The US needs Australia as much as the reverse. We have ports in the western Pacific and critical minerals. We could get the British subs not the US equivalent. Therefore Australia should play its cards by demanding, not requesting, the release of Assange.

I also question whether the supposed crime of spy endangerment is as heinous as war crime. According to the US whistle blowing deserves 170 years in Gitmo but shooting at unarmed civilians from a helicopter is a hiccup. Instead of us all kowtowing to the US perhaps they should be tried.

Albanese loves India, China, Open Borders, Net Zero, Gender Equality, Identity Politics, all of that stuff, it's in his DNA.

But, realistically, he knows we are an American not a Chinese ally, and that's also what voters want, they say it in poll after poll. The idea that Assange would have us making a "new defence assessment" is too ridiculous. It would make a lovely seminar at ANU, but it's not happening

Assange wouldn't be "languishing" if he had faced the music years ago.

Good on the US for sticking to its guns. Assange is a fool and a rotter of the first order; an embarrassment to Australia.

"The strength of the US-Australian relationship is sliding backwards…".

Twaddle! And who are "really" our friends in the region? China? There's not much to pick from other than the US. A few Pacific islands; New Zealand with a single-shot .22 in its arsenal. Totally useless the lot of them. Without America, we are stuffed.

The utterance that "We are to believe that exposing US war crimes is a more serious offense (sic) than committing war crimes ….. " is typically of this writer's juvenile ramblings; as is dragging up the tired old rubbish about Vietnam and Afghanistan. If we had not been involved in those actions with our only true ally, we would be a satellite of Communist China by now. We don't help America, America doesn't help us.

Even Hunter himself realises "how susceptible Australia is", before he wanders off to mumble about Ukraine and NATO - nothing to do with the topic, and Assange apparently forgotten, proving as usual, that Murray Hunter's main aim is just to rubbish Australia at every opportunity.

No new US defence pact needed! And criminal bail jumper Assange should have his day in court to defend his actions.

A good defence lawyer should be able to have him repatriated to Australia to do whatever jail time required.

A prison farm minus any computer access would do it for me along with time served.

In time he could be quietly paroled om the grounds of compliant good behaviour?
Alan B.

Assange is not a citizen of the US therefore in my opinion he cannot be charged with treason.
When the alleged "offense" occurred he was not resident in the US and is therefore not subject to any kind of US law and criminal charges, including espionage.

Assange's actions most certainly caused the deaths of many covert operatives. I find it very interesting how the opinions of some Assange supporters contrast with how they regard the trial of other offenders.

Take George Pell for example. When he was in Rome the view of some Assange supporters was that he was a dirty pedo guy hiding from justice. When he faced an appauling (note the "Paul" in that word) standard of justice the view of some Assange supporters was that we should respect the decisions of our courts. When acquitted by the High Court the view of some Assange supporters was that George Pell got off on a technicality, in this instance the technicality of being not guilty.

When it comes to crimes like past Aboriginal massacres, the view of some Assange supporters is that the guilt of these crimes should be inherited by all non-indigenous Australians in perpetuity.

Oh my goodness, but how differently do these same people think of justice when it comes to old Jules eh? The poor guy has suffered long enough. His alleged crimes happened such a long time ago that they should be forgotten (like his victims presumably). He never harmed anyone, and if he did it was in a country where the United States has no jurisdiction (getting off on a technicality in the true sense of the meaning). Jules has no problem facing justice and would never hide from it, but he'd never get a fair trial.

To me, Assange is a pathetic loathsome coward. I applaud the United States for their resolve in extraditing Assange to face trial for his conduct.