“In Justice too soft, slow for saboteur”, Charles Krauthammer says “At a Monday news conference, Attorney General Eric Holder assured the nation that his people are diligently looking into possible legal action against WikiLeaks. Where has Holder Benn? The WikiLeaks exposure of Aghan War documents occurred five months ago….Throw the Espionage Act of 1917 at them. And if that is not adequate, if that law has been too constrained and watered down by subsequent Supreme Court rulings, then why hasn’t the administration prepare new legislation adapted to these kinds of Internet-age violations of U. S. Security?”
He then remarks “Franklin Roosevelt had German saboteurs tried by military tribunal and shot. Assange has done more damage to the U. S. than all six of those Germans combined.”
He concludes “I’m not advocating that we bring out of retirement the KGB proxy who, on a London street, killed a Bulgarian dissident with a poisoned umbrella tip. But it would be nice if people like Assange were made to worry every time they go out in the rain.”
WATCHDOG: Krauthammer makes a legitimate criticism that the Justice Department should have been researching prosecution and possible new legislation from the time of the first massive WikiLeaks.
On the other hand, comparing shooting German spies on American soil with whom we were at war with assassinating an Internet operator from a friendly nation is without much logic.
Furthermore, how does he propose that we make potential publishers of U. S. secret publications afraid of being assassinated if it is not our policy to have them assassinated? Moreover, if we are to begin assassinating members of the media, where do we stop? (Hopefully before Krauthammer, and we fervently wish before the Watchdog!)