Visa Suspends All Payments to WikiLeaks

Visa said it has suspended all payments to WikiLeaks pending an investigation of the organization's business.

Visa's decision is a powerful blow to the loosely knit organization, which relies on online donations to fund its operations.

CBSNews.com Special Report: WikiLeaks

Popular online payment company PayPal, Inc. has already severed its links with WikiLeaks. Visa's decision to pull the plug on WikiLeaks leaves the website with one fewer source of revenue.

Swiss authorities closed Assange's new Swiss bank account Monday.

Earlier Tuesday, British police said that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange had been arrested on a Swedish warrant seeking his detention for questioning in a sex-crimes investigation, but the man who has angered Washington by spilling thousands of government secrets on the Internet has vowed in Court to fight extradition.

Assange was arrested at 9:30 a.m. (0430 EDT) Tuesday and is currently appearing before Westminster Magistrate's Court. He surrendered Tuesday under an agreement reached between his own lawyers and the police.

Assange told a judge that he will fight extradition, reports the Associated Press.

CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports Tuesday's court hearing will be for British law officials to decide whether Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face the allegations. His legal team have already vowed to fight the extradition request, but Assange's arrest will be just the first step in a long, complicated legal battle.

More on WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Arrested in UK
Swiss Cut Off WikiLeaks' Bank Account
WikiLeaks' Swedish Servers May Be Under Attack
Video: Julian Assange's Life on the Run

[FallsBear]

This is absolutely sickening. People here in the US should be VERY afraid of losing their civil liberties. It's becoming more and more clear that freedom of speech doesn't apply when you question the government.

[chonder2]

Something just dosen't sound right.

Master card and Visa won't carry payments for Wiki??

Why??

What has Wiki said or going to say that panicked the card companies???

When in their history has the CC industry and their meatpuppets done anything but bent the public over the kitchen table with pants down to ankles??

[wjksea]

nomorelibs December 7, 2010 11:51 AM EST
Great job Visa and Pay Pal. Nice to see some backbone from American companies. Which is more than i can say about law enforecment. Shut these scum bags down.

-----------------------------------------

I'm surprised you don't like wikileaks.. the info gathering has come down hard on some of those you'd label "liberals"

[wjksea]

This from the global banking carte guilty of usury.

[Rodeo_Joe]

A Xmas tree $35 - an iPad $1275 - The Truth, priceless.

[nomorelibs]

Great job Visa and Pay Pal. Nice to see some backbone from American companies. Which is more than i can say about law enforecment. Shut these scum bags down.

[wjksea]

American companies? Is there truly such a thing. How foolish.

[GTR5]

VISA, that is a wrong move.

[GunsInTheSky]

Talk about an abuse of gov't power.

Americans should be outraged about this...but than again our gov't calls this group "terrorists" and the cowards blindly follow.

First GITMO, now this...a dangerous path we are going down.

[imthaid]

Americans are weak and will believe ANYTHING that gives them the slightest excuse not to raise a finger.

[rightbehind]

People still use Visa?? LOL!