 2019.

The US charged Assange with 18 criminal charges, including breaches of the Espionage Act of 1917, which could lead to a life sentence.

The charges against Assange raised questions about the implications for national security journalism and the press.

Australian government and parliamentarians from across the political spectrum expressed concern for Assange's treatment and mental health.

Transcripts

2010 was a huge year for Wikileaks and

its editor-in-chief Julian Assange a

mostly unknown website by the end of the

year it would be labeled the most

dangerous in the world the Iraq War had

been going on for seven years by this

point it was a remote conflict and for

the International Coalition a battle

based on Optics from shock and awe to

accomplished pictures were streamed

across cable news showing operation

Iraqi Freedom Live from the

Battlefront this was not one of those

videos and a warning this is hard to

watch in April of 2010 Wikileaks

released this video on its website

titled collateral murder it's a

recording of a US Apache Gun Site as it

strafes over Baghdad in

2007 it shows 18 people including two

Reuters journalists walking through a

courtyard the camera being carried by

one of the journalists is wrongly

identified as a weapon that's a weapon

the order is given to engage light them

all up and the helicopter opens

fire after the volley of shots a van

pulls up to rescue any survivors before

it too is fired upon CL come

on it's a shocking sight and in jarring

contrast with what we here oh yeah look

at that right through the

windshield later it's revealed the van

was carrying two

children oh fa for bringing their kids

to a battle that's right Reuters the

employer of the two journalists had

tried to get a hold of the footage under

the Freedom of Information Act but was

denied by the US government namir was 22

years old s was 40 years old both were

much

loved and uh in an instant gone we had

no idea what it really happened the

video Wikileaks released is highly

produced edited subtitled supplemented

with eyewitness reports and beginning

with a George or will quote it's clearly

meant to illustrate a political point of

view and not merely to inform Assange

claims to have decrypted and published

the video in the interest of trans

Arcy the official military investigation

cleared the soldiers in the video of any

wrongdoing stating that the crew acted

within the Rules of

Engagement however two months later the

Army intelligence analyst accused of

leaking the footage private Chelsea

Manning then known as Bradley Manning

was arrested but Wikileaks didn't stop

there that release was in April 2010 in

July they published 10 tens of thousands

of secret US military reports about the

war in Afghanistan dubbed the Afghan war

diary sending copies to Major news

outlets ahead of the drop the New York

Times called it an unvarnished and Grim

picture of the Afghan war and along with

the Spiegel and the guardian as news

outlets unanimous in their belief that

there is a Justified public interest in

the material also adding they have

agreed that they would not publish

especially sensitive information

in the classified material like the

names of the US military's Afghan

informants or information that could

create additional security risks for

soldiers stationed in Afghanistan but

here's the thing Wikileaks made no

attempt to redact any of the names of

Afghan civilians putting those who

helped Coalition forces in danger it was

an issue that drove a wedge between

Assange and his Wikileaks

colleagues we had this really

complicated situation with with our

three collaborating newspapers uh the

New York Times guardian and theel where

we found out he made promises about

redacting part of that publication but

no work was put into these redactions at

all this was a secret document dump laid

bare for anyone to see Wikileaks made

76,000 Pages available on their website

claiming to have withheld an additional

15,000 emails in an effort of harm

minimization and then October 2010 the

largest leak in US military history

400,000 classified files on the Iraq War

they detail the atrocities of War

involvement of Iraqi security forces in

the torture of prisoners of War document

higher civilian death tolls and describe

Iran support for Iraqi insurgents again

the release organized by Assange for

maximum effect granting access to select

media Outlets ahead of time and then

orchestrating a media frenzy to

accompany the release online it really

is the most extraordinary compendium of

war that has ever been released all in

the name of

transparency still in 2010 November

Wikileaks went on to post

251,000 us diplomatic cables covering

all interactions between US embassies

from 196 6 to

2010 every message from analyzing

nuclear threats to critiquing local

governments to high level handling of

intelligence assets and supporting of

dictatorships all the way down to

embarrassing details of how they view

other world laders it's really uh almost

apocalyptic to have uh

250,000 uh cables lost it affects our

relations with every country in the

world uh and and puts uh

uh sources of information not only

government sources but human rights

activists and dissidents and others at

Great

risk in what they saw as an evolving

method of release Assange claimed the

documents would be fed slowly and

carefully with confidential names

blacked out he even claimed to reach out

to the state department to help sort

through the material the request was

made to Assange to redact this material

so these lives could be protected uh he

and his colleagues were pretty much

contemptuous of this and said well you

know let the chips fall where they may

they weren't interested in negotiating

they were interested in revealing and

they did reveal with all

251,000 documents released online and

uncensored for the world to

see and there is nothing Brave about

sabotaging the peaceful relations

between nations on which our common

security depends so is this J jism this

was opening a fire hose of classified

material to anyone who wanted it is it

still in the public interest or had

Assange assumed the role of

provocator so are you a

revolutionary well we'll see if if if we

end up with a decent Revolution um then

perhaps uh others can make that

judgment 2010 draws to a dramatic close

with an arrest warrant issued for Julian

Assange from Sweden over rape and sexual

assault allegations that he denies

Interpol follows up issuing a red notice

for his extradition Assange hands

himself into UK police pleads his

innocence and is granted bail by 2012

though the sexual assault case has gone

all the way to the UK Supreme Court

which rules Assange should be extradited

to Sweden for further

questioning the Expedition proceeding to

Sweden which is occurring in a very

strange usual way uh is actually an

attempt to uh get me into a jurisdiction

uh which will then make it easier to

exodite me to the United States so he

breaches baale and enters the Ecuadorian

Embassy an idealistic stand for press

Freedom or perhaps a distraction from a

media Crackdown at home Ecuador's

president grants diplomatic Asylum to

Julian Assange and the US pushes ahead

with its case against Chelsea Manning

the intelligence analyst who leaked the

military material she's charged under

the country's Espionage Act convicted

and sentenced to 35 years

jail Julian Assange remained in Refuge

granted Asylum by the Ecuadorian

government for the next seven years this

patch of Ecuador in London is where he

meets Stella Morris the woman who'll

become his wife and fathers their two

children he remains inside locked in his

diplomatic Sanctuary while on the other

side of the Atlantic the US presidential

race was reaching a

crescendo Russia if you're listening I

hope you're able to find the

30,000 emails that are missing turns out

Russia was listening as highlighted in

the Muer report almost immediately after

this request a hacking and fishing

campaign was launched by Russian

operatives against members of America's

Democratic party email accounts 20

thousand pages of emails mostly stolen

from the inbox of Clinton campaign chair

John podesta with drip fed out on

Wikileaks in the months leading up to

the election as confirmed just today by

Wikileaks it's been amazing what's

coming out on Wikileaks they want to

distract us from Wikileaks The Wonder of

WikiLeaks Wikileaks has done a job on

her has it and while none of the emails

were that explosive it added to a

narrative that Clinton was a calculated

political operator with funding from Big

corporate donors and that was seized

upon by her opponent who ultimately won

out the general election Julian

assange's role again called out as an

act of Espionage can you tell the

American people a th% you did not get it

from Russia or anybody associated with

Russia we we can say um we have said

repeatedly over the last 2 months uh

that our source uh is not the Russian

government uh and and it is not State

party after the election the new

president tried to separate himself from

Assange and Wikileaks I know nothing

about Wikileaks it's not my thing the

new CIA director going further to call

out the actions of WikiLeaks and go

after Assange Assange and his ilk make

common cause with dictators

today yes they try unsuccessfully to

cloak themselves in their actions in the

anguage of Liberty language of Liberty

and privacy but in reality the champion

did nothing but their own celebrity

their currency is clickbait their moral

compass non-existent their mission

personal self-aggrandisement through

destruction of Western

values in Ecuador a new president there

isn't so sympathetic to a San's cause

lenam neno's government sees him as a

rude and expensive guest who's hampering

their relationship with the US

[Music]

by 2019 Assange is removed from the

embassy by UK police who arrest him on

behalf of the US before he's transferred

to B Marsh prison no one is above the

law Julian mange is no hero he is hidden

from the truth for years and years and

it is right that his future should be

decided in the British judicial

system after conducting a comprehensive

assessment the evidence is not strong

enough to formed the basis of filing an

indictment the Swedish investigation is

dropped and it's at this point the

extent of the US charges are laid bare

18 criminal charges including obtaining

receiving and disclosing classified

information the obtaining part is a

fairly low-level hacking charge and

refers to a single count of Assange

agreeing to help private Manning break a

password for a US Department of Defense

computer something they ultimately

failed to achieve

but the receiving and disclosing parts

make up the bulk of the charges 17 of

the 18 counts and in this Assange is

accused of breaching the Espionage Act

of

1917 by conspiring with Chelsea Manning

and Publishing the material online the

Chargers could see him jailed

effectively for Life the Espionage Act

is intended to stop American military

officials from recruiting or aiding the

enemy during wartime but this is an

Australian civilian who was given these

documents while in a foreign country and

as for the publishing of these

classified documents how do they

prosecute him without Prosecuting the

times post and guardian for the same

thing publishing stories based on the

leaks after being given Early Access by

Assange but the US didn't view him as a

journalist in the same way the charges

point to him being a hacker or data

dumper a digital Rah with a goal to

discredit the US

government US government uh in terms of

its attack on Wikileaks uh has tried to

construct a theory which if permitted

will be the end of National Security

journalism uh not just in the United

States but also about the United States

Chelsea Manning says she will refuse to

testify against Assange she's now free

after having her sentence commuted by

Barack Obama Chelsea Manning

has served a tough prison sense quiet

diplomacy has been the approach of

consecutive Australian governments there

is nothing to be served by his ongoing

incarceration and I am concerned about

Mr assange's mental health Julian

Assange support in Parliament crosses

party lines this was always political uh

it remains political uh I think the

solution is political this Australian

citizen who didn't commit a crime in the

United States is in Australia jaying an

Australian citizen whose only crime was

telling the truth and being a journalist

and Joe Biden's planned visit to

Australia presented an opportunity to

plead his case but the Biden visit was

cancelled at the last minute swamped by

the US debt sealing crisis Julian

Assange is almost out of legal options

to stop his extradition to the US enough

is enough this needs to be brought to a

conclusion yeah to me it's the sheer

hypocrisy