Comments on: Virgin: Robinson stopped because of “response from security services”

By: gapot

gapot — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:37:04 +0000

OK whats the problem with my comment

By: johnb78

johnb78 — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:49:45 +0000

Virgin Atlantic has a great many flights from London to the US. Therefore, it presumably has computer systems that will reveal when an ‘inhibited’ person tries to check in for a flight. If I had to bet on what’s going on here, then I’d go for:
1) the Yanks have put Robinson on the inhibited list, despite being no kind of terrorist threat, due to their general Wikileaks petulance; and
2) either Virgin has an internal policy of refusing to fly anyone on the inhibited list anywhere, or ground crew and managers in LHR on the day misunderstood what the ‘inhibited’ flag on their database meant and thought it applied to all flights everywhere.

By: sardine

sardine — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:19:00 +0000

Perhaps someone needs to ask the US embassy or have DFAT ask the US. The Brits wouldn’t have done it as they know where she, when she is going to travel, when she checks in, etc. Australia would know as that’s the destination, but the one country that really cares about Assange and Wikileaks is the US and they don’t get European flight details unless the flight is going to the US, so this is way of being able to keep tabs on her wherever in the world she goes. It also fits with the US campaign of fear and intimidation when it comes to Assange and Wikileaks.

Notice how the people denying involvement don’t go so far as to say who flagged her in the database, which they will all be able to see.

By: Jean

Jean — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:54:40 +0000

Is there anyone at all who feels more secure after going through airport security? Offended, insulted, grumbling while putting the belt and shoes back on …. my favourite is when a woman in a headscarf is on duty to check that I am not an Islamic terrorist.
Welcome to the world of air travel, lawyer lady.
Don’t hint to them that a biro could be used to poke someone in the eye, or they’ll leave you with nothing to fill out your arrival card with.

By: gapot

gapot — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:27:01 +0000

A week before this problem at Heathrow Ms Robinson went to Holland to attend a conference about the invasion of WEST PAPUA by the Indonesians. She had no problem flying from the UK to Holland, so the allert must have been issued after that. The Australian government on advice from Washington wants to sweep the WEST PAPUA invasion out of the media and have stated that its none of our business to interfere with the way Indonesia treates the native people in WEST PAPUA

By: Graeme Harrison

Graeme Harrison — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:08:59 +0000

The good bit is that it may bring the Assange issue to the fore for the Australian government and DFAT.

Once DFAT is brought kicking and screaming to the issue of how they allow allies to bully Australian citizens (who’ve done nothing illegal) for ‘security’ (not law enforcement)… they will have to come out on the side of Robinson, and be critical of whichever ally made the wrong call (failing to follow the rule of law, etc).

Then it will bring Julian’s position to the head. How come any Australian government could fully abandon a citizen who was simply acting as a journalist, publishing material of public concern that was brought to his attention. Yes, the US may have a right to punish whistleblower Manning (but not torture him), but it has no greater right to punish Assange than the New York Times or the other news outlets which published some of their confidential data, as that is what Assange did.

And I don’t think Scandinavians realise just how much their normally good position on citizen rights has been damaged as a result of Sweden’s dogged pursuit of Assange, seeking extradition for something that is not even an offence anywhere else but Sweden.

By: willybach

willybach — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:53:22 +0000

In all events, Australia has already experienced a cowboy Attorney General who made the law up in the shower. His name was Phillip Ruddock. Who can forget him? If Nicola Roxon is going to attempt, even subtly, to ‘inhibit’ (that word again) or pervert the course of justice at the behest of Washington, she is going to be setting the bar to a new low. It will be flat-out limbo-dancing for Australia on just about anything the US Commander-in-Chief demands of us. No thanks, I think I’d like a full disclosure in Parliament of this whole despicable incident.

By: botswana bob

botswana bob — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 11:37:13 +0000

As Alice observed about Wonderland, It gets curiouser and curiouser. Its the usual response of bureaucracies–pass the parcel to someone else. Virgin says ask U K Border Security,they say we know nothing and the Australian government says, we know nuthin’ about it mate. Well unless a security guard acted on his own initiative, it looks like the security services of the Home of Freedom & Democracy. Reports are that Robinson had words with U S Attorney-General Holder, and voicing opinions not liked by a government official nowadays is likely enough to get one on an official S**T list.
Now that Virgin has confirmed it happened, hopefully we won’t hear from the usual suspects that Robinson made it up. Hopefully the Greens will pursue the matter, as the likelihood of Dillard doing anything and Abbo pursuing the matter are as likely as George Pell being correct about climate change.

By: Matthew of Canberra

Matthew of Canberra — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 10:14:55 +0000

I see NOBODY’S blaming the CIA. That mean they did it, for sure!

Has anyone thought to ask bob brown? He’s the man with all the good agency contacts. He could just bring it up at the next debriefing or something.

By: Greg Jones

Greg Jones — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 09:35:34 +0000

You are more than likely correct, but nothing short of full disclosure and a comprehensive investigation by the Australian Govt is needed right here and now to discover exactly which department, foreign secret service or otherwise, is responsible for her detention.

We need action from the Australian Govt now!