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from the can't-get-there-from-here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIJBUZm1HoY dept.
Like any techno-political soap opera watcher, I've on occasion wondered why it is so damned hard for Julian Assange to get away from that embassy.
Riddle me this: you've been stuck in a little room in Equador's embassy in London for 8 years. You can't leave without getting arrested and most likely extradited.
A few countries not friendly to the U.S., but most notably Russia, have tried to figure out how to get you out of there
Your crimes are mostly pissing off people in power in the way journalists really should, but there is also compelling evidence of at least one actual crime — that you provided material assistance to someone hacking secret information. If the U.S. gets hold of you, you can pretty much count on paying the piper.
Still, you have hordes of supporters, and even entire countries with not insignificant resources willing to give a hand if only to tweak the nose of the U.S.
Diplomatic vehicles, helicopters, disguises, being made an ambassador yourself, just plain sneaking out... nothing has panned out.
So what are your options? Jetpack? Smuggle in parts of a drone capable of carrying a person? VTOL car? Urban ghillie suit? Rocket skates? Dig a tunnel in the basement? It seems hard to believe that the bored lax surveillance of 8 years on can't be defeated by a motivated technogencia.
You've probably only got one shot...so how would you do it?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by DrkShadow on Thursday December 27 2018, @02:03AM (2 children)
That actually might get the UK police to detain a crowd of 100 people. If they're suspected of committing a crime -- of helping a bond-jumper escape -- then they just might view it as suspicious enough.
Suppose the opposite. One person, every day, comes to work wearing a trench coat, a medical mask, sunglasses, a backpack, gloves, and a hood. (boots pants etc.) Every evening, someone else takes it home. Every day, they bring it back, and someone _different_ takes it home. Every day, Julian Assange goes to the door to wish that person good night. Every single day. Nothing changes, no one knows to tip anyone off. Nothing out of the ordinary. How much will the UK put up with that game? Will they stop the person every time to check? (I assume it has happened before -- _do_ they?)
Suppose not. Then one day at random, Julian shows up, says "Wait a moment," takes the coat, gloves, etc off the coat rack and puts them on himself. He bids the person a good night, asks the person to wait a couple more minutes and sets out the door himself. He's just the guy of the day walking out in the costume of the every-day, and no one knows but himself and the guy he bid good night.
Now what. Now he's "free". In London. He can't board a plane. The only real boats will take him to Finland, Sweden (oops), Denmark, France. What's he going to do? He can't practically travel internationally. It's questionable how much cash he has access to. He won't be able to go anyplace he needs to show ID. (In the US, he couldn't board a Greyhound bus.) Could he rent a car (ID?) to drive the chunnel? Would someone be willing to assist him in these endeavors? Would he be able to board a train once he gets to Europe? The UK was functioning under the same "laws" as Europe, so will any other member states welcome him?
Quite simply, what next? He could be going out to eat twice a week and we just don't know it.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 27 2018, @04:57AM (1 child)
Seriously? Dubya and his puppeteers farked up a simple "buy a bus ticket, get on the bus" for you on top of legalizing sexual assault at the airport? Does anyone inside the US doubt in the slightest that the terr'ists have long since won?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 28 2018, @03:59AM
They say an ID is required, but I've never had to actually present one. That's not to say that the one time you're counting on going somewhere under the radar that they won't want to check it....