Public and Media Still Await the Birth of OpenLeaks

OpenLeaks, the first major rival of the renegade whistleblower website, WikiLeaks, is set to launch sometime in the next several days. OpenLeak's website says simple "Coming Soon."

WikiLeaks, whose founder, Julian Assange, was released on bail in London this week, has been responsible for the public release of hundreds of thousands of pages of classified and secret government documents. The United States is pursuing charges against Assange and is asking England for him to be extradited to the U.S. Assange is also wanted in Sweden on sexual assault charges, which he says are a retaliation for information published on WikiLeaks. The arrest in England was a response to the sex charges, unrelated to the theft of classified documents.

In the midst of all of Assange's legal troubles, several of his staff have left him and formed OpenLeaks. According to a statement, OpenLeaks will address some of the structural issues that troubled its predecessor. OpenLeaks will not publish whistle blower information directly but will disseminate it to major media outlets. OpenLeaks considers itself a conduit for secret information.

OpenLeaks was expected to go live this past Monday, but there is still no indication of activity. Several Twitter accounts have popped up with the OpenLeaks name but the organization has denounced them as fakes.

According to an interview with DN.se, one of the founders of OpenLeaks (whose identity has so far been shielded) said: "As a short-term goal, this is about completing the technical infrastructure and ensuring that the organization continues to be democratically governed by all its members, rather than limited to one group or individual." This statement underscores the alleged rift between Julian Assange and several former WikiLeaks personnel.

While the public awaits the launch of OpenLeaks, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has made several statements to the media earlier this week. Assange has reiterated his position that he is fighting the good fight and that international pressure cannot silence him. Assange is to remain in London in an apartment and wear a tracking device until the extradition question is resolved. He is a citizen of Australia but, to date, that country has not officially asked for his release and repatriation.