Global Intelligence Files reveal charges drawn up against Julian Assange

The Age has reported that the leaked emails from Stratfor, known as the Global Intelligence Files, reveal that secret charges have indeed been drawn up by the U.S. Government against Julian Assange.

The Age reports:
In the email, sent to Stratfor intelligence analysts on January 26 last year, the company's vice-president for intelligence, Fred Burton, responded to a media report concerning US investigations targeting WikiLeaks. He wrote: "We have a sealed indictment on Assange." Underlining the sensitivity of the information - apparently obtained from a US government source - he wrote "Pls protect" and "Not for Pub[lication]".

The leak highlights how at risk Assange is if his extradition to Sweden is approved by the British High Court. Assange is clearly at risk of disapearing into the same black hole that Bradley Manning who has now been held for 646 days without trial. When his trial does eventually happen he faces life in prison or even the death penalty for "aiding the enemy" by releasing information to Wikileaks.

Wikileaks itself is struggling to survive in the face of the banking blockade placed on it which has now been going for over 450 days.