The " Spy Game " writ large !

The Julian Assange story reads like the plot from a James Bond movie.    This young Australian computer geek and friends develops a taste for using computer skills to reveal secrets that important people would prefer to be kept hidden away.   Early successes bring WikiLeaks - the name of his organization - into media prominence and Assange becomes something of a celebrity.

Somewhere along the line he manages to recruit a low level member of the American defence forces who happens to be working in military data processing.   This young man successfully penetrates the inner sanctum of American diplomatic cables and other sensitive material, which he records under the guise of pretending to be listening to Lady Ga-Ga discs.

WikiLeaks publishes this on the Internet and sets off a diplomatic storm.  In American security eyes, Assange becomes that country's prime enemy, replacing the late Osama bin Laden at the top of the " wanted " list. State security plots ways and means to take him down, and Assange takes his security seriously.  He retains a public profile, but he moves from country to country constantly.

Suddenly, a threat emerges.   Two Swedish women file a sexual complaint against Assange and this is investigated by the Swedish police - and dismissed.     It is claimed that America exerted diplomatic pressure on Sweden and suddenly this sexual complaint takes on new life and an extradition order is served on Britain to deport Assange for trial.   It is widely believed that this is a ploy to get Assange onto Swedish soil where a deportation to America would be successful.

Aware that under the American court system he could be tried for espionage and face the death penalty, Assange begins a series of appeals within the British court system, each failing and steadily reducing his chances of ever again tasting freedom.     When the last appeal is quashed, Assange plays his trump card.
He flees to the safety of the Ecuadoran embassy in London, and applies for Asylum under the United Nations Human Rights declaration.

Of course this is a novel still to be completed.   If Ecuador grants his request he will probably be moved to that country under diplomatic protection, but that is not entirely a guarantee of safety.   Assange is firmly in the sights of the American defence system - and they have ways of settling problems.   Osama bin Laden thought he was safe in Pakistan - until the Navy Seals came knocking at his door.  Many of America's enemies have assumed that they were out of reach of it's long arms - until a silent drone released a Hellfire missile !

The only question is whether the Assange story will feature in a movie now, or whether Hollywood will keep it's powder dry - and wait for the inevitable final conclusion before filming starts !