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 takyon on Thursday December 27 2018, @04:36AM (1 child)
International law is a farce. Realpolitik is how the world actually works.
London cops could just train an infrared imager on the embassy and see that a human was being smuggled in a bag. Then they would arrest both people. And Ecuador can't do shit about it. UK would face no real consequences and could veto anything that comes up before the UN Security Council (but nothing would come up).
But the scenario is academic. In reality, the current Ecuadorean government is tired of Assange and wants closer ties with the UK. They are closer than ever to getting rid of him. Assange is lucky they haven't just kicked him out onto the street with no warning. Maybe they will get something in return from the UK if they handle it the right way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/world/americas/julian-assange-ecuador-lenin-moreno.html [nytimes.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by legont on Friday December 28 2018, @04:39AM
https://www.cbrneportal.com/tradition-or-threat-the-diplomatic-pouch-and-the-potential-for-rn-smuggling/ [cbrneportal.com]
It appears that so far nobody ever tried to challenge the rule, even the US. It may change all right, but it would be big - way bigger than some guy in an obscure embassy.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.