Assange says he did not encourage leak of secrets

Assange, in an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes scheduled to air on Sunday, denied encouraging anyone to leak the secret US military and diplomatic material. -- PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON - WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange says once again he has done nothing wrong in releasing secret US documents, noting he never asked anyone to take the classified material.

Assange, in an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes scheduled to air on Sunday, denied encouraging anyone to leak the secret US military and diplomatic material.

Assange's latest comments come in response to a US criminal investigation into how WikiLeaks obtained the documents. Assange has called that investigation harassment.

Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed details about the Twitter accounts of Assange and Pfc Bradley Manning, the Army intelligence analyst who is in custody and is suspected of giving WikiLeaks the classified documents. Attorney General Eric Holder has vowed that anyone found to have violated US law in the leaks will be prosecuted. -- AP