WikiLeaks boss has been severly criticised in new book, which alleges that he wore women's clothing to evade American intelligence agents
WikiLeaks boss has been severly criticised in new book, which alleges that he wore women's clothing to evade American intelligence agentsHere's one leak Julian Assange may really not appreciate.
The WikiLeaks founder dressed as a woman to evade US intelligence officers whom he swore were following him, according to excerpts from a new book written by two journalists.
The book also reveals that Assange did not know his biological dad till the age of 25The journalists, David Leigh and Luke Harding wrote the book Wikileaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy after spending months with the unpredictable figure who began the secret-spilling agency.
The disguise, according to their sources, came despite no sign of obvious pursuit by anyone much less American agents.
"You can't imagine how ridiculous it was," said WikiLeaks' data analyst James Ball. "He'd stayed dressed up as an old woman for more than two hours."
Finding his rootsHe may not often be spotted dressing like a woman, but Assange has often spoken of his suspicion that Americans are trying to have him killed, or capture him.
Despite his paranoia, according to the book excerpts, there was one person he wanted to find: his father, John Shipton, whom he didn't meet until he was 25.
Shipton, according to one friend, was like a mirror shining back at Julian.
Shipton met Assange's mother, Christine, at an anti-Vietnam war demonstration in 1970, according to the book.
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After they separated, Christine married Brett Assange, an actor who took the family on his travels across the country.
After Brett left her, Christine reportedly became involved with an amateur musician, who according to Julian Assange, seemed like "a manipulative psychopath".
Once he reunited with his father, the two seemed close early on.
Despite having no contact with Shipton for the first quarter-of-a-century of his life, Assange only months later registered wikileaks.org under his father's name.
However, that wasn't the only pseudonym he would use.
In 2006, Assange used the name Harry Harrison for his online dating profile which when discovered last year was a hit among journalists who gawked at his awkwardness.
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"WARNING: Want a regular, down to earth guy? Keep moving," he wrote. "I am danger, Achtung!"
Spirit of '76Julian Assange boasted that his site would have been embraced by the Founding Fathers. "In fact, our founding values are those of the US revolution," he said during an interview.
