Wikileaks: Julian Assange

[Zenaan Harkness]

  Assange Hearing: Manning Sought Help Accessing Video Game Database, Not Hacking US Government System
  https://sputniknews.com/uk/202002251078402898-assange-hearing-manning-sought-help-accessing-video-game-database-not-hacking-us-government-system/

    Julian Assange is charged with 17 counts under the espionage act and one count of "conspiracy to commit computer intrusion". This charge has been erroneously misused by the US to represent an attempted act of 'hacking' in order to shield Chelsea Manning from detection while revealing classified documents to WikiLeaks, according to his defence.

    US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning sought help from Julian Assange in order to crack a password hash so that she could access a video gaming and music database, Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court was told on 25 February 2020.

    Mark Summers QC, a barrister on Assange's legal team, told Judge Venessa Baraitser that the US government is aware of this fact and that their extradition request, which cites one charge of "conspiracy to commit computer intrusion" is therefore fundamentally dishonest.

    This is the first time that this claim, that Manning merely sought help to access a video gaming site which was blocked by the US military, was made public. Summers also submitted to the court arguments and evidence to show that Manning didn't need either a username or password in order to access the information which she did end up leaking to WikiLeaks. Furthermore, Assange was ultimately unable to assist Manning and so this attempt ultimately went nowhere.

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