WikiLeaks Founder: Clinton Should Resign

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds a press conference at Park Plaza Hotel Oct. 23, 2010, in London.

/ Getty Images

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should resign from office if she ordered American diplomats to spy on United Nations personnel, which recently leaked classified memos appear to have encouraged, the founder of WikiLeaks said Tuesday.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made the comment in an interview with Richard Stengel, managing editor for Time magazine.

Stengel asked if Clinton's resignation or termination is an outcome Assange would want after his whistleblower organization released hundreds of thousands of classified State Department documents to a number of news outlets, which started publishing articles about them Sunday.

"I don't think it would make much of a difference either way," Assange said of an outcome where Clinton departed her office. "But she should resign, if it can be shown that she was responsible for ordering U.S. diplomatic figures to engage in espionage in the United Nations, in violation of the international covenants to which the U.S. has signed up. Yes, she should resign over that."

The memos encourage American diplomats to collect data about U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his staff, according to the French newspaper Le Monde. That data included Internet passwords, credit card numbers and frequent flyer account numbers, Le Monde reported.

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[Cassarit]

I can't believe it! I'm actually supporting Hillary on this one!

[mamidtres]

THE NERVE OF THIS A... Give me a break...resign...is he deluded or what is his agenda, has she ordered the assassination of a elected president like Kissinger? has she look the other way while people were being tortured like(abu ghraib). has there been secret dealings where clinton is selling weapons to Iran or North Korea (Iran contra affair). Has she tried to steal a election? Is she gathering intelligence...yes is that a crime..I do not know..but I do know thanks to this constant intelligence gathering we have not suffer anymore terrorist attack on the mainland. It has not been luck that has kept us safe.

[mamidtres]

THE NERVE OF THIS A... Give me a break...resign...is he deluded or what is his agenda, has she ordered the assassination of a elected president like Kissinger? has she look the other way while people were being tortured like(abu ghraib). has there been secret dealings where clinton is selling weapons to Iran or North Korea (Iran contra affair). Has she tried to steal a election? Is she gathering intelligence...yes is that a crime..I do not know..but I do know thanks to this constant intelligence gathering we have not suffer anymore terrorist attack on the mainland. It has not been luck that has kept us safe.

[donagray]

How refreshing! In this world of mediocracy, materialism, wimps, liars, criminals and hypocrites, there is one man called Assange who is a real HERO. Assange was born to show the world what's freedom all about and what the oppressor is ready to do to the one who call on freedom and democracy.
They want to nail him on the cross. Haven't we heard this story before?

[iPhoney]

Sad sack is obviously suicidal. Little Rock Flu is on its way...sooner or later.

[lucifersshadow]

Our fascist plutocracy has no problems with tapping into our email, phone and other corrispondence, but when someone taps in to theirs, they go ballistic. If a country has something to hide, that means plain and simple, it is doing something wrong. Hitler was keen to keep his dirty deeds secret, and the results are well known. The USA and the clowns in Washington have got way to big for their britches, and sooner or later all of this crazy BS they are doing is going to produce some very bad results, like nuclear war or something of that nature . .

[YrWrongAgain]

Not shadow. Dung.

[silvalgal]

Don't our elected leaders and their enforcers have anything better to do than hunt down a guy who put "freedom of information" to the test? Take a look at the world and the state of diplomacy as we know it: A mess all around. It's good for business and the vested interests that way: same old, scarcely ever changes, different faces but the same old shuffle. Assange and his channels are a breath of long over-due fresh air, whatever the agenda.

[YrWrongAgain]

That fresh air is in fact from the good old gaspipe.

[silvalgal]

They talk about freedom of information and democracy - they got it. Our dear leaders need to take their focus off Julian (Assange) and concentrate on their own transgressions and opportunities to make a difference for the greater good. And that doesn't mean writing a children's book or any other book while in elected office. (Hear that, Ms. Boxer and Barack?) Our dear elected leaders are in the palm of the capital market denizens and those special interests lock, stock and two smoking double barrels, just allowing them to run roughshod over the whole shebang. Change, yeah, really? What a crock. Sorry I gave that thespian and frontman a cent. How To Spend It (FT), for sure, gang. We live in a colluded Cleptocracy; anyone who thinks otherwise believes in the tooth fairy. Market volume is proof. History will judge. It's a variation on feudal. The more things seem to change, the more they remain same old.

[silvalgal]

They talk about freedom of information and democracy - they got it. Our dear leaders need to take their focus off Julian (Assange) and concentrate on their own transgressions and opportunities to make a difference for the greater good. And that doesn't mean writing a children's book or any other book while in elected office. (Hear that, Ms. Boxer and Barack?) Our dear elected leaders are in the palm of the capital market denizens and those special interests lock, stock and two smoking double barrels, just allowing them to run roughshod over the whole shebang. Change, yeah, really? What a crock. Sorry I gave that thespian and frontman a cent. How To Spend It (FT), for sure, gang. We live in a colluded Cleptocracy, anyone who thinks otherwise believes in the tooth fairy. Market volume is proof. History will judge. It's a variation on feudal. Plus ?a change, the more things remain the same.

[xila654]

by earth5646 November 30, 2010 7:00 PM EST
Xila...........Don't preach about "your goverment" before cleaning up your own backyard.



Why never a mention to YOUR goverment criminal activities ? Why no condemnation towards Russia, China and your Arab brethren ? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Earth5667, i'm a Canadian male born in Montreal with no affiliation to Russia, China or any Arab countries, my ancestors are from Barbados on my mother's side and Haiti on my father's side. First of all in regards to Russia and China I wouldn't compare America with 2 communist countries, it is well known that these countries are not free societies and they both have a history of brutaly controlling and oppressing their citizens, on the other hand most Arab countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia Egypt and most recently Iraq are puppet governments and kingdoms that are under the control of America Britain and Israel, unfortunately Canada is also right now under the influence of America, back when Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was prime Minister he had the guts to speak out against the invasion of Vietnam, our current Prime Minister is America's lap dogs, you or one of your associates also mentioned that America or western developped nations are the only countries where somebody could get away with leaking governemnt information, this is only because America and its allies have supported dictators and tyrants around the world as long as they serve America and its allies agendas. The world would have been a much more balanced place without American intervention, alot of these communist countries had to become communist because if they didn't America would have bought their political candidated, or assasinated politicians that didn't serve their needs.

[rshayne62]

"...on the other hand most Arab countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia Egypt and most recently Iraq are puppet governments and kingdoms that are under the control of America Britain and Israel..."

Israel??? Are you insane? Even if I thought your argument had merit, you blew it with that nonsense.

[xila654]

Yes I hate America and its blind and deaf allies, they blindly prop up and support cruel corrupt monarchies and governments like Saudi Arabia and Egypt. They start wars all over the world in a bid to weaken potential advesaries, they also use the wealth of their corporations to basicly steal natural resouces and bribe governemnt officials without caring about the effects on the countries inhabitants. The bottom line is America and its allies have screwed up much of the world to secure their own wealth and comfort. A wise man once said " When you create trouble around the corner, it will eventually follow you home", it will be all downhill now for America and its allies