Quickbeam

Good question! I think that there is a lot of brinkmanship going on with regard to Assange, The particular act linked to above was brought in after the events at the Libyan embassy, where a British police officer was shot and killed by a Libyan diplomat from within the embassy's premises.

I think it will be a very drastic step for our Government to take to violate a foreign embassy, regardless of the apparent legality that this legislation would give.

FE" What happens to him after that is not our concern."

How can you make a statement like that about another person, so I suppose that you couldn't give a dam about any body who may be tortured, held illegally or just banged up in jail without being charged for how ever long the authority's decide it's OK.

If anybody else had made that statement you would be on your high horse condemning them.

I do care about how people are treated in case one day that person I couldn't care about is me

It's Sweden that wants him. This has nothing to do with UK/USA relationships.

carver - I very much doubt that the UK Supreme Court would have approved the extradition if there was any possibility of being held illegally, etc. Witness how difficult it has been to extradite other people. Once he has left these shores then it isn't our business.

Forum Editor

Legally you are correct. However we must be very careful, should we adopt this course of action, not to give other countries the excuse to do the same in our embassies in places like China, Russia etc.

This man is trying to evade extradition, and we will carry out our obligation to extradite him in due course. I believe the best way is via negotiation with Ecuador, but should they grant him immunity, then we should wait until he tries to move (not granting him a free exit), rather than using the heavy handed approach over an issue which does not warrant it. Such a step as invading the embassy (Actually withdrawing diplomatic status) should be reserved for matters absolutely vital to our national interest, such terrorists, murderers etc. The precedent it would set would, in my view, be counter productive in putting our foreign embassies at risk of similar action.