Assange blasts "absurd" bid to class WikiLeaks a hostile intelligence service

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange slammed efforts to officially class his whistleblowing organization as a “non-state hostile intelligence service” – branding it an attempt to put the "Pompeo Doctrine" into law. The Senate Intelligence Committee is proposing a provision in its annual "intelligence authorization" bill to declare WikiLeaks as such. Assange tweeted a statement describing it as “absurd” to brand media organizations in such a way. “It is equivalent to suggesting that the CIA is a media organization. Publishers publish what they obtain,” Assange said. “Intelligence agencies do not.” In April, CIA Director Mike Pompeo branded WikiLeaks a "hostile non-state intelligence agency" which should not be afforded the protections of the First Amendment under the constitution.