Wendy, a possible answer to your final question as to what are the Australian, UK and Swedish governments so afraid of, is that "afraid" is not the right word. Sweden used to have a reputation for fearless neutrality, but those days are long past.
The UK is willing to do almost anything, including breaching Article 22 of the Vienna Convention, to maintain its fading role as a world power. Insofar as it is able to exercise power it is only in conjunction with the US. When the US withholds consent, as it did to great effect in the 1956 Israel, France, UK invasion of Egypt, the UK government rapidly falls into line. Even pretended independence, such as not sending combat troops to Vietnam, was compromised by UK involvement in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand assisting the US war effort.
As to Australia, any suggestion of independence is a sick joke. Ever since 1942 the Americans have told Australian governments to jump and the only response has been "how high?"
Assange represents a threat to the western powers dominance by exposing much of their real motives and conduct. It is that which is unforgivable in their eyes. Accordingly Assange must be removed, by one means or another, as have a very long list of those who annoyed and inconvenienced the Empire in the past.

Steve Hooker was a disaster in the Olympics. But what of our politicians?

To a man and woman, they excel at jumping when told to by the Yanks. They can achieve incredible heights. We now have Yank soldiers on our soil and they have access to our airfields and ports and perhaps Cocos.

Now the British seem to be afflicted by the same problem as Wendy's excellent article attests. They are down on Assange.

I suggest both nations look among politicians for future pole vault champions!

The author says this:

"Julian Assange did not shoot a British policewoman, or anyone for that matter.

How many people died as a result of these most recent leaks?

In this regard Assange has form and is proud of it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/01/julian-assange-wikileaks-afghanistan

Assange released documents in 2007 about Kenya:

"The leak exposed massive corruption by Daniel Arap Moi, and the Kenyan people sat up and took notice. In the ensuing elections, in which corruption became a major issue, violence swept the country. "1,300 people were eventually killed, and 350,000 were displaced. That was a result of our leak," says Assange. It's a chilling statistic, but then he states: "On the other hand, the Kenyan people had a right to that information and 40,000 children a year die of malaria in Kenya. And many more die of money being pulled out of Kenya, and as a result of the Kenyan shilling being debased."

He's a fun guy no matter what you think about transparency of government process.

>"Of what are the Australian, U.K and Swedish governments so afraid?"<

Why, of 'Big Brother', the U.S.A., of course, and specifically of what it plans to do regarding the release of classified security information into the public domain by WikiLeaks, and hence, by Julian Assange.

Sweden may not be so deeply 'in the loop', but the U.K. and Oz certainly are - the loop of engagement with and reliance upon U.S. affiliation, alliance and diplomatic and security support.

From the U.S. point of view, what may be the consequences of letting Julian and WikiLeaks get away with their 'embarrassing' revelations? Could Wiks have yet more sensitive data up its sleeve? U.S. pride has been hurt, and the security of international diplomacy compromised. It is unlikely that the U.S. could simply let this slide.

Hence, the U.S. and Oz have to come clean as to their intentions. Hopefully, 'Whistleblower' provisions could protect Julian and WikiLeaks, and surely it is time for an overhaul of covert operations and a revision and bolstering of facilities for the protection and maintenance of Human Rights in the international arena.

It is time for an end to manipulation, the closure of Guantanamo, and a comprehensive international engagement on the future of humanity - including finding a way to end conflict everywhere and to rid the world of nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass destruction. We need a world order of peace, tolerance and cooperation, and perhaps WikiLeaks has in fact provided the catalyst to push such a future vision to the top of the international agenda.

Good on ya', Saltpeter! You're a man after my own heart!

How come most of the drongos in Ozz can't see what you and I can? Is it genetic or is it all down to indoctrination.

Perhaps when Iran is nuked, some folk will wake up? Nah, they'd just say that it was America and Israel bringing peace to the world.

I hope they go up in the Rapture Fire but it doesn't seem much of a punishment for destroying our whole world, does it?

Cohenite, you are smoking some pretty seriously weird stuff if you can claim that Julian Assange is responsible for a single hurt fingernail, let alone deaths.

He is deemed to be a terrorist by the US because he helped to expose the Collateral Murder tape of the US murdering civilians and journalists in the streets of Baghdad, revealing tens of thousands of covered up deaths by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gillard and Arbib as agents for the US as they conspired to topple Rudd, and so on.

You sort of seem to think that all murders and things should be covered up.

Like today in the SMH there is a letter claiming that Israeli soldiers have to torture Palestinian children because the children throw stones.

How about this, if you want to remain wilfully ignorant be my guest but keep your ignorant ramblings to yourself.