My Time With Julian Assange At The World's Most Dangerous Website

In 2010, I had the opportunity to spend a week with Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, at the organization's headquarters in Iceland. It was a time of great excitement and uncertainty, as WikiLeaks was preparing to release a massive trove of classified U.S. diplomatic cables.

Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website

by Daniel Domscheit-Berg

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2973 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	306 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

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Assange is a complex and controversial figure. He is a brilliant hacker and activist who has dedicated his life to exposing government secrets. He is also a fugitive from justice, wanted by the United States on charges of espionage.

Despite the risks, I was eager to meet Assange and learn more about his work. I had been following WikiLeaks for years, and I was impressed by the organization's commitment to transparency and accountability.

My Time with Assange

I arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland, on a cold and rainy day in December. I had been given the address of WikiLeaks' headquarters, a small apartment in a quiet neighborhood.

When I knocked on the door, it was answered by Assange himself. He was dressed in a black hoodie and jeans, and he had a scruffy beard. He was shorter than I had expected, but he had a commanding presence.

"Welcome," he said, shaking my hand. "Come in."

I stepped into the apartment and was immediately struck by the chaos. The walls were covered in whiteboards, scrawled with notes and diagrams. There were stacks of papers everywhere, and the air was thick with the smell of coffee and cigarettes.

Assange led me to a small room at the back of the apartment. He sat down at a computer, and I took a seat opposite him.

"So," he said, "what do you want to know?"

I asked him about his background, his motivations, and his plans for the future. He answered my questions patiently and thoughtfully.

I was impressed by Assange's intelligence and his passion for his work. He was also surprisingly open and honest. He told me about his childhood, his time in the hacking underground, and his experiences as a whistleblower.

I also learned about the challenges that WikiLeaks faced. The organization was constantly under attack from governments and corporations. It was also struggling financially.

Despite the challenges, Assange was determined to continue his work. He believed that WikiLeaks was playing an important role in holding governments accountable and promoting transparency.

The Release of the Cables

In November 2010, WikiLeaks released a trove of 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables. The cables contained a wealth of information about U.S. foreign policy, including details of secret negotiations, diplomatic intrigue, and human rights abuses.

The release of the cables caused a diplomatic firestorm. The U.S. government accused WikiLeaks of endangering national security and called for Assange to be prosecuted.

Assange defended the release of the cables, arguing that they were in the public interest. He said that the cables showed that the U.S. government was lying to its citizens and its allies.

The release of the cables also had a significant impact on the Arab Spring uprisings. The cables revealed that U.S. diplomats were aware of the corruption and repression of Arab regimes, but they had done little to stop it.

The cables also showed that the U.S. government was secretly supporting authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. This information helped to fuel the anger and frustration that led to the Arab Spring uprisings.

The Aftermath

In the aftermath of the release of the cables, Assange was charged with espionage by the United States. He was also arrested by the Swedish authorities on charges of sexual assault.

Assange has denied the charges against him, and he has vowed to fight them. He is currently living in asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The case of Julian Assange is a complex and controversial one. He is a brilliant hacker and activist who has dedicated his life to exposing government secrets. He is also a fugitive from justice, wanted by the United States on charges of espionage.

Regardless of one's opinion of Assange, there is no doubt that he has had a significant impact on the world. WikiLeaks has played a major role in promoting transparency and accountability. The release of the cables has changed the way that we think about U.S. foreign policy. And the Arab Spring uprisings would not have been possible without the information that WikiLeaks provided.

Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website

by Daniel Domscheit-Berg

4.3 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2973 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	306 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE