Wikileaks: Stop Us? You'll Have to Shut Down the Web

[DearAbby]

The arrest and detention of Julian Assange Tuesday on charges of rape and sexual assault was at the least a convenient development for government leaders who've sought ways to contain the leader of the controversial website Wikileaks.

But in an exclusive interview with ABC News' Jim Sciutto, Wikileaks' spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson insisted Assange's arrest won't alter the site's calculated release of thousands of secret government cables, which still continues according to plan. The site published a new slate of cables Wednesday.

"It is not derailing us in any way," said Hrafnsson, adding that a group of five to six people is running Wikileaks' operations in Assange's absence. "This is a turning tide and starting a trend that you can't really stop unless you want to shut down the Internet."

Meanwhile, supporters of Assange are saying the timing and nature of the personal allegations against him are more than coincidence – they're "politically motivated." And the confluence of recent events gives at least the appearance that could be true.

More with Video:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/julian-assange-wikileaks-faces-onslaught-charges-attacks-politically/story?id=12333753

[laughingliberal]

1. K & R nt

[grasswire]

2. that's precisely my fear

A pretext to take down the Internets.

[Catherina]

4. They never would. It would interfere with profit. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Oh there are technical ways

See china and google, before the google problems.

I foresee that coming. Inverted totalitarian will soon take it's normal form.

[some guy]

5. Probably not a real concern.

Taking down the Internets would be difficult and disruptive.

How many bills do you have that the company offers electronic bill pay? That would all go away.
How many companies allow for shopping and purchasing online? That would all go away.

The world over the past twenty or so years has shifted to make the web an integral fact of life. Dismantling that would be very destructive.

Putting up electronic barricades would be slow, possibly eventually effective, but meanwhile Wikileaks continues to publish.

[Very_Boring_Name]

7. There would be rioting on the streets if that happened

[Matariki]

10. The internet isn't a centrally located thing that can be taken down.

[ChumbawambaFan]

3. "Combating Online Infringements and Counterfeits Act 2010"? nt

[kster]

8. Internet will be shut down until the politicians need to raise money, then they

will get the internet up and running again.

[kster]

9. Internet will be shut down until the politicians need to raise money, then they

will get the internet up and running again.

[jmondine]

11. Don't give them any ideas