Former Icelandic minister claims US sent 'planeload of FBI agents to frame Julian Assange' during mission to the country in 2011

• Ögmundur Jonasson said US authorities first told him in June 2011 that there was an 'imminent attack' on Iceland's government databases 
• But when they arrived in August, Jonasson claims the FBI 'sought Iceland's cooperation to frame Assange and WikiLeaks' 
• Jonasson said he then immediately kicked them out of Iceland 
• The story was widely reported on in 2013, but Jonasson made no mention of the US trying to frame Assange 
• It became known that the mission was part of a 'wide-ranging investigation' into Assange and WikiLeaks 
• Jonnason said himself he made it clear he is on 'Assange and WikiLeaks' side' 

Former Icelandic minister Ögmundur Jonasson claims the FBI attempted to frame Julian Assange during a mission to Iceland

A former Icelandic minister has claimed that the FBI attempted to frame Julian Assange during a mission to Iceland. 

Ögmundur Jonasson, who currently serves as a member of the Icelandic Parliament, said US authorities told him in June 2011 that hackers were trying to destroy software systems in the country.

The authorities said there was an 'imminent attack' on Iceland's government databases and that the FBI would send agents to investigate.  

Jonasson said he was immediately skeptical of the FBI's intentions.

'I was suspicious,' he told Katoikos. 'Well aware that a helping hand might easily become a manipulating hand!'  

Jonasson said it was only when a 'planeload' of FBI agents arrived in August that he realized the true reason for their visit. 

The former minister claims the FBI was seeking Iceland's 'cooperation in what I understood as an operation set up to frame Julian Assange and WikiLeaks'. 

Jonasson said he immediately told the FBI agents to leave the country. 

Jonasson said that he sent home a 'planeload' of FBI agents in August 2011 after they allegedly asked for cooperation 'in wan operation set up to frame Assange (pictured) and WikiLeaks'

'Since they had not been authorized by the Icelandic authorities to carry out police work in Iceland, and since a crack-down on WikiLeaks was no on my agenda, I ordered that all cooperation with them be promptly terminated,' he said. 

'I also made it clear they should cease all activities in Iceland immediately.' 

Jonasson said he also made it clear that when it came to picking a side, he was Team Assange. 

'I also made it clear at the time that if I had to take sides with either WikiLeaks or the FBI or CIA, I would have no difficulty in choosing: I would be on the side of WikiLeaks'. 

Despite the fact that this happened five years ago, and was heavily reported about in 2013, this appears to be the first time Jonasson has publicly claimed the US was trying to 'frame' Assange. 

When the story first broke, Jonasson told the New York Times that 'eight or nine' FBI agents had arrived to gather material on WikiLeaks. 

The former minister said he had asked the agents to leave because 'they had misrepresented the purpose of their visit'.

Jonasson said he made it clear he was 'on the side' of WikiLeaks and Assange and has several times raised the issue of giving Edward Snowden (pictured) asylum in Iceland 

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