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PBC News & Comment: Assange Faces Extradition As Ecuador Delivers Him to the British

In orchestrated maneuver, Ecuador sold out Assange to distract from presidential scandal and extract benefits from US….time to mobilize!--as feared, Ecuador President Lenin Moreno ended asylum protection, and Assange resisted as Bobbies hustled him out of his 7-year refuge

--US unsealed the not-very-secret indictment, which is a single charge of attempted hacking of classified networks in cahoots with Chelsea Manning

--corporate media approve of this approach, since the charge doesn’t relate to journalism

--most of the corporate media coverage ignores Moreno’s motives, like the INA papers, Chevron deals, and IMF loans, but MintPress detailed them yesterday

--WashPost admits the charge isn’t about Russiagate, then pivots to Russiagate

--Trump, who mentioned WikiLeaks 141 times in a single month, goes full Judas

--the extradition process is complicated, restricts adding additional charges, and Moreno says Britain agreed not to extradite him to face death penalty

--David McGraw, a top lawyer for NY Times, told judges and lawyers last summer that he sees Assange as a journalist who should be defended

--Ecuador’s former president, who granted asylum to Assange, slams his successor as “scoundrel”

--former CIA analyst Ray McGovern: “very sad day for rule of law”

--journalists Whitney Webb and Caitlin Johnstone  offer strong, informed comments