Thaindian News

London, Aug 19 (IANS) Ecuador President Rafael Correa has warned Britain that any attempt to storm its embassy in London - over asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange - would destroy relations between the two countries.

Correa, in his weekly address to the nation, delivered a strong warning to Britain, and described London’s stance as “grotesque” and “intolerant”, the Daily Mail reported.

He said if British police “violated Ecuador’s diplomatic mission” in London, it would destroy ties between the two countries.

“I don’t know who they think I am or what they think our government is. But how could they expect us to yield to their threats or cower before them? My friends, they don’t know who they are dealing with,” Correa was quoted as saying.

Assange, who has been in the embassy since June, Sunday urged the US to end its “witch-hunt” against the whistle-blowing website, BBC reported.

In his first public statement since entering the Ecuador embassy, Assange called for the release of Bradley Manning, accused of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks.

The 41-year-old Australian national spoke from a balcony at the embassy and thanked Ecuador’s president, who granted him asylum.

Britain is adamant the WikiLeaks founder should be extradited to Sweden so he can answer sex charges, which he denies. But Assange and his supporters claim he should be allowed safe passage to Ecuador because its government has already granted him political asylum.