POLITICS: Is Palin Condoning Assassinating Assange?

Sarah Palin yesterday accused Julian Assange of a "treasonous" act, and urged the US to "use all necessary means" to hunt him down like an al-Qaeda terrorist. Sounds an awful lot like calling for Assange to be taken out, notes Peter Grier at the Christian Science Monitor. Palin is also pushing a link on her Facebook page to William Kristol's position that the CIA "neutralize" the WikiLeaks founder.

Assange hasn't yet been charged with a crime linked to the leaks, notes Grier. In any case, the US can't charge him with "treason" because treason only occurs when a citizen turns on his own country, and Assange is a citizen of Australia. "Death to Assange" seems to be a growing drumbeat among conservatives, notes the Monitor. While Bill O'Reilly has called for his trial and execution, Palin and Kristol appear to be leaning to something decidedly extra-judicial.