Australia providing consular support to Assange

Australia was providing consular support to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was arrested in London on allegations of sexual assaults in Sweden, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister offered consulate support to Assange despite a leaked US diplomatic cable that has revealed Rudd being criticised as 'abrasive, impulsive control freak'.

"I'm the foreign minister of Australia, responsible for the consular well-being of all Australians and therefore I just want to make it absolutely clear that first of all Assange has contacted the Australian consul-general in London and asked for consular support," Rudd was quoted as saying in the media.

39-year-old Assange, an Australian citizen, was arrested by the UK Metropolitan police on the basis of an arrest warrant issued from Sweden relating to allegations of sexual assaults against him.

"We have confirmed that we will provide that, as we do for all Australian citizens," he said, adding consular officials attended Assange's appearance in the London court on Tuesday.

Assange, who was produced before Westminster Magistrates Court, was denied bail. According to media reports, criticism of Rudd came into light today after details of cables sent by the US embassy in Canberra to US Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton were published in Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Wednesday.

"Rudd.....undoubtedly believes that with his intellect, his six years as a diplomat in the 1980s and his five years as shadow foreign minister, he has the background and the ability to direct Australia's foreign policy," one leaked cable read.

"His performance so far, however, demonstrates that he does not have the staff or the experience to do the job properly," the US embassy bluntly observed in November 2009.

AAP today quoted Rudd as saying that the criticism was like "water off a duck's back". "I don't, frankly, give a damn about this sort of thing. You just get on with it," he said adding the important thing was to get on with his job.

"Because the real challenges of diplomacy are here today as they were yesterday.....I think frankly we should just take it like water off a duck's back," he said.

The leaked US secret cables show how initially favourable American impressions of Rudd, as "a safe pair of hands", were quickly replaced by sharp criticism of his micromanagement and mishandling of diplomacy as he focused on photo and media opportunities.

In a December 2008 review of the first year of the Rudd-led government, US ambassador Robert McCallum characterised its performance as "generally competent" and noted Rudd was "focused on developing good relations with the incoming US administration [of President Barack Obama], and is eager to be seen as a major global player".

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Simon Crean said the leaks criticising Rudd wouldn't harm Australia's relationship with its close ally US. The cables were written by officials and it was the opinion of President Barack Obama and other US leaders that really mattered, he said, adding "In the end it's the leadership that makes the decisions."

"You look at what President Obama has said about him (Rudd) ... what Hillary Clinton has said about him, all his interlocutors, all of the people that matter - all of the decision makers have had an enormous regard for his prime ministership and his leadership on so many issue," Crean said.

Crean said the leaks were "unfortunate" but not damaging "at all". "The relationship we've got with the United States is not just robust it has been significantly advanced over the past three years that we've been in office," he said.

Meanwhile, supporters of Assange are holding a rally in Brisbane today, urging the government to provide him protection.

According to a media report, organisers are expecting over 200 protesters to attend the rally. "The Australian Government has failed to uphold the human rights of Mr Assange," rally organisers, including the Socialist Alliance, said in a statement.

"We want the Gillard government to make sure Julian Assange has the same basic rights as every other Australian citizen," the statement said, adding "Threats have been made against Assange's life, the Australian Government has a duty to protect him, not threaten him".

The statement said the government should be ashamed of its attacks on Assange's controversial website WikiLeaks, saying citizens have a right to the secret information it is disseminating.