We're not after Assange: US ambassador

4 Jul 2012, 6:47 pm   -   Source: AAP
(AAP)

(AAP)

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is not being targeted by the United States government, US ambassador Jeffrey Bleich says.

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is not being targeted by the United States government, US ambassador Jeffrey Bleich says.

Mr Assange has sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in an attempt to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations.

He fears removal to Sweden could lead to extradition to the US to face charges for WikiLeaks' release of secret diplomatic cables.

But while visiting Mr Assange's home state of Queensland on Wednesday, Mr Bleich said the US has no plans to try to extradite him.

"I'm always surprised by the discussion about Julian Assange here, because for one thing, there has not been an indictment issued against Julian Assange," he told AAP during Independence Day celebrations in Brisbane.

Mr Bleich said investigations were centred around US soldier Bradley Manning, not Mr Assange, over the theft of classified information.

He said investigations might eventually include other people, but currently the US government was not interested in his extradition saga.

"If we were going to extradite him, we could extradite him as easily from the UK or from Sweden, so we have no interest at all in that proceeding," he said.

US Consul General for NSW and Queensland Niels Marquardt says US citizens aren't interested in what's happening with Mr Assange.

"He's not the household name in the US that you might think," he said.

The comments support those made by Foreign Minister Bob Carr last month, who said he was not aware of any plan to extradite Mr Assange to the US.

Julian Assange

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