Bush Boycotts Conference with Assange
The Daily Mail reports:
George W Bush has cancelled a scheduled appearance at a conference tomorrow because Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is on the same bill.
The former U.S. president was due to attend an education discussion in Denver but today released a statement saying he did not want to share the same forum with someone who has 'wilfully and repeatedly done great harm to the interests of the U.S'.
Assange is in Britain, where he is fighting extradition to Sweden where he will have to face charges of rape.
He was due to appear today via video conference but it was unclear whether or not it went ahead.
WikiLeaks has released tens of thousands of secret U.S. government and military documents and it is strongly believed that if he is extradited to the U.S. from Sweden, he could face the death penalty.
Spokesman for George Bush David Sherzer said he learned of Assange's invitation only this week.
He said: 'Six months ago, President Bush accepted an invitation to speak to the YPO Global Leadership Summit in Denver on February 26, 2011.
'This week, upon learning that Julian Assange had recently been invited to address the same summit, President Bush decided to cancel his appearance.
'The former president has no desire to share a forum with a man who has wilfully and repeatedly done great harm to the interests of the United States.'
Approximately 2,000 members and invited guests from more than 75 countries were due to attend the annual YPO Global Leadership Summit.
