Assange says he didn't encourage leak of secrets

[January 29, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says once again he's done nothing wrong in releasing secret U.S. documents, noting he's never asked anyone to take the classified material.

Assange, in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" scheduled to air Sunday, denied encouraging anyone to leak the secret U.S. military and diplomatic material.

Assange's latest comments come in response to a U.S. criminal investigation into how WikiLeaks obtained the documents. Assange has called that investigation harassment.

Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed details about the Twitter accounts of Assange and Pfc. Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst who is in custody and is suspected of giving WikiLeaks the classified documents. Attorney General Eric Holder has vowed that anyone found to have violated U.S. law in the leaks will be prosecuted.

[Associated Press]

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