On January 2 Tess Lawrence, in a (world) exclusive to Tasmanian Times wrote: The United States has wiretapped the phone and email traffic of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Today The Guardian reported: Snowden row intensifies as hidden bug found in Ecuador’s embassy, Ecuadorean minister threatens to reveal perpetrators after device discovered during meeting over Assange …
The Original Report:
EXCLUSIVE, by Tess Lawrence
The United States has wiretapped the phone and email traffic of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.
It is understood that using almost limitless surveillance power, the US has spied on Australian born Julian Assange’s intentions in relation to any extradition to Sweden to answer sexual misconduct allegations and has also been monitoring his rumoured deteriorating psychological and physical health.
Longstanding and reliable sources have confirmed to me that personnel within both the UK and Australian governments and intelligence services, are now aware of this outrageous incursion and are trying to avoid a diplomatic incident and public disclosure.
Australia’s servant/master relationship with the US is well known but Britain has at least occasionally shirtfronted the US ( as with its citizens incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay ) and has concerns about the European Community’s take on Britain’s perceived too cosy relationship with the US.
It appears that the Ecuadorian Embassy is unaware of the taps, although I have been told that embassy staff are understandably suspicious and do ’ not trust the British ’ and ’ trust America even less .’
It is believed that the Ecuadorian Government will vociferously protest any US spying and only recently the embassy has attempted to allay fears about Assange’s health and reaffirmed its support of their protection of Assange.
The rest of the story: US spies on Assange in UK Ecuador Embassy
The Guardian Report:
• Tess Lawrence, in Comments: I worked for months on this story … mindful that this is an international story of great significance and merit, a story, hopefully, for the greater good of humanity and one that is critical to coherent public discourse. The Tasmanian Times had a world exclusive. It deserved it for its courage. Many pay lip service to such things. TT is not among their number. Moreover, this is to confirm that I sent Ambassador Alban certain information, and others too. I am glad that Ambassador Alban heeded the information TT and myself provided.
BBC: Bolivia demands plane incident probe
• Huffington Post, Ecuador: London Embassy Bug Was Meant To Hear Ambassador Ana Alban’s Conversations:
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador’s government said Wednesday that a microphone found in its London embassy, where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is staying, was hidden inside an electrical outlet in the office of the ambassador.
Ricardo Patino told a news conference in Quito that the bug was found in mid-June when Ecuadorean technicians reviewed the embassy’s wiring.
The purpose of the hidden microphone was to listen to the conversations of Ambassador Ana Alban in her office, Patino said, holding up a picture of the purported bug. Assange lives and works in a different room in the embassy.
“We have reason to believe that the bugging was carried out by The Surveillance Group Limited, one of the largest private investigation and covert surveillance companies in the United Kingdom,” he said.
The foreign minister said Ecuador was going to ask for the cooperation of Britain’s government in investigating the alleged bugging.
etc ,,,
• The Telegraph UK: Ken Minogue: resisted the relentless march of state control
