Australia's PM Says Federal Police Looking Into WikiLeaks

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Tuesday the country's federal police are looking into the WikiLeaks website, which she accused of grossly irresponsible conduct.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, an Australian citizen, has published hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. government documents this year, most recently diplomatic cables sent by State Department officials. Assange is currently in hiding after Sweden issued a warrant for his arrest for questioning on alleged sexual offenses, which he denies committing.

"The foundation stone of WikiLeaks is an illegal act that certainly breached the laws of the U.S.," Gillard told journalists in Canberra.

"(For) the individual involved, there are potential matters arising from Sweden and the warrant there. Then of course, we have got the Australian Federal Police looking to see whether Australian laws have been broken. And then we've got the common sense test about the gross irresponsibility of this conduct."

Earlier Tuesday, Jennifer Robinson, a London-based lawyer for Assange, said he plans to seek Australian consular assistance.

"He has sought Australian consular assistance in Sweden some time ago but nothing was forthcoming. So we are obviously very keen to be in touch with the Australian authorities and seek their assistance," Robinson told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

"I will be communicating that this evening. The attorney general has, in a fairly big turnaround, come out and said that consular assistance will be available, and of course we will be availing ourselves of that assistance."

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said Monday Assange is entitled to come home to Australia and could also obtain consular assistance overseas.

-By Rebecca Thurlow, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-2-8272-4679; [e-mail]