Assange threatens to name Arab leaders with CIA ties

Updated at: 1254 PST,  Monday, January 03, 2011  LONDON: Julian Assange, the founder of whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, came out swinging against some high-level Arab officials in an interview with an Arab TV Channel, saying they maintain close ties with the CIA and are spies for the U.S. intelligence agency in their respective countries. Top officials in several Arab countries have close links with the CIA, and many officials keep visiting U.S. embassies in their respective countries voluntarily to establish links with CIA. These officials are spies for the U.S. in their countries, he was quoted in media reports as saying in the interview. Assange also alleged that a number of Arab countries run special torture centers where U.S. authorities dispatch suspects for "interrogation and torture." The WikiLeaks founder did not disclose the identities of Arab officials with alleged links to the CIA. The interviewer said Assange had previously showed him documents with some of their names.