Sweden drops arrest warrant for WikiLeaks chief

Swedish prosecutors withdrew an arrest warrant for the founder of WikiLeaks on Saturday, saying less than a day after the document was issued that it was based on an unfounded accusation of rape.

The rape accusationhad been labelled a "dirty trick" by Julian Assange and his group, who are preparing to release a fresh batch of classified U.S. documents related tothe war in Afghanistan.

The National Prosecutor's Office in Stockholmhad issued the warrant late Friday and prosecutors were urgingAssange, 39,to turn himself in to police in Stockholm to face questioning in one case involving suspicions of rape and another based on an accusation of molestation.

"I don't think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape," chief prosecutor Eva Finne said in announcing the withdrawal of the warrant. She did not address the status of the molestation case, a less serious charge that would not lead to an arrest warrant.

Aspokeswoman for the Swedish Prosecution Authority later told The Associated Press that the prosecutor hasn't made a decision on that count.

Molestation covers a wide of range of offences under Swedish law, including inappropriate physical contact with another adult, and can result in fines or up to one year in prison.

Earlier, theWikiLeaks Twitter pagequoted Assange as saying, "The charges are without basis and their issue at this moment is deeply disturbing."

"We were warned to expect dirty tricks. Now we have the first one," anotherentry said.

Last month, WikiLeaks published a huge batch ofsecret U.S. military documents related to the war in Afghanistan. The websitehas said it's planningto publishanother 15,000 such documents in the coming weeks.

U.S. officials have condemned the release of themilitary and intelligence reports, including those suggesting Pakistan's military spy agency has collaborated with Afghan insurgents.

Assange's whereabouts is unclear. He was in Stockholm last week to lecture on the theme "the first casualtyof war is truth."