Julian Assange, who leaked hundreds of thousands of stolen classified documents, to be freed in plea deal – Washington Examiner
The article discusses Julian Assange’s controversial legacy, detailing his involvement in the publication of classified U.S. documents through WikiLeaks, which he founded. Assange worked with U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley Manning) in 2010 to release nearly half a million sensitive documents, which included details that potentially compromised both national security and the safety of confidential sources. His actions have ignited debate on the boundaries of journalism and government secrecy, emphasized by a highly publicized video from an Apache helicopter attack in Iraq, which highlighted the complexity of war and media responsibility.
Following years of legal battles, Assange was offered a plea deal where, if he pleads guilty to one charge under the Espionage Greater emphasis on Assange’s deal with the U.S. Department of Justice is provided, allowing him potential release from prison after accounting for time served. Meanwhile, opinions about Assange remain divided, with figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. celebrating him as a hero challenging oppressive government secrecy, and others, including certain media and government officials, denouncing his actions as reckless and harmful to public safety and national security.
ASSANGE’S NOTORIOUS LEGACY: Celebrated by some as a crusading truth-teller, Julian Assange, a former Australian hacker, claimed the mantle of journalist after colluding with a troubled U.S. Army intelligence analyst in 2010 to steal and publish almost half a million classified U.S. government documents with no consideration of the damage to America’s national security or the lives of foreign nationals he endangered.
The founder of the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks never operated as a traditional news organization, instead dumping the entire cache of sensitive documents on his website, without review or context, furthering his philosophy that governments have no right to any secrets.
“Julian Assange is no journalist,” said John Demers, the top Justice Department national security official in 2019, when Assange was indicted for conspiring with Pvt. Bradley Manning (who later became Chelsea Manning) for illegally obtaining and publishing the documents. “No responsible actor, journalist or otherwise, would purposely publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in war zones, exposing them to the gravest of dangers.”
After 14 years of evading arrest and extradition to the United States, Assange has been offered a plea deal that will allow him to be credited for the five years he spent in British prison if he pleads guilty to one charge of violating the Espionage Act.
‘COLLATERAL MURDER’: One of the posts that drew the most attention back in 2010 was headlined “Collateral Murder.” This was a published cockpit video from a 2007 engagement in Iraq, in which an Apache helicopter crew fired on a group of unidentified men and then a passer-by driving a van who attempted to rescue the wounded.
The video was presented as evidence of a war crime because it appeared the crew mistook the telephoto lens of a Reuters cameraman for a rocket launcher. But an Army investigation determined the Reuters photographer was “embedded” with a group of enemy combatants, and there was no way for the helicopter crew to identify him as a journalist.
The engagement occurred during a battle in which U.S. troops nearby were taking fire. All evidence indicated the incident was not an indiscriminate killing but, at most, a tragic mistake, the kind that happens in the fog of war.
One big difference between journalists and advocates is that journalists have a responsibility to provide context to complicated events.
‘A GENERATIONAL HERO’: In a post on X, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Assange “a generational hero” and said he was “overjoyed” that Assange would go free. “The U.S. security state succeeded in criminalizing journalism and extending their jurisdiction globally to non-citizens,” he wrote. “The security state has imposed a horrifying precedent and dealt a big blow to freedom of the press.”
Among the others lauding Assange’s freedom on social media was former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who posted on X, “A good man, finally free. The tide is turning.”
JULIAN ASSANGE REACHES PLEA DEAL WITH DOJ THAT WOULD GRANT HIM RELEASE FROM PRISON
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE
HAPPENING TODAY: A day after meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomes Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to the Pentagon at 10:30 a.m.
Yesterday, Blinken “emphasized the need to take additional steps to protect humanitarian workers in Gaza and deliver assistance throughout Gaza in full coordination with the United Nations,” according to a State Department readout. “He also underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes.”
The Pentagon says Austin has spoken by phone to Gallant “on an almost weekly basis” since Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7. “They’re going to be discussing the situation in the Middle East, no doubt there will be discussions about the situation in Lebanon,” Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters yesterday.
“We’ve been working very closely to prevent the wider conflict from happening at the same time, you know, ensuring Israel has what it needs to defend itself but also looking at what we can do to ensure that aid is getting into the people of Gaza,” Ryder said. “You’ve heard Secretary Austin say publicly before that our focus is on trying to find a diplomatic solution to the situation there, again, with the understanding that our primary focus here is on deterring a wider regional conflict.”
“He’s been clear both publicly and privately at how important it is to protect the civilian population,” Ryder said. “That will be a point that I’m confident he’ll continue to make.”
GALLANT MEETS WITH US LEADERS AS NETANYAHU PUSHES AID HOLDUP CLAIM
MIND THE GAP: The U.S. aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower and three of its escort ships are now in the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, its replacement, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, is still in the Indo-Pacific region and won’t be stationed in the Red Sea until sometime next month.
“Next week after completing its exercise in the Indo-Pacific, it will make its move to the CENTCOM [Area of Responsibility],” Ryder said yesterday, insisting there would be no gap in U.S. operations to protect shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from attack from Houthi missiles and drones.
“We’ve maintained a robust variety of capabilities throughout the region to both provide force protection capabilities but also serve as a deterrent and enable us to respond to a multitude of contingencies, and so that won’t change,” Ryder said. “We have destroyers in both the CENTCOM and EUCOM AORs that have been very active in providing those kinds of defenses, as well as other capabilities to include aircraft and ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance] capabilities.”
A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to tap State Department official Derek Chollet to replace outgoing chief of staff Kelly Magsamen has been met with sharp criticism from the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In making the announcement, Austin called Chollet “one of the most distinguished, far-sighted, and skillful national-security practitioners of his generation.”
However, in a statement, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) noted that he opposed Chollet’s nomination as undersecretary of defense for policy earlier this year, accusing him of a “lack of candor.”
“I am incredibly disappointed in Secretary Austin for making the ill-advised decision to name Derek Chollet as the Pentagon’s chief of staff,” McCaul said. “He is absolutely unqualified for this position. His lack of candor in my committee’s transcribed interview together with his flippant public remarks about his work at the State Department make it clear he is neither a serious person nor is he trustworthy.”
“With the many national security threats this country is facing, we need real leadership at the Defense Department, and Derek Chollet is not that,” he said. “I strongly urge the secretary to reconsider this move.”
Chollet is set to take over the post next month.
1,576 STILL MISSING FROM THE VIETNAM WAR: Every year, the Pentagon holds a series of special briefings for the families who still have no answers to what happened to their loved ones, who are among the 1,576 U.S. personnel still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
On Thursday and Friday this week, officials from the Pentagon’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, and Service Casualty Offices will meet with family members at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington to explain what the government is doing to close the cases and explain the scientific methods used in searching for and identifying the missing service members.
“Throughout the year, [POW/MIA Accounting Agency] specialists meet with hundreds of family members of missing personnel at our labs and offices in Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Nebraska, Delaware, and major metropolitan areas across the country,” the Pentagon said in a press release. “The Department of Defense is committed to keeping families of those still missing and the public informed about the efforts being made to account for our DoD personnel from the Vietnam War.”
The briefings are open to the public and can be viewed online at https://www.dpaa.mil/Livestreams/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dodpaa
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Julian Assange reaches plea deal with DOJ that would grant him release from prison
Washington Examiner: Gallant meets with US leaders as Netanyahu pushes aid holdup claim
Washington Examiner: White House worries about Netanyahu’s address to Congress after accusations of withholding aid
Washington Examiner: State Department adviser leaves to become Lloyd Austin’s chief of staff
Washington Examiner: Biden issues trio of veto threats over GOP spending bills
Bloomberg: Russia Summons U.S. Envoy Over Ukraine Missile Strike In Crimea
AP: Suspected Yemen Houthi Attack Targets Vessel In Waters Further Away Than Many Previous Assaults
New York Times: ‘It’s All Happening Again.’ The Supply Chain Is Under Strain.
Wall Street Journal: Next Phase in Gaza Brings End No Closer
AP: Israeli supreme court says ultra-Orthodox must serve in military
Yonhap: Yoon Visits U.S. Aircraft Carrier Ahead Of Trilateral Drills With S. Korea, Japan
Breaking Defense: Across The Indo-Pacific, Militaries Scramble To Put More Submarines In The Water
AP: Parliament speaker. The Tehran mayor. A heart surgeon. The race is on for Iran’s next president
Military.com: Pentagon Confident It Can Still Defend Against Houthi Attacks Without a Carrier in the Region
Politico: US to Hezbollah: Don’t Count on Us to Stop an Israeli Attack
DefenseScoop: DOD Turns to Tech as Physical Presence Around Africa Dwindles
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force to Make First of 13 HACM Hypersonic Tests This Fall
The War Zone: Shadowy XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Stealthy Flying Wing Drone Emerges
Defense One: The Price of Each B-21 Bomber Is Likely Going Up
Air & Space Forces Magazine: SPACECOM Alarmed as China, Russia, Iran, and N. Korea Forge Closer Ties in Space
SpaceNews: US Space Command Sees Promise in Rocket Cargo Initiative
Defense News: When Will China Have a Sixth-Gen Fighter Jet?
Breaking Defense: Israel’s Defense Sales Top $13B as 2023 Becomes Another Record Year
Breaking Defense: US, India Stepping Up Military Space Cooperation, Including Exercising
Air Force News: Air Force General Pleads Guilty to Adultery, Dereliction of Duty
Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAFA Historian’s New Book Takes Fresh Look At Air Force History
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Opinion: A Lesson Learned
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | JUNE 25
8 a.m. 1 West Pratt St., Baltimore, Maryland — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association 2024 TechNet Cyber conference: “Outpacing the Threat: Align, Adapt, Accelerate,” with Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, commander, U.S. Cyber Command, director, National Security Agency, and chief, Central Security Service; Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, director, Defense Information Systems Agency and commander of Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network; Kenneth Flowers, chief technology officer, National Guard Bureau https://events.afcea.org/AFCEACyber24/Public/enter.aspx
9 a.m. — Peterson Institute for International Economics virtual discussion: “Update on Ukraine’s financial situation as war enters third summer,” with Maria Repko, deputy director of the Center for Economic Strategy; Elina Ribakova, PIIE nonresident senior fellow and director of the Kyiv School of Economics’s International Program; and Nicolas Veron, PIIE senior fellow https://www.piie.com/events/2024/update-ukraines-financial-situation
9 a.m. — Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Freedom House virtual discussion: “Not Forgotten: Political Imprisonment and Incommunicado Detention in Belarus,” with Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN); Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus opposition leader; and Hanna Liubakova, Atlantic Council nonresident fellow https://zoom.us/webinar/register
9 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Shoring Up Security and Support for Ukraine,” with Piotr Marczuk, co-chairman for defense and security at AmCham Poland; Valbona Zeneli, nonresident senior fellow, Atlantic Council’s Europe Center; and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director, Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/warsaw-week
9 a.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Takeaways from the Putin-Kim Summit,” with Yuki Tatsumi, senior fellow and director, Japan Program, Stimson Center; Yun Sun, senior fellow and director, China Program, Stimson Center; Rachel Minyoung Lee, senior fellow, Korea Program and 38 North, Stimson Center; Vladimir Ivanov, adjunct senior fellow, Stimson Center; and Jenny Town, senior fellow and director, Korea Program and 38 North, Stimson Center https://stimsoncenter.zoom.us/webinar/register
12 p.m. 2075 Rayburn — George Mason University’s National Security Institute in-person discussion: “Shifting Sands: Navigating Russia and Iran’s Growing Collaboration and its Impact on the Middle East,” with Mark Katz, professor emeritus of government and politics, George Mason University; Martha Miller, senior fellow, National Security Institute; Ray Takeyh, Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East Studies, Council on Foreign Relations; Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; and moderator Andrew Borene, former senior officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence https://nationalsecurity.gmu.edu/shifting-sands
1 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual book discussion: If Confirmed: An Insider’s View, National Security Confirmation Process, with author retired Marine Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, former staff director, Senate Armed Service Committee, and Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director, CNAS Defense Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-if-confirmed
1 p.m. 1777 F St. NW — Council on Foreign Relations forum for news media on “NATO’s Future: Enlarged and More European?” with Michael Carpenter, special assistant to the president and senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, and Thomas Wright, special assistant to the president and senior director for strategic planning at the National Security Council (Open to media only). RSVP: [email protected]
WEDNESDAY | JUNE 26
8 a.m. 1 West Pratt St., Baltimore, Maryland — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association 2024 TechNet Cyber conference: “Outpacing the Threat: Align, Adapt, Accelerate,” Caroline Kuharske, chief data officer, Defense Information Systems Agency; Shane Barney, chief information security officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Pentagon Chief Information Officer John Sherman; Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett, commanding general, Army Cyber Command; Nicholas “Nick” Hull, deputy commander, Cyber National Mission Force; Rear Adm. John Vann, commander, Coast Guard Cyber Command; Lt. Gen. Kevin Kennedy, commander, Sixteenth Air Force, and commander, Air Forces Cyber; Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander, U.S. Central Command; Navy Chief Information Officer Jane Rathbun; Air Force Deputy Chief Information Officer Winston Beauchamp; Army Chief Information Officer Leonel “Leo” Garciga; and Brian Campo, acting assistant commandant for command, control, communication, computers, and information technology, Coast Guard https://events.afcea.org/AFCEACyber24/Public/enter.aspx
9:25 a.m. 1900 K St. NW — Women’s Foreign Policy Group discussion: “An Insider’s Fresh Perspective from the Front Lines of Ukraine,” with Simon Shuster, Time senior correspondent. RSVP: [email protected]
10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies media conference call briefing: “Previewing the NATO Summit,” with Max Bergmann, director, CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; Sean Monaghan, visiting fellow, CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; and Kathleen McInnis, senior fellow, CSIS International Security Program. Contact Andrew Schwartz, 202-775-3242
11:15 a.m. HVC-210, Capitol Visitor Center — House select committee on the Chinese Communist Party hearing: “From High Tech to Heavy Steel: Combatting the PRC’s Strategy to Dominate Semiconductors, Shipbuilding and Drones,” with testimony from Adam Bry, founder and CEO, Skydio; Chris Miller, professor, Fletcher School at Tufts University, and nonresident senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; and Scott Paul, president, Alliance for American Manufacturing https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/committee-activity/live
2 p.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence hearing: “Persistent Challenges: Oversight, Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis,” with testimony from Ken Wainstein, DHS undersecretary for intelligence and analysis https://www.youtube.com/watch
2 p.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce hearing: “Security at Stake: An Examination of DOD’s Struggling Background Check System” with testimony from David Cattler, director, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and Alissa Czyz, director, defense capabilities management, Government Accountability Office https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/security-at-stake
3 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program virtual discussion of a new CSIS report: “Europe’s Military Role in the Indo-Pacific,” with CSIS experts: Max Bergmann, director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; Christopher Johnstone, senior adviser and Japan chairman; and Lily McElwee, deputy director and fellow, Freeman chairwoman in China Studies https://www.csis.org/events/report-launch-europes-security-role-indo-pacific
THURSDAY | JUNE 27
8 a.m. 1 West Pratt St., Baltimore, Maryland — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association 2024 TechNet Cyber conference: “Outpacing the Threat: Align, Adapt, Accelerate,” with Vice Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady and Cedric Terry, chief, National Security Agency Cybersecurity Directorate Encryption Production and Solutions Group https://events.afcea.org/AFCEACyber24/Public/enter.aspx
9 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center Mexico Institute annual “Building a Competitive U.S.-Mexico Border Conference,” with Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX); Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA); Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX); and Rachel Poynter, deputy assistant secretary of state for Mexico and Canada in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/tenth-annual-building-competitive-us-mexico-border
9:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and Republic of Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration conference: “CSIS-DAPA 2024: The Potential for Expanding Defense Cooperation within the ROK-U.S. Alliance,” with Douglas Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology; Seok Jong-gun, ROK minister, Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Cynthia Cook, director, Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and senior fellow, CSIS International Security Program; Jedidiah Royal, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs; Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director, CNAS Defense Program, Center for a New American Security; Scott Sendmeyer, acting director of policy, analysis, and transition; Park Jin A, director, Defense Industry Advancement Support Division, Defense Industry Promotion Bureau; and Han Seung Jae, director general for defense export program, Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement https://www.csis.org/events/csis-dapa-2024-potential-expanding-defense-cooperation
11:30 a.m. — Washington Post Live virtual discussion: “NATO’s Priorities and the Russia-Ukraine War,” with U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live
2 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Swarms over the Strait: Drone Warfare in a Future Fight to Defend Taiwan,” with former Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work; Stacie Pettyjohn, director, CNAS Defense Program; and Andrew Metrick, fellow, CNAS Defense Program https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-swarms-over-the-strait
2 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group and Booz Allen virtual discussion: “Disrupting the Battlespace: Developing Ecosystems to Enable Dual-Use Defense Technologies for the DOD,” with Brian MacCarthy, managing partner at Booz Allen Ventures https://events.govexec.com/disrupting-the-battlespace
9 p.m. CNN Studios, Atlanta, Georgia — CNN-sponsored 2024 election presidential debate with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, moderated by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Livestream at https://www.cnn.com, plus ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, PBS, C-SPAN, and NewsNation will simulcast the debate and provide their own pre- and post-debate coverage.
FRIDAY | JUNE 28
9 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “Production diplomacy for Indo-Pacific deterrence, readiness, and resilience,” focusing on increasing the defense industrial bases of allies and partners https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/production-diplomacy-for-indo-pacific-deterrence
10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Germany and the World,” with German State Secretary Thomas Bagger and Peter Rough, director, Hudson Center on Europe and Eurasia https://www.hudson.org/events/germany-world-foreign-policy
12 p.m. 8100 Loisdale Rd., Springfield, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association discussion with National Guard Chief Information Officer Kenneth McNeill, director, National Guard Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Systems Directorate. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/afcea-belvoir-june-2024-luncheon12 p.m. 2100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — American Bar Association Standing Committee on Law and National Security book discussion: The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century, with author Harold Koh, professor of international law at Yale Law School and former State Department legal adviser https://events.americanbar.org/event
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
