WikiLeaks boss walks out on CNN interview after private life talk

Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks organisation are often involved in releasing secret and sensitive information particularly where the US military are concerned. But when questioned about his private life in a CNN interview, he walked out.

The interview by CNN's Atika Shubert questioned Mr Assange on his deteriorating relationship with his co-workers and of course the even more sensitive issue about those sex abuse charges in Sweden.

The 39 year-old Australian had earlier stated that the charges brought against him charges were a 'dirty tricks campaign' by the US government. Mr Assange had been cleared of all charges last month in Sweden after a Swedish prosecutor issued a warrant for his arrest, then withdrew it.
Then, in a separate incident on August 13, he was accused of 'molestation'. In Swedish law this does not constitute a sex-crime, rather one of reckless conduct or inappropriate contact with another. Mr Assange and WikiLeaks have always maintained these accusations are part of a smear campaign, probably with the US government behind it.

MailOnLine.com report that when Ms Schubert pressed with the sensitive questioning surrounding these personal issues, Mr Assange kept threatening that he was "going to walk" and then said:

I'm going to walk if you're going to contaminate this extremely serious interview with questions about my personal life. It's completely disgusting, Atika - if you're going to contaminate us revealing the deaths of 104,000 people with attacks against my person.

Ms Schubert then denied attacking his personal life and asked a broader question regarding the smear campaign being targetted against WikiLeaks as a whole, rather than just Mr Assange. But he got up and fumbled around trying to disconnect his microphone from his paperwork whilst Ms Schubert attempted fruitlessly to get him to stay and finish the interview.

Public opinion appears to be divided over the internet with one user on YouTube geiuy saying:

"okay,now lets forget about 100,000 civilians killed by the u.s soldiers and concentrate on a possible sexual scandal of ONE person,thats a lot more important".

However, while most seem to criticise the CNN interview, one user doc255 wrote "It seems your 'hero' is quite the hypocrite. He has no problem leaking sensitive classified material, saying the people have the right to know, but he runs away crying when the shoe is on the other foot".

Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange Walks Out of CNN Interview



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