Le Monde, France

Le Monde Names Julian Assange Man of the Year

"Watching him work, one discovers a gifted, ultra-efficient professional: once he begins a project, he dedicates himself to it completely, night and day, to the point of exhaustion. When asked what exactly he does, Assange's response is long, but precise: 'I'm an activist, journalist, a software programmer and expert in cryptography, specializing in systems designed to protect the defenders of human rights.'"

By Yves Eudes

Translated By Mary Kenney

December 24, 2010

France - Le Monde - Original Article (French)

One of the five-member newspaper consortium publishing U.S. diplomatic cables leaked by his organization, Le Monde has chosen Julian Assange its 2010 Man of the Year. LE MONDE VIDEO [FRENCH ONLY]: Editor Sylvia Kauffmann explains why Le Monde named Julian Assange as its 2010 Man of the Year, Dec. 24, 00:02:52

Below is an excerpt from the portrait that Le Monde Magazine, in its December 25 edition, dedicated to Julian Assange:

Tall, thin and elegant, Julian Assange, founder and chief of WikiLeaks, first of all strikes his interlocutors as a talented speaker with a deep and sober voice, who knows how to conduct himself with rigor, humor, emotion - but also sarcasm. Watching him work, one discovers a gifted, ultra-efficient professional: once he begins a project, he dedicates himself to it completely, night and day, to the point of exhaustion.

When asked what exactly he does, Assange's response is long, but precise: "I'm an activist, journalist, a software programmer and expert in cryptography, specializing in systems designed to protect the defenders of human rights." WikiLeaks, a site dedicated to disclosing confidential documents, is the fruit of his unique mélange of skills, acquired over the course of an uncommon life.

Born in 1971 in a small Australian city, Julian Assange had a nomadic childhood, because his mother traveled non-stop across the country. As an adolescent, he discovered computer networks and became a hacker and activist for freedom of expression on the Internet. As a result of taking risks, he was arrested and charged with piracy, but escaped with a fine.

TOWARD FULL TRANSPARENCY

His private life has been equally turbulent. At age 18, he set up housekeeping with a young woman. The couple had a child, but separated soon later. Julian Assange then launched a legal battle for custody of the child that transformed him into a crusader against social services in Australia.

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At the same time, he began studying math and physics, before returning to computing. He became a programmer and then created one of Australia's leading Internet service providers. During this time, he began to travel the world and discover countries where freedom of speech didn't exist. He came back convinced that full transparency is the most effective weapon for combating tyranny.

In 2006, he founded WikiLeaks, a site so encrypted and secure that it allowed users to expose scandal while remaining anonymous. He very quickly succeeded in gathering around him a small global army of volunteer geeks and journalists.

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

El Mundo, Spain: Julian Assange: The 21st Century 'Mick Jagger' of Data

Novaya Gazeta, Russia: An 'Assange' On Both Your Houses!

El País, Spain: Cables: Brazil Warned Chavez 'Not to Play' with U.S. 'Fire'

El Heraldo, Honduras: The Panic of 'America's Buffoon' Hugo Chavez

Jornal de Notícias, Portugal: If West Persecutes Assange, it Will What it Deserves

Correio da Manhã, Portugal: WikiLeaks: A 'Catastrophe' for Cyber-Dependent States

Romania Libera: WikiLeaks Undermines Radical Left; Confirms American Competence

Le Figaro, France: And the Winner of the Bout Over WikiLeaks is America

News, Switzerland: Assange the Latest Fall Guy for Crimes of World's Power Elite

Liberation, France: Who Rules? Hackers, the Press and Our Leaders - in that Order

Tal Cual, Venezuela: If Only WikiLeaks Would Expose President Chavez

Berliner Zeitung, Germany: Assault on Assange Betrays U.S. Founding Principles

El Universal, Mexico: WikiLeaks Revelations a Devastating Shock to Mexico

L'Orient Le Jour, Lebanon: WikiLeaks Makes 'Mockery' of 'U.S. Colossus'

Jornal de Negócios, Portugal: More than We Wanted to Know. Or Maybe Not!

DNA, France: The WikiLeaks Disclosures: A Journalist's Ambivalence

Global Times, China: WikiLeaks Poses Greater Risk to West's 'Enemies'

FAZ, Germany: Ahmadinejad's Chief-of-Staff Calls WikiLeaks Cables 'Lies'

Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudis Ask: Who Benefitted from WikiLeaks Disclosure?

Guardian, U.K.: Cables Portray Saudi Arabia as a Cash Machine for Terrorists

El País, Spain: Cables Expose Nuance of U.S. Displeasure with Spain Government

El País, Spain: Thanks to WikiLeaks' Disclosure, Classical Diplomacy is Dead

Guardian, U.K.: Saudi Arabia Urges U.S. Attack on Iran

Hurriyet, Turkey: Erdogan Needs 'Anger Management' Over U.S. Cables

Saudi Gazette, Saudi Arabia: WikiLeaks Reveals 'Feeling, Flawed' Human Beings

Frontier Post, Pakistan: WikiLeaks Reveals 'America's Dark Face' to the World

The Nation: WikiLeaks' Release: An Invaluable Exposure of American Hypocrisy

Buenos Aires Herald, Argentina: Without Hypocrisy, Global Ties Would Be Chaos

Kayhan, Iran: WikiLeaks Release a 'U.S. Plot to Sow Discord'

El Universal, Mexico: WikiLeaks and Mexico's Battle Against Drug Trafficking

Toronto Star, Canada: WikiLeaks Dump Reveals Seamy Side of Diplomacy

Guardian, U.K.: WikiLeaks Cables, Day 3: Summary of Today's Key Points

Guardian, U.K.: Leaked Cables Reveal China is 'Ready to Abandon' North Korea

Hurriyet, Turkey: American Cables Prove Turkish Claims on Missile Defense False

The Nation, Pakistan: WikiLeaks: An Invaluable Exposure of American Hypocrisy

Kayhan, Iran: WikiLeaks Revelations a 'U.S. Intelligence Operation': Ahmadinejad

Novosti, Russia: 'Russia Will be Guided by Actions, Not Leaked Secrets'

Guardian, U.K.: Job of Media is Not to Protect Powerful from Embarrassment

By early 2007, WikiLeaks was ready. Within months, he vaunted to unexpected international success. The life of Julian Assange is like a seesaw. First he became a permanent globe-trotter, and then a planetary media star. In 2010, the scale of his crusade changed, when he revealed military and diplomatic secrets belonging to the United States. Since he's attacking the leading world power, his life has become enormously complicated.

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