Bug found in Ecuador's Embassy in UK

[questionmark]

A hidden microphone has been found inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is holed up, according to the country's foreign minister.

Ricardo Patiño said the device had been discovered a fortnight ago inside the office of the Ecuadorean ambassador, Ana Alban, while he was in the UK to meet Assange and discuss the whistleblower's plight with the British foreign secretary, William Hague.

"We regret to inform you that in our embassy in London we have found a hidden microphone," Patiño told a news conference in Quito on Tuesday.

Read more

[freetoroam]

So someone paid someone to spy on someone in the embassy and that someone said yes. Would it be surprising if someone from the embassy did NOT know about the bug.....nope!

Well its not quite Watergate.

[stevewinn]

suspend the status of the Ecuadorian embassy, and send in the police arrest Assange and deport him, problem solved, done and dusted.

[questionmark]

suspend the status of the Ecuadorian embassy, and send in the police arrest Assange and deport him, problem solved, done and dusted.

Problem is that after diplomatic rules, if relations get suspended another country takes over the interests of Ecuador (i.e. Switzerland for the US in Iran), Assange is still there, can't be arrested and the damage to relations with Ecuador are irreparable.

Brilliant idea my mucker, very brilliant.

[Space Commander Travis]

Oh dear. Still, it's not uncommon in these older properties with less conscientious landlords. Perhaps they could try a reputable brand of Insect repellent.

[stevewinn]

Problem is that after diplomatic rules, if relations get suspended another country takes over the interests of Ecuador (i.e. Switzerland for the US in Iran), Assange is still there, can't be arrested and the damage to relations with Ecuador are irreparable.

Brilliant idea my mucker, very brilliant.

no, its very simple, we suspend the embassy status, it then just becomes another building like anyother other, the police enter and arrest Assange, and we hand him over, who cares if relations with Ecuador are damaged. who the hell is Ecuador, to many politicians these days are more concerned with what others think. we should just get on with the job in hand. we've got four police officers on guard 24/7 waiting at the embassy in case Assange tries to leave once he steps out the door he can be arrested. in my view within hours of him fleeing into the embassy we should have acted. it would have been over and done with months ago, over 12 months ago in fact.

[questionmark]

no, its very simple, we suspend the embassy status, it then just becomes another building like anyother other, the police enter and arrest Assange, and we hand him over, who cares if relations with Ecuador are damaged. who the hell is Ecuador, to many politicians these days are more concerned with what others think. we should just get on with the job in hand. we've got four police officers on guard 24/7 waiting at the embassy in case Assange tries to leave once he steps out the door he can be arrested. in my view within hours of him fleeing into the embassy we should have acted. it would have been over and done with months ago, over 12 months ago in fact.

So, why was that not done in past cases? Because the building still is sovereign territory of Ecuador just as any former British embassy where Britain does not have any diplomatic relations. And until Britain does not break relationships with all suitable representatives that can take over the representation of Ecuador it will remain that way. That is why we had those hundreds of people in Western representations in the East Block during the cold war. The only way to change that is that Ecuador renounces the building. As long as Assange is in there I doubt that will happen.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

So, why was that not done in past cases? Because the building still is sovereign territory of Ecuador just as any former British embassy where Britain does not have any diplomatic relations. And until Britain does not break relationships with all suitable representatives that can take over the representation of Ecuador it will remain that way. That is why we had those hundreds of people in Western representations in the East Block during the cold war. The only way to change that is that Ecuador renounces the building. As long as Assange is in there I doubt that will happen.

Given the way he's been behaving, I'd say they'll renounce Assange.

[little_dreamer]

I wonder how all of this is affecting foreigners living in Ecuador. Plenty of people retire there since it is so cheap.

[Frank Merton]

So someone paid someone to spy on someone in the embassy and that someone said yes. Would it be surprising if someone from the embassy did NOT know about the bug.....nope!

Well its not quite Watergate.

If it is such that they are able to find it then they put it there.

[questionmark]

If it is such that they are able to find it then they put it there.

Well, I would not have put it on the blackboard and would have used it to send MI5 on a wild goose chase.

[Space Commander Travis]

If it is such that they are able to find it then they put it there.

indeed, the CIA or MI5 or NSA or whoever you like can bug people in much more discreet ways without having to do all the old fashioned things like planting hidden mcirophones, as we all know.

[questionmark]

indeed, the CIA or MI5 or NSA or whoever you like can bug people in much more discreet ways without having to do all the old fashioned things like planting hidden mcirophones, as we all know.

Mostly unsuspecting people is who they can bug in a more effective way, those who expect it (i.e. Embassies) cannot, they are perfectly capable of even finding the latest technology... if they suspect something is going on.

[Space Commander Travis]

Well, exactly; throw them an obvious bug, like something out of a 1970s spy movie, and let them think that they've got that sorted, and then carry on eavesdropping on them by the real, rather more sophisticated, methods at your disposal.

[questionmark]

Well, exactly; throw them an obvious bug, like something out of a 1970s spy movie, and let them think that they've got that sorted, and then carry on eavesdropping on them by the real, rather more sophisticated, methods at your disposal.

More likely is: improvise what you can and it will last while it lasts.

[SolarPlexus]

no, its very simple, we suspend the embassy status, it then just becomes another building like anyother other, the police enter and arrest Assange, and we hand him over, who cares if relations with Ecuador are damaged. who the hell is Ecuador, ....

I don't understand your frustration with Assange... Even if you don't agree with the man, it's much easier to brand him a rapist and junkie, and let him live in the embassy than endangering your international relations with South America.

[stevewinn]

I don't understand your frustration with Assange... Even if you don't agree with the man, it's much easier to brand him a rapist and junkie, and let him live in the embassy than endangering your international relations with South America.

well the Laws of this land have decided he as a case to answer and should be handed over to Sweden. what you have to remember is south American countries love the anti USA posturing, and playing to the anti American gallery around the world. why do you think Assange, and now Edward Snowdon try to get to these countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina. on the the Edward Snowdon case, - Bolivia have said they would offer him asylum. just this week Bolivian politician and Ex-president Evo Morales was forced to land in Vienna, because the French Spanish and Italians refused the right for his plane to pass through their airspace because they believed he might be stowing Edward Snowdon aboard. both Assange and Snowdon have broken the rules and its high time they faced the consequences.

[The Silver Thong]

well the Laws of this land have decided he as a case to answer and should be handed over to Sweden. what you have to remember is south American countries love the anti USA posturing, and playing to the anti American gallery around the world. why do you think Assange, and now Edward Snowdon try to get to these countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina. on the the Edward Snowdon case, - Bolivia have said they would offer him asylum. just this week Bolivian politician and Ex-president Evo Morales was forced to land in Vienna, because the French Spanish and Italians refused the right for his plane to pass through their airspace because they believed he might be stowing Edward Snowdon aboard. both Assange and Snowdon have broken the rules and its high time they faced the consequences.

They broke the rules no. They exposed those that broke the rules and that is there crime. Rolling over and playing dead so big government can do as it pleases is not in the rule books. I want more of this to happen and whistle blower protection is now a joke. All of this just stinks of do not talk back to the government. It`s like saying do as I say not as I do.

[Clarakore]

The Bolivian bug could have been planted by Bolivians themselves for they have their own internal political rivalries. They after all have the most access to their own embassy. The timing of its discovery should not automatically implicate the global north.

Edited July 6, 2013 by The world needs you

[SolarPlexus]

well the Laws of this land have decided he as a case to answer and should be handed over to Sweden. what you have to remember is south American countries love the anti USA posturing, and playing to the anti American gallery around the world. why do you think Assange, and now Edward Snowdon try to get to these countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Argentina. on the the Edward Snowdon case, - Bolivia have said they would offer him asylum. just this week Bolivian politician and Ex-president Evo Morales was forced to land in Vienna, because the French Spanish and Italians refused the right for his plane to pass through their airspace because they believed he might be stowing Edward Snowdon aboard. both Assange and Snowdon have broken the rules and its high time they faced the consequences.

Yo bro what rules ? They exposed all the s*** to the public, things that the public has every right to know else this turns into an Orwellian nightmare.

[Space Commander Travis]

The Bolivian bug could have been planted by Bolivians themselves for they have their own internal political rivalries. They after all have the most access to their own embassy. The timing of its discovery should not automatically implicate the global north.

And like i said, the NSA/CIA/Whoever would have far more subtle ways of bugging anyone than planting a bun that even the Bolivians could find.

[Space Commander Travis]

* Bug, not bun.

[stevewinn]

Yo bro what rules ? They exposed all the s*** to the public, things that the public has every right to know else this turns into an Orwellian nightmare.

They broke the rules no. They exposed those that broke the rules and that is there crime. Rolling over and playing dead so big government can do as it pleases is not in the rule books. I want more of this to happen and whistle blower protection is now a joke. All of this just stinks of do not talk back to the government. It`s like saying do as I say not as I do.

in answer to both posts. well, it seems Assange and Snowdon are wanted on criminal charges. Assange for more than just wikileaks, - why dont they have their day in court. where we can see all the evidence and make a firm judgment. all this so called whistle blowing and then going on the run, whats the point. just whistle blow stand by that decision and face the music.

[SolarPlexus]

What the government is doing is criminal, not Assange/Manning/Snowden. They'll never get a fair trial in the US, are you saying you wouldn't run? Your entire post is hard to take seriously.

[Space Commander Travis]

I think Assange, Manning & Snowden are three quite distinct cases, really. While what Manning, as a serving soldier, did could certainyl be construed as Treason, on the other hand some, at least, of the things that he revealed were things that should have been known and brought to light some very questionable activities by the US Forces, (looking at his biography on Wiki the Pedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Manning, you do wonder why on earth he ever joined the Army) (and how on earth they ever gave him Top Secret clearance); and Assange, since he's not an American, couldn't be described as a Traitor, and again, some of things he's revealed have been worthwhile, and the way that they've tried to pin some very shaky accusations on him does stink of dirty tricks. But I think Snowden does seem to have been rather naive in being shocked at finding out that the CIA and NSA spy on people, and he could do serious harm to the intelligence services. So I think they are all distinctly seperate cases.