Julian Assange faces extradition for sex crimes

A British judge ruled that the Wiki leaks founder can be extradited to Sweden. Assange's lawyer will request. 

Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden in a sex crimes investigation, a British judge ruled Thursday, rejecting claims by the Wiki Leaks founder that he would not look a fair trial there. 

Assange's lawyer said he would appeal.
Judge Howard Riddle said the allegations of rape and sexual molestation by two women beside Assange meet the definition of extraditable offenses and said the Swedish warrant had been properly issued and was valid. 

Assange, 39, a key number in the release of tens of thousands of secret U.S. government and military documents, has been out on security during the extradition fight. 

He has seven days to request the ruling in British courts. 

After inquiry three days of testimony this month, Riddle concluded "there is simply no reason to believe there has been a mistake" about the European Arrest Warrant issued by Swedish authorities. 

In his judgment, the judge dismantled the defense case against extradition point by point. He abandoned the claim that comments made against Assange by Swedish prosecutors and politicians would pervert the course of justice. 

Assange's lawyers also said that Sweden's institution of hearing rape cases behind closed doors meant he would not get a fair trial, but Riddle said the practice was frequent in Sweden. 

Wiki Leaks has released tens of thousands of U.S. military documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and on U.S. political efforts worldwide, deeply angering U.S. officials. 

"If he comes to Sweden I think he has great chances of being untied," Hurtig said. "And I will be waiting for him, ready to fight for him tooth and nail.

"
Smith said Assange remains welcome at his residence".

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Bomb Exploded outside school in northwest Pakistan kills 1

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: A bomb on a horse drawn cart exploded outside a school in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing one person and wounding 14 others and including children’s. 

One of the children was in serious condition, hospital official Sahib Gul said. 

The identity of the man killed in the attack in main northwestern city of Peshawar was not instantly known. 

In this blast, this also killed the horse, broke windows in the school.
No one claimed responsibility, but Islamist militants will be the chief suspects. 

Al-Qaida and Taliban extremists have basis close to Peshawar in Pakistan's border regions with Afghanistan. 

They have agreed out hundreds of bombings over the last three years, many of them in Peshawar. 

It was blurred if the school was the target, but militants have frequently bombed schools in the region, either because the army often converts them into bases or because they oppose the education of girls. 

U.S. plans to send 1,400 extra troops to Afghanistan

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, “The United States plans to send 1,400 additional Marines to Afghanistan to boost its struggle forces ahead of the spring fighting season.

The United States, which lead a 2001 attack of Afghanistan that toppled the Taliban, has about 100,000 troops in the country, and President Barack Obama is under stress to show results so he can begin a promised withdrawal this year.

"The Marine battalion could start arriving on the ground as early as mid January. The forces would mostly be deployed in the south, around Kandahar, where the U.S. has determined troops over the past several months." the paper said. It cited unidentified officials.

The Taliban are at their strongest since they were ousted form power, while operations against the insurgency have intensified since 2008. More than 700 foreign troops were killed in Afghanistan last year, and civilian wounded were at record levels.

Obama said last month, that enough progress was being made in the operation to meet his pledge to start withdrawing U.S. troops by July and hand over security to Afghan forces by 2014.