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Julian Assange is 'no hero': America's former head of intelligence says what Wikileaks founder did was wrong and illegal and 'assets' in Afghanistan will have died because of his actions
The former head of US intelligence slammed the celebrations surrounding the release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange this week and called the Australian 'no hero.'
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today show, James Clapper, who served as head of the intelligence community under former President Barack Obama, called Assange's actions wrong and illegal.
Clapper went on to say that US assets in Afghanistan were likely killed due to Wikileaks revealing their identities in government documents.
Those comments were made just hours before Assange touched down in Canberra as a free man where he was greeted by family members as well as throngs of supporters.
'There is somewhat of a religious argument here between those who are proponents of transparency and those who are concerned about security. This is an endless argument. I understand what they are saying but I don't think he is a hero,' Clapper said.
'What he did was wrong and illegal and one of our federal grand juries saw fit to indict him on 18 charges, espionage-related charges. The concern that we have is the potential identity and compromise of assets, (the) Iraqis and Afghans who were helping us, as well as jeopardizing sources and methods.'
Former director of National Intelligence James Clapper, pictured alongside former FBI director James Comey, gave his views on Assange Wednesday morning in an interview with the BBC
Clapper was then asked if he felt as though people died due to Assange and Wikileaks' methods.
'I imagine there are some people because they were identified as having helped us and they were doing that on a clandestine basis - when they were outed I can imagine that some of them may have lost their lives given the situation particularly in Afghanistan,' he replied.
Assange has been accused of having a laissez faire attitude towards the safety of Afghan assets. He was once asked by a reporter about the risks to their lives.
'Well, they're informants. So, if they get killed, they've got it coming to them. They deserve it,' he said, according to The Guardian.
Assange was released from Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom on Monday and from there flown to Thailand en route to the US territory of Saipan in the south Pacific.
On Wednesday morning, he appeared before a federal judge where he pleaded guilty to one count regarding espionage. He will not serve any jail time in the US.
After his appearance, Assange boarded a flight to Australia where he will reunite with his wife, Stella, and their children.
During his interview with Today, Clapper said that the agreement which saw Assange plead guilty is 'important to a lot of people.'
The WikiLeaks founder has just been released without probation or supervision after a hearing in a US federal court on the Pacific island of Saipan
Assange is taken to the airport in time to catch Flight VJT199 to Canberra, which departed at 1pm on Wednesday, local time
Clapper seen standing far right alongside former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as they watch video showing the mission to take Osama Bin Laden in 2011
While in the Obama administration, Clapper was accused of masterminding a mass surveillance program of US citizens and then lying about it during a congressional grilling in 2013.
Clapper was asked by Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat, if the NSA collects 'any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans.'
'No sir,' Mr. Clapper responded. 'Not wittingly'
Classified documents leaked to the media revealed three months later that the NSA had been compelling U.S. telecommunication providers for copies of telephone records, known as metadata, for essentially every call and text occurring over domestic networks.
Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, identified himself as the source of the leaked NSA documents, including material detailing the metadata collection program, shortly after they were first reported by The Guardian in June 2013.
He was criminally charged while traveling abroad and has not returned to the United States.
In a separate interview on CNN's Laura Coates Live on Tuesday night, Clapper conceded that Assange had 'sort of paid his dues already.'
Former Vice President Mike Pence echoed Clapper sentiment on a post on X
Clapper added that the plea deal worked out well for the Department of Justice as it included a guilty plea.
'I think critical to this was his plea of one count of espionage. I think the law enforcement community and the Intelligence Community wouldn’t have bought into this without that.'
'But he has served essentially seven years of incarceration in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He was released from that and then the Brits arrested him. He did 62 months in jail. Hard time in London. So, he has sort of, you know, paid his dues.'
Assange was previously indicted on 18 charges, 17 involving espionage and one involving computer misuse.
Clapper sentiments were echoed by former Vice President Mike Pence.
'Julian Assange endangered the lives of our troops in a time of war and should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' the former Indiana governor wrote in a post on X.
'The Biden administration's plea deal with Assange is a miscarriage of justice and dishonors the service and sacrifice of the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.'
'There should be no plea deals to avoid prison for anyone that endangers the security of our military or the national security of the United States. Ever.'
Pence's viewpoint was shared by former CIA analyst Gail Helt who explicitly stated: 'Folks. Julian Assange is not a hero.'
'He is a despicable Russian asset who harmed hundreds of people and dismissed them like they didn't matter.'
'I'm okay with the plea agreement because I hope it means I'll see his name in my social media feeds a lot less, but let's not venerate the man. He caused great harm.'