WikiLeaks Cancels Major Announcement Due to 'Security Concerns'

The hacking group WikiLeaks has cancelled a highly anticipated announcement set for Tuesday due to “security concerns.”

The announcement was set to be made from the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Speculation of what it was about centered on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s promise of a document dump that would be damaging to Hillary Clinton.

Heat Street:

Wikileaks has abruptly canceled a much-anticipated announcement on Tuesday, according to NBC News. The announcement had been expected to be founder Julian Assange’s long-promised document dump on Hillary Clinton.

NBC’s Jesse Rodriguez reported that the Tuesday announcement — which was to come from the balcony of London’s Ecuadorian Embassy, where Assange has sought sanctuary for years – was canceled due to “security concerns”.

Wikileaks has not said when it will now make its “announcement”.

Assange appeared on Fox News last month, repeating his assertion that Wikileaks has damaging documents on Clinton and suggested WikiLeaks may soon release “teasers”. More than three weeks later, that release has yet to take place.

Clinton’s more fervent opponents have hoped for weeks that the promised document dump would be an “October surprise” – damaging and revelatory emails or the like — and inflict a mortal wound on her campaign. There’s no evidence however that such damaging information even exists.

“Security concerns”? In the middle of London? Assange may be deliberately stoking anticipation about the announcement. Or, he may fear for his life.

Assange and his supporters have long claimed that his personal safety is at risk due to the danger he (supposedly) represents to Clinton’s presidential ambitions. In August, liberal commentator Bob Beckel suggested in a TV appearance that Assange be murdered, proclaiming that someone should “shoot the son of a bitch!”

Hillary Clinton strategist Bob Beckel called for WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange to be assassinated. #DNCLeak pic.twitter.com/9L2ixl24Er

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 10, 2016

Those fears may be overblown. The Clintons are far more subtle when they are looking to destroy someone. Regardless, Assange wouldn’t have to make a formal “announcement.” He could just dump the docs on the internet and watch the fireworks.

One other possibility is that the documents are so damaging that Assange may not want to hand the White House to Trump. He hates Hillary Clinton with rare passion, but that doesn’t mean he wants to see Trump as president.

Whatever the reason for the cancelation, it’s only whetted everyone’s appetite for what may be in that document dump.