WikiLeaks says U.S. pressured fundraiser

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- The founder of WikiLeaks says he suspects the United States is behind his controversial Web site being dropped by its fundraising company.

Julian Assange told CNN that Moneybookers cut off its relationship with WikiLeaks in August amid a flap with the Pentagon over secret military documents WikiLeaks posted.

CNN said Moneybookers told Assange it decided to back away from Sweden-based WikiLeaks after WikiLeaks was placed on a U.S. watch list.

British newspaper The Guardian said Saturday that Moneybookers, a U.K. company, declined to comment directly but issued a statement saying it did not want to run afoul of investigations into money-laundering and other potential crimes by U.S. authorities.