EDITOR'S NOTE: At stake in this issue is the sanctity of Diplomatic Sovereignty. An Embassy is considered to be foreign territory even though it is another nation. Invading the Embassy of another nation would be the equivalent of an act of war, so Ecuador is very much within its rights to convene an international convention to discuss this matter as a matter of International Law. While the US / UK / NATO mouth the words of following the rule of law, they flout these laws whenever it suits their purposes. The arrogance of this bloc is despised by the whole world, particularly by Russia, China, and the BRICs nations. And as evidenced by history, every Empire falls through the weight of its own arrogance first before it falls at the hands of an external enemy. There are forces working from within to destroy the Anglo-American-NATO Empire; it is rotting from within as did the Roman Empire, and when the mighty fall, this world will go down with it as did the civilized world with the Roman Empire in the 5th Century.
2 Samuel 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
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British threats to invade Ecuador’s embassy will be discussed at international-level talks between the foreign ministers of the Organization of American States. The proposal was adopted despite the US saying OAS has nothing to do with the issue. Ecuador’s resolution to convene a meeting of the OAS member nations' foreign ministers was adopted with 23 voting in favor, three against and five abstentions. The US and Canada were among those who opposed the measure, stating that the dispute over Assange's fate is a bilateral matter between Ecuador and the United Kingdom, and should not be dragged to the international table.
The US State Department stated earlier on Friday that the OAS has “no role” to play in a “bilateral issue between Ecuador and the United Kingdom.” Not party to the 1954 OAS Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, the United States “does not recognize the concept of diplomatic asylum as a matter of international law,” the statement read.
The foreign ministers of the bloc's thirty-five member states will convene at the OAS Headquarters in Washington, DC, on August 24. A special meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States was held on Thursday and Friday. The bloc discussed Ecuador’s proposal to arrange a ministerial meeting of the member states to address the issue as a matter of international law. Ecuador called for an emergency OAS meeting after it received a memorandum from the UK that included a threat of an assault on the country’s London embassy to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was seeking political asylum there, if he is not handed over to the British authorities. The contents of the letter were revealed the day before Ecuador publicly announced its decision to grant Assange political asylum.
While the UK maintains that it has a right to extract Assange from Ecuador’s embassy, the Latin American country says any entry by British authorities onto its ambassadorial premises to arrest Assange would constitute a violation of Article 22 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The Russian Foreign Ministry also weighed in during a press conference on Friday: “The events cannot help but give cause to contemplate the observance of the spirit and letter of the Vienna convention, in particular article 22, which enshrines the immunity of diplomatic premises.”
MORE ON THE STORY
17.08, 17:03
Ecuador has said it may appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if the UK refuses to grant Julian Assange safe passage out of the country.
The Assange Files
16.08, 20:14
Britain will continue its efforts to extradite Julian Assange to Sweden despite his being granted political asylum by Ecuador, says UK Foreign Secretary William Hague. Britain doesn't recognize Assange's asylum status, he adds.
The Assange Files
16.08, 16:38
Ecuador has granted political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The decision comes almost two months after the world-famous whistleblower came to the country’s embassy in London seeking protection.
16.08, 00:08
British authorities have “warned” Ecuador that they could raid its embassy and arrest Julian Assange if he is not handed over. The Ecuadorian Foreign Minister responded by saying such a move would be a “flagrant violation” of international law.
The Assange Files
02.08, 15:50
The prominent Spanish jurist Baltasar Garzon who leads the legal team defending WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange has criticized the ambiguity of the American judicial system that might be preparing to bring charges against his client.
17.08, 13:16
The RT.com website went down for hours worldwide on Friday after a massive DDoS attack, with the hacker group calling itself AntiLeaks claiming responsibility.
17.08, 10:32
British threats to storm Ecuador's embassy in order to arrest Julian Assange, in violation of international law, set a dangerous precedent, analyst Mark Weisbrot told RT. Ecuador granting Assange asylum is a blow to Washington, he said.
17.08, 09:34
Four activists supporting embattled WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange conducted a sit-in protest on Friday inside the UK Consulate in Melbourne, Australia, as 20 others rallied downstairs. The protesters cleared out after police threatened arrests.
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