584 Assange like Mordecai Vanunu, lured into honey-trap by spy - Johannes Wahlström

Assange like Mordecai Vanunu, lured into honey-trap by spy - Johannes
Wahlström

Newsletter published on 27-2-2013

(1) Around Assange "there is an astounding swarm of women" - journalist
Johannes Wahlström
(2) Assange like Mordecai Vanunu, lured into honey-trap by spy -
Johannes Wahlström
(3) The Guardian publishes an attack on Israel Shamir & (his son?)
Johannes Wahlström (no right of reply?)
(4) Feminist Wowsers make touching a crime: Lib Dem (ex) leader Lord
Rennard denies Harassment Claims

(1) Around Assange "there is an astounding swarm of women" - journalist
Johannes Wahlström

Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:29:45 -0500 (EST)
From: "Fred L. Partin" <fpartin@centurylink.net>
Subject: Julian aroused some sort of celebrity interest among young women

"But I discovered very soon that Julian aroused some sort of celebrity
interest among young women - and especially among women whom I expected
to be, one might say, more professional."

"I am speaking now of how it was in London. They glued themselves to
him, so to speak....These were journalists from VERY prestigous
publications who behaved rather like schoolgirls when they saw him.
Giggled, tried to hug him. Tried to place their hands on his thigh.
Yes, to me it looked very strange."

-Johannes Wahlström

Assange & Sweden
Suspicious Behavior: The Strange Case of the Wikileaks editor and the
Swedish prosecutor
Nordic News Network
http://www.nnn.se/nordic/assange/suspicious.pdf

{p. 11, inset box} "There is an astounding swarm of women"

The strong attraction of women to Julian Assange is noted in the police
interviews with journalists Donald Boström and Johannes Wahlström, who
have observed him in various settings outside of Sweden.

{see interviews in the scribd.com file, below, pp. 36-7}

In response to a question about Boström’s general impression of
Assange’s dealings with women, he replies: "He attracts a great many
women. I mean, it is really quite remarkable. It is something of a
rock-star phenomenon.… I can say that the overwhelming majority of women
who have gotten near him have fallen completely.…. There is an
astounding swarm of women. It takes only a few seconds; it is very
noticeable."

Johannes Wahlström has observed the same phenomenon: "I discovered very
quickly that Julian aroused some sort of celebrity interest among young
women, and especially among women whom I expected to be, one might say,
more professional.… They glued themselves to him, so to speak…. These
were journalists from very prestigious publications who behaved rather
like schoolgirls when they saw him. Giggled, tried to hug him. Tried to
place their hands on his thigh."

It was not only journalists from prestigious publications, relates
Wahlström: "I noticed that there were too many — if I may say so without
seeming scornful of anyone — too many female groupies circulating around
him.… [Towards them] he lowered his guard in a way that he would not do
in speaking with you or me."

(2) Assange like Mordecai Vanunu, lured into honey-trap by spy -
Johannes Wahlström

Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:17:02 -0500 (EST)
From: "Fred L. Partin" <fpartin@centurylink.net>

http://www.scribd.com/doc/104118023/4/Johannes-Wahlstrom

Comment (Peter M.): In the above interview with Swedish police, Johannes
Wahlström says that, noting how Assange seemed to attract young women,
he warned him to remember the case of Mordecai Vanunu, who was lured
into a honey-trap by a Mossad female spy.

The text is translated from Swedish. When you save it, you save Swedish
not English.

{p. 1} Assange & Sweden

Police Interview Protocols

[...] There are twelve interviews [...]

{p. 34} Johannes Wahlstrom

Date: 20 September 2010

Interviewing Officer: Ewa Olofsson [...]

{p. 36} JW: You asked me if I was at the meeting at Broderskapet.

EO: Yes, I did.

JW: We can go into that. But I would also like to say something that is
connected with this particular case and questions that are related to
it. ...

When we were in London, I noted something which, for me, was quite
astonishing, because we in the journalism profession are not, so to say,
accustomed to celebrity in the way that it can be in the music branch,
or that sort of thing. But I discovered very soon that Julian aroused
some sort of celebrity interest among young women, and especially among
women whom I expected to be, one might say, more professional.

{p. 37} I am speaking of how it was in London. They glued themselves to
him, so to speak …. These were journalists from very prestigious
publications who behaved rather like schoolgirls when they saw him.
Giggled, tried to hug him. Tried to place their hands on his thigh. Yes,
to me it looked very, very strange.

EO: What did he make of it?

JW: He was relatively unmoved. I suppose he smiled and thought that the
situation was amusing; I think he enjoyed it. But I remember one
specific occasion when we were in a meeting; it was informal, but
nonetheless a meeting related to work - the sort of thing that one
conducts with a glass of wine in the hand. There were perhaps fifteen
people sitting there, and we were discussing all the issues relating to
our professional roles, and which touched upon certain materials that we
were working with. And two women who also worked in journalism on this
project sat down very quickly right beside him; and it was obvious that,
that they were competing to see who could capture hius interest. But he
seemed more interested in discussing journalistic ethics, politics and
those issues.

But to me it certainly looked very really strange, that I can tell you -
especially since I knew who these two women were, and that they were on
a journalistic assignment.

EO: Did you and Julian talk about this later?

JW: Yes, I talked with him about this later; and I noted that he did not
clearly reject the invitations of these women. And without knowing any
of the details, what had happened or not happened, I told him with all
good will that I thought he should be extremely careful. For in his
exposed situation, he cannot know whether or not he is dealing with a
person whom he can trust. In the political game that he has got involved
in, and with which he is familiar or however you want to put it, it is
far from unusual or unthinkable that someone may wish to create problems
for him precisely by means of sexual contacts.

EO: And why - why the long, serious discussion?

JW: Well, it was just that. ... I noticed that there were too many — if
I may say so without seeming scornful of anyone — too many female
groupies circulating around him and that, even though he only conversed
with them, he sort of lowered his guard in a way that he would not do
in speaking with you or me. It was simply that kind of discussion.

There are a nuumber of examples in history where very well known, above
all controversial; figures have experienced this sort of thing. I think
not least of Mordecai Vanunu - don't know if you are familiar with him.
He is the man who disclosed Israel's nuclerar weapons secret nearly
twenty years ago. After he disclosed the nuclear weapons secret, he
happened to meet a young girl whom he thought was very nice and
good-looking and so forth. She flirted with him very intensively, and
asked if he would like to join her on a trip to Italy. He did, and then
he was drugged and transported in a box to Israel where he spent twenty
years in prison. She turned out to be a Mossad agent.

What Julian Assange and his organization have been doing is in no way
less serious in the context of world politics that what Mordechai Vanunu
did. ..."

(3) The Guardian publishes an attack on Israel Shamir & (his son?)
Johannes Wahlström (no right of reply?)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2010/dec/17/wikileaks-israel-shamir-russia-scandinavia

WikiLeaks and Israel Shamir

Andrew Brown

WikiLeaks is represented in Russia and Scandinavia by a father and son
team with a disturbing record of antisemitism

WikiLeaks's spokesperson and conduit in Russia has been exposed in the
Swedish media as an anti-semite and Holocaust denier; his son, who
represents the organisation in Sweden and is handing out stories to
selected papers there, has been involved in an earlier scandal where a
story he wrote about the supposed Israeli control of Swedish media was
withdrawn after several of the people in it complained of being misquoted.

While this does not affect the credibility of the WikiLeaks revelations,
it does raise uncomfortable questions for the whistleblowers' organisation.

The two men involved are Israel Shamir, a Jew who has converted to
Orthodox Christianity and passionate antisemitism, and his son Johannes
Wahlström. Shamir was listed as a co-author of a story in Counterpunch,
which suggested that the woman who brought a complaint of rape against
Julian Assange was a CIA plant. But he has a longer and stranger past
than this would suggest.

According to Magnus Ljunggren, a retired professor of Russian literature
at Gothenburg University, Shamir has had at least six different names,
among them Izrail Schmerler (as he was born in Novosibirsk, Siberia),
Jöran Jermas, Adam Ermash, but is internationally known as Shamir. He
has been a Swedish citizen since 1992.

In an interview with a Swedish Holocaust-denying creationist and
Islamist named Mohamed Omar, headlined "The Holocaust is an idol",
Shamir says:

"Antisemitism is an invented concept without any real meaning. I don't
believe antisemitism exists at all. In the Jewish religion it is an
article of faith that Jews and gentiles must hate one another. That's
where so-called "antisemitism" comes from. It is a Jewish article of
faith. I have met many so-called "anti-semites" and I haven't found a
single one of them who hates Jews. I agree with Joseph Sobran, who said
that an anti-semite is not someone who hates Jews, but someone whom the
Jews hate. Most people don't care at all about Jews, let alone hate
them. But, as I say, the idea that gentiles nurture a hatred of Jews is
a Jewish article of faith, and has nothing to do with reality."

His latest book, in Russian, is called is called How to Break the
Conspiracy of the Elders of Zion.

His son, Wahlström, is even more remarkable because he is more outwardly
respectable. He has been employed in various journalistic capacities by
the Swedish state broadcaster, SVT, by the newspaper Aftonbladet, and by
the leftwing magazine Ordfront. The magazine was forced to retract and
to apologise for a story he wrote in 2005 about supposed Israeli control
of the Swedish media, which contained quotes attributed to three other
journalists, which they denied ever making. None the less, Aftonbladet
is paying him both as a researcher and a consultant, because he has
exclusive access to the WikiLeaks cable dump in Sweden and is the
gatekeeper who doles out stories to favoured media partners. This use of
freelance journalists is the model used by WikiLeaks in countries where
it does not have a large and established media partner like the Guardian
or Der Spiegel.

The other recipients of Wahlström's stories are Uppdrag Granskning, a
flagship current affairs programme on Swedish television, and Svenska
Dagbladet, one of the main Stockholm newspapers (owned by the same
concern as Aftonbladet).

Wahlström has described his father as a persecuted intellectual
comparable to Salman Rushdie, but refused to talk to a Swedish radio
programme investigating the story. His father was reached and conducted
a bizarre interview with them in English. Asked if Wahlström was, in
fact, his son, he replied: "I have heard such things. That's what they
say. I have heard this kind of rumour, but I don't intend to talk about
my personal, family things at all."

He also denied that he had any special connection with WikiLeaks, though
the group's spokesman, Kristinn Hrafnsson, confirmed that he was their
representative in Russia, just as his son is in Scandinavia. Expressen
also published a photograph of him standing behind Julian Assange at a
computer, published in the Russian paper, which has been reprinting the
WikiLeaks cables he passed to them.

There, for the moment, the story rests. Given the tight if murky links
between the Russian security apparatus and the quasi-fascist Nationalist
movement with which Shamir is associated there, it has worrying
implications for the security of anyone named in the cables. This is not
because the cables themselves are inaccurate, but because they are not.

I'm sorry that so many of the links are in Swedish. ACB

(4) Feminist Wowsers make touching a crime: Lib Dem (ex) leader Lord
Rennard denies Harassment Claims

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/lord-rennard-refute-allegations-153843460.html

Lord Rennard: New Denial Of Harassment Claims

Sky News February 26, 2013

Former Lib Dem chief executive Lord Rennard has said he received no
complaints about his behaviour during 27 years in the party.

Several women have come forward to accuse him of inappropriately
touching and propositioning female party workers.

A new statement issued on his behalf said he "refutes" the allegations
and will "co-operate with any properly constituted inquiry".

It added: "He would reiterate that in 27 years of working for the
Liberal Democrats he received no complaint or allegation about his
behaviour.

"Nor is he aware of any personal complaints being made in the
three-and-a-half years since he stood down as chief executive until last
week."

However, senior party sources have told Sky News that Chief Secretary to
the Treasury Danny Alexander stands by a statement saying he spoke to
Lord Rennard about "concerns" in 2008.

Earlier Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said the police must be allowed to do
their job and insisted he would not provide a "running commentary" on
the allegations.

Speaking outside his home in southwest London, he told Sky News: "I
understand there are many people who appear to want to act as
self-appointed detectives trying to piece together events that happened
many years ago but the only way that we are going to get to the bottom
of the truth ... is by allowing the two investigations that I
established immediately after the Channel 4 broadcast to do their job
and, indeed, to allow the police, whom we have now approached, to do
their job as well.

"And in the meantime I cannot and my party cannot provide a running
commentary on every shred of speculation about events which happened
many years ago."

Lord Rennard's statement made no reference to the police's involvement.

Pressure continues to mount on the Lib Dem leader, with party president
Tim Farron admitting it "screwed up" its response to the allegations.

After initial denials that he was aware of complaints made by a number
of women about Lord Rennard, Mr Clegg confirmed on Sunday his office had
heard "indirect and non-specific concerns" as far back as 2008 and had
taken action at the time.

He said that Mr Alexander, then his chief of staff, had put the concerns
to Lord Rennard who denied any inappropriate behaviour.

Responding to the police investigation, the party's deputy leader Simon
Hughes told Sky News: "We don't want there to be any no-go areas. If
there are things that are criminal they need to be pursued."

The Met Police confirmed its officers met with the Lib Dem officials.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The meeting was held to assist with our
inquiries to ascertain if any criminal activity has taken place. That
work continues.

"It was agreed at the meeting that any internal misconduct matters would
be referred back to the Liberal Democrat Party."

Chief executive Tim Gordon led the Lib Dem group at the meeting.

A party spokesman said: "It is important that people with information
have the confidence to come forward and that their information is dealt
with sensitively and appropriately."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/9893927/Lord-Rennard-fresh-questions-for-Nick-Clegg-over-the-sex-scandal-whistleblower.html

Lord Rennard: fresh questions for Nick Clegg over the sex scandal
whistleblower

Nick Clegg is under mounting pressure over his handling of the Liberal
Democrat sex harassment scandal after it emerged that a pregnant
whistleblower was forced out of the party and made to sign a gagging order.

Mr Clegg insisted that he had 'nothing to hide' over the Lord Rennard,
right, scandal Photo: PA/Rex Features

By Steven Swinford, Robert Winnett and Christopher Hope

10:00PM GMT 25 Feb 2013

The Telegraph has established that Helen Jardine-Brown, a former head of
fund-raising, told senior Lib Dems four years ago of allegations about
Lord Rennard, the party’s former chief executive. Officials told her
that Mr Clegg would call her directly to discuss them, but she never
heard from him.

Less than two months later, her post was allegedly cut, shortly after
she told her employers that she was pregnant. She eventually reached a
£50,000 settlement conditional on her silence.

The Deputy Prime Minister insisted that he had "nothing to hide" over
the scandal, which threatens to undermine his leadership. But the
party’s president, Tim Farron, a possible leadership rival, described
the situation as a "screw-up".

Lord Rennard has been accused of sexually harassing up to a dozen women
at Lib Dem events and functions. He has strongly denied the allegations.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they have been in contact with
party officials to "ascertain if criminal activity has taken place".

Mr Clegg initially insisted that he was unaware of the sex harassment
allegations. On Sunday evening, however, he admitted he was aware of
general "indirect and non-specific" allegations up to five years ago. An
opinion poll for The Independent, conducted by ComRes, found that the
Lib Dems had slumped to fourth behind Ukip before the key by-election in
Eastleigh later this week.

Amid signs of growing panic within the party, it also emerged that:

• Mr Clegg’s most senior aide was personally informed of specific
allegations against Lord Rennard, in emails sent by this newspaper in
April 2010. Jonny Oates, the leader’s chief of staff, was given details
of five allegations of harassment. The disclosure undermines a statement
by Mr Clegg that his office was only aware of "non specific" allegations
until last week;

•? Senior women in the party disclosed that they had decided to make
public concerns over Lord Rennard after the peer returned to a senior
position. He had resigned in 2009 because of poor health as concerns
mounted over his conduct;

• ?The Lib Dems announced that a new whistle-blowing hotline would be
run by an independent organisation, amid complaints that a female peer
originally appointed to the role was the wife of one of Mr Clegg’s most
senior advisers;

• Some Lib Dem supporters sought to dismiss the allegations as
overblown. Jasper Gerard, a friend and biographer of Mr Clegg, said on
Radio 4: "It was only touching a woman’s knee, it’s hardly Jimmy Savile."

Lord Greaves, a Lib Dem peer, suggested that "people just calm down a
bit" adding that "fairly mild sexual advances" were "hardly an offence".

This newspaper has established that Miss Jardine-Brown raised concerns
about Lord Rennard’s behaviour in September 2008, during an interview
with senior officials at the party.

Just under two months later, after informing her boss that she was
pregnant, she was told that her role was going as part of a
"re-organisation".

Sources familiar with the case say she was offered the chance to reapply
for a more junior role, which she rejected.

She filed a formal complaint against Lord Rennard and the party on
grounds of sex and disability discrimination. In November 2009 she
reached a £50,000 settlement with the party, on condition that she did
not discuss the case or the terms.

Miss Jardine-Brown declined to speak to The Telegraph. A Lib Dem
spokesman said he was unable to discuss the case "for the same reason
the person involved can’t".

He said: "I can however confirm this case had absolutely nothing to do
with the recent allegations involving Lord Rennard. It is completely
untrue to suggest otherwise."

The disclosure will add to speculation that senior Lib Dems either
attempted to cover up allegations against Lord Rennard or turned a blind
eye.

This newspaper contacted Mr Oates, now the Deputy Prime Minister’s chief
of staff, in April 2010 with five specific allegations involving Lord
Rennard – four of which are now in the public domain.

These included: "That at your September 2004 party conference in
Bournemouth, Lord Rennard intimately groped a woman Lib Dem PPC
[prospective parliamentary candidate], whose identity is known to us,
while they posed for a group photograph."

It continued: "That prior to the 2005 general election, two women PPCs,
whose identities are known to us, were locked inside Lord Rennard’s home
following a dinner, and told to go upstairs, and released when one
threatened to call the police."

A third allegation was that: "At a party held in December 2007 to
celebrate Mr Clegg’s leadership election victory, Lord Rennard again
groped the PPC referred to in incident 1."

The email also stated that Jo Swinson, now an equalities minister, and
Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, had been involved
in investigations into Lord Rennard’s alleged conduct.

The party has now admitted that Ms Swinson and Mr Alexander were
involved in private conversations about the allegations as early as
2008. But Mr Oates said in 2010 that Mr Clegg was unaware of the
allegations.

In an email he told this newspaper: "It is untrue to state that Mr Clegg
was made aware of the incidents you allege. Given this fact it is
obviously untrue to state that Mr Clegg asked Jo Swinson or anyone else
to carry out an investigation into the incidents that you allege."

The response suggests that Mr Oates must have asked Mr Clegg about the
allegations at that time – to establish whether he was previously aware
of them. But sources close to Mr Oates said that had not.

Mr Clegg on Monday flew to Amsterdam for talks with his Dutch
counterparts while several senior Lib Dems pulled out of campaigning
visits to Eastleigh.

Mr Farron openly criticised the handling of the issue.

He said: "There are individuals out there who we had a duty of care
towards and we did not fulfil that duty of care. That is something that
we have to learn from, apologise for and make sure it never happens again."

David Cameron’s official spokesman declined to comment on the Rennard
affair, but said the Prime Minister regarded harassment of any kind as
"unacceptable".

Lord Rennard has strenuously denied "any suggestion of improper
touching" of women who he came into contact with in his role as chief
executive.

His friends said he quit on health grounds in May 2009, after being told
by his doctors that he would be dead by the middle of 2010 if he did not
slow down.

One said: "It was not true that a deal was done. He had problems with
his blood balance."