• Carl Bildt: No contacts with US on Assange's extradition
• Son of Julian Assange urges 'apolitical' treatment
• U.S. not involved in British arrest of Assange
• Video: Julian Assange arrested in London

The Australian son of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange urged fair and apolitical treatment for his father and said he hoped his arrest in Britain wasn't a "step towards his extradition to the US."

But diplomatic sources now say that Washington sees chance to put pressure on the Swedish government to turn Assange over to the United States where outrage is growing over his revelations of tens of thousands of classified cables from US diplomats.

Informal discussions have already taken place between US and Swedish officials over the possibility of the WikiLeaks founder being delivered into American custody, the Independent wrote Wednesday.

The same day Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said there has been no contacts between Swedish and US authorities on possible extradition of WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange.

"The answer is no," Bildt said in response to an AFP question whether there have been any contacts between Stockholm and Washington on the possible handing over of Assange to the United States if he were brought to Sweden to face justice.

Julian Assange was arrested in London Tuesday and is now awaiting extradition proceedings to Sweden where he faces rape allegations.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates described the arrest of Assange as “good news”, and may pave the way for extradition to America and a possible lengthy jail sentence.

The United States last week named an anti-terrorism expert to lead a review of security in the wake of the leaks of some 250,000 US diplomatic cables which has embarrassed and angered Washington's friends and foes alike.

After former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin said the WikiLeaks team should be treated like a terrorist organizations as al-Qa’ida and Taliban leaders.

Sources stressed that no extradition request would be submitted until and unless the US government laid charges against Mr Assange, the Independent wrote. Attempts to take him to America would only take place after legal proceedings are concluded in Sweden.

The United States said Tuesday that the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is an issue between Britain and Sweden, as Washington pursues its own investigation.

In London, Assange's lawyer Mark Stephens told BBC television on Sunday that he feared the hunt for the WikiLeaks founder had "political motivations," but the Swedish prosecutor handling the rape allegations dismissed the suggestion.