The Hill News

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Sunday he feels targeted by the likes of Vice President Biden and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).

Assange, the man who's taken responsibility for the leak and publication of sensitive U.S. documents and diplomatic cables, said he feels like he's being threatened with death.

"The statements by the vice-president Biden saying, for instance that I was a high-tech terrorist. Sarah Palin calling to our organization to be dealt with like the Taliban, and be hunted down," Assange said of the perceived threats, in an interview airing tonight on CBS. "There's calls either for my assassination or the assassination of my staff or for us to be kidnapped and renditioned back to the United States to be executed."

The wide-ranging interview with Assange was taped at the estate at which he's under house arrest in Great Britain. Most specifically, he said he feared that the tough talk by U.S. political leaders wou! ld lead someone to attempt to assassinate him.

"I would like to believe that, on the other hand. the incitements to murder are a serious issue," he said. "And unfortunately, there is a portion of the population that will believe in them and may carry them out."