Snowden: I Took That Job Specifically to Gather Data from the NSA...

[NEED-A-VETTE]

Link (http://m.usatoday.com/)

From the link:

...

The South China Morning Post reported Monday that Snowden told it in an interview that he sought a position as an analyst with the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton so he could collect proof about the NSA's secret surveillance program and make them public.

"My position with Booz Allen Hamilton granted me access to lists of machines all over the world the NSA hacked," he told the Morning Post in a June 12 interview that was published Monday. "That is why I accepted that position about three months ago."

...

Asked by the Morning Post if he specifically went to Booz Allen Hamilton as a computer systems administrator In Hawaii to gather evidence of surveillance, he replied: "Correct on Booz." Booz Allen spokesman James Fisher declined to comment on the report...


Also, he's not just divulging information on the NSA's ability to access American's information, if they so wish. He is now divulging to foreign governments the information we collect on them, as well as how we go about doing so.

Thoughts?


I'm wondering just how thorough background checks really are for these contractors. It's been widely reported that Snowden was an activist against government and big corporations. Are you telling me that Booz Allen didn't catch this? :funny:

[carlton_fritz]

I hope the CIA executes him.

[Blademaker]

I hope the CIA executes him.

They will.
He'll never know what hit him.
And you'll never hear about it.
As one member here said........."Dead man walking.".........

[Bill]

One government spying on another is expected.....maybe not liked, but expected. One government spying on the private citizens of another country is a whole different animal. I think the citizens of those countries deserve to know what our rogue government is doing to THEM PERSONALLY.

[Blademaker]

One government spying on another is expected.....maybe not liked, but expected. One government spying on the private citizens of another country is a whole different animal. I think the citizens of those countries deserve to know what our rogue government is doing to THEM PERSONALLY.

Nail/head :seasix:

[JRD77VET]

This is extremely confusing.

Part of me likes that he exposed the widespread data collection of the US Gov't against it's own citizens.

Another part despises that he took the path to expose it the way he did.

Plus, exactly how far are the news organizations in the pockets of the "puppets" ? Are we only getting the "facts" as they want us to see them?

[OddBall]

...He is now divulging to foreign governments the information we collect on them, as well as how we go about doing so...

Thoughts?



That should remove any doubt that he is a traitor.

[NEED-A-VETTE]

Some good points here. (http://www.thereporteronline.com/article/20130624/OPINION03/130629794/snowden-case-exposes-big-brother--big-data-?mobredirect=false)

Snowden case exposes ‘Big Brother,’ ‘big data’

Posted: Monday, 06/24/13 07:25 pm

It’s one thing to blow the whistle on government injustice, real or perceived. It’s quite another to expose your nation’s secret programs that have been designed to gather vital information about the activities of foreign powers. The latter reasonably could be called treason.

That’s what the U.S. government has decided is the case with Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contract employee whose disclosure of its intelligence-gathering activities has caused an international furor. The Justice Department has indicted Snowden and, if one looks at the matter closely, it had little choice. The minute this self-styled defender of our right to privacy talked with China about our spying, he changed the nature of his actions. Even those unschooled in such matters could conclude that without much strain.

While counterintelligence activities against real or supposed enemies are no secret, making them public has huge ramifications. The Chinese undoubtedly are not surprised that we are listening in, no more than we are about their efforts to do likewise. But revealing the activities gives them leverage in this country’s bilateral diplomatic efforts to resolve a number of issues — including those to keep them from improving their military weaponry at our expense.

The Obama administration’s aggressive efforts to stop leaks through intimidation of the press and prosecution of leakers have been increasingly criticized, as they should have been in most cases. Leaks are the life blood of this burg. Trying to stick one’s finger in the dike to stop them shows a complete lack of understanding about the city’s culture. The president and his staff at times have displayed a callous disregard of First Amendment protections.

The charges against Snowden, however, seem to be fairly filed despite the difficult legal hurdles to bringing him back to this country. He now reportedly wants asylum in Ecuador, having left Hong Kong. The very fact he is fleeing belies his claim that his only motivation was righteous indignation over his government’s eavesdropping on his fellow citizens. I am not suggesting that he is in the pay of some outside source, although any efforts by a foreign government to delay his extradition could be considered compensation of a sort.

One of the problems to be sorted out is how the Justice Department and the White House react to the press involvement in this matter.


The British newspaper Guardian and The Washington Post were original beneficiaries of Snowden’s tattling. There seems to be little chance that government authorities here or in Britain would want to muddy the water with the controversy generated by taking on the entire press establishment. The Nixon administration certainly found that out when it tried to restrain the printing of the so-called Pentagon Papers about U.S. indiscretions in Vietnam, leaked to key newspapers by Daniel Ellsworth.

An outraged press rose up and the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously smacked down the White House, dismissing so called “prior restraint” as clearly unconstitutional.

Where does the current leaks case go from here? There seems a good chance that, aside from Snowden, enough members of Congress are disturbed by the implications of “Big Brother” in the domestic side of this affair to keep the matter from disappearing.

A wide audience supports contentions that the NSA has overstepped at least the intent of post-9/11 laws that authorized sweeping collections of Americans’ private and business communications, even though these activities were approved by a special court under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The court itself, so secret most Americans don’t know it exists, has been opened to some very rare sunlight. It almost never turns down a government request, which can be attributed to the fact that the government’s voice is the only one the court hears.

Most disturbing in all this is the concept of interception that allows the NSA to receive vast blocks of information rather than on a case-by-case basis. If nothing else, it has started a lot of Americans thinking about how far we should be going.

[JRD77VET]

Some good points here. (http://www.thereporteronline.com/article/20130624/OPINION03/130629794/snowden-case-exposes-big-brother--big-data-?mobredirect=false)

That's the local paper where I grew up ( about 25 miles from here )

Personal opinon-- They have NOT charged him with treason (yet) since quite a few countries where he might go would not turn him over if he was facing the death penalty.

Once they get him here ( if he makes it ) then they will upscale the charges.

[Bill]

The very fact he is fleeing belies his claim that his only motivation was righteous indignation over his government’s eavesdropping on his fellow citizens.


I disagree. The fact that he fled demonstrates that he rightfully fears a rogue government that has already demonstrated its willingness and ability to murder an American citizen with no finding of guilt in a courtroom. He probably knows all too well about "rendition", i.e. kidnapping people and sending them off to foreign countries to torture and incarcerate, with no legal protections. He knows what evil our government is capable of.

[RedLS1GTO]

I disagree. The fact that he fled demonstrates that he rightfully fears a rogue government that has already demonstrated its willingness and ability to murder an American citizen with no finding of guilt in a courtroom. He probably knows all too well about "rendition", i.e. kidnapping people and sending them off to foreign countries to torture and incarcerate, with no legal protections. He knows what evil our government is capable of.

Based on your nonstop posts about how terrible this country is, perhaps you should consider going elsewhere. :shrug:

[MrPeabody]

One government spying on another is expected.....maybe not liked, but expected. One government spying on the private citizens of another country is a whole different animal. I think the citizens of those countries deserve to know what our rogue government is doing to THEM PERSONALLY.

Just to clarify, what is your definition of a "rogue government"?

[JRD77VET]

Just to clarify, what is your definition of a "rogue government"?

Here's a hint

Bob: "Did you hear about the Obama administration scandal?"

Jim: "You mean the Mexican gun running?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean SEAL Team 6 Extortion 17?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean the State Dept. lying about Benghazi?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean the voter fraud?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean the military not getting their votes counted?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean the president demoralizing and breaking down the military?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean the Boston Bombing?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean the president wanting to kill Americans with drones in our own country without the benefit of the law?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "You mean the president arming the Muslim Brotherhood?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The IRS targeting conservatives?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The DOJ spying on the press?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "Sebelius shaking down health insurance executives?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The NSA monitoring our phone calls, e-mails and everything else?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The president's ordering the release of nearly 10,000 illegal immigrants from jails and prisons and falsely blaming the sequester?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The president's threat to impose gun control by Executive Order in order to bypass Congress?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The president's repeated violation of the law requiring him to submit a budget no later than the first Monday in February?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The president's unconstitutional recess appointments in an attempt to circumvent the Senate's advise-and-consent role?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "The State Department interfering with an Inspector General investigation on departmental sexual misconduct?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "HHS employees being given insider information on Medicare Advantage?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "Clinton, the IRS, Clapper and Holder all lying to Congress?"
Bob: "No, the other one."

Jim: "I give up! ... Oh wait, I think I got it! You mean that 65 million low-information voters stuck us again with the most corrupt administration in American history?"
Bob: "THAT'S THE ONE!"

[Bill]

Just to clarify, what is your definition of a "rogue government"?

One that spies on its own people without probable cause of wrongdoing, for starters. Murdering American citizens without a trial....yeah, that's rogue, too. (Al-Awlaki)

In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”

Thomas Jefferson

Apparently the chains of the Constitution aren't as strong as they used to be.

[Bill]

Based on your nonstop posts about how terrible this country is, perhaps you should consider going elsewhere. :shrug:

When our government does something to be proud of, I'll be the first one on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, there have been a lot more "oh shits" then attaboys lately, coming from Uncle Sam. A small sampling has been posted above, and that's just really current stuff.



Edit: hopefully, the point of all this heat on .gov is to CHANGE things. The message is "hey, you are ****ing up. Just stop". And hopefully, people who committed crimes while on the public payroll will face trial and prison for their crimes. Who is the mother****** who read my e-mails and tracked who I called without probable cause? I want THAT GUY arrested, as well as everyone above him who knew about it arrested. Doubtful, I know, but maybe all this heat will prod Congress to do something to change the way our government operates, to forcibly stop our .gov from ****ing up.

[MrPeabody]

Here's a hint

As they say to Joecoool over in PR&C, did you write that yourself, or plagiarize it?:D

[MrPeabody]

One that spies on its own people without probable cause of wrongdoing, for starters. Murdering American citizens without a trial....yeah, that's rogue, too. (Al-Awlaki)

In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”

Thomas Jefferson

Apparently the chains of the Constitution aren't as strong as they used to be.

Thank you for the clarification. Since I have been old enough to know that government exists, I have disagreed with many things it does. I just never thought "government" as an entity was rogue, as long as we have elections. Portions of it, yes. I could talk for hours about the corruption in my local county's government alone. But I would be talking about the actions of people, not the institution.:seasix:

[JRD77VET]

As they say to Joecoool over in PR&C, did you write that yourself, or plagiarize it?:D

I got it here Did you hear the one about.... - The FAL Files

The following posters added

Let's not forget the closing of GM dealerships whose owners supported Republican campaigns.

Oh, and the $46mil in tax refunds to illegal aliens claiming children who don't live in the US.

And, support for the Occupy rioters.

not to mention the Banking SCAM/Bailout.!!


Let's just say I'm not a fan of the "great divider"

[C5SilverBullet]

Would someone just take care of him already...

[JRD77VET]

Would someone just take care of him already...

He's not in Cuba, his seat was empty.

[onedef92]

I suppose there still exists the possibility Snowden is just a "Trojan Horse" dupe in all this, that our government planted him overseas deliberatively with so-called "classified, high-value intel." so the U.S. could obtain back door access to secure foreign computer information systems knowing our enemies would scarf up the "bait" in a heartbeat.

[Stangkiller]

If I kill somebody and point a gun at the police, I would expect to be shot up.

If I steal government secrets and start selling them to China & Russia, I too would expect the government to wage war on me. He has every right to fear the government, not because it's Rogue, but because he has every intent to cause the government and Americans harm.

[Mike Mercury]

This is extremely confusing.

Part of me likes that he exposed the widespread data collection of the US Gov't against it's own citizens.

Another part despises that he took the path to expose it the way he did.



same here.

but with this now being stated:

that Snowden (said) he sought a position as an analyst with the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton so he could collect proof about the NSA's secret surveillance program and make them public.


I'm starting to like him as much as a NBC News 911 call edit.

[island14]

If I kill somebody and point a gun at the police, I would expect to be shot up.

If I steal government secrets and start selling them to China & Russia, I too would expect the government to wage war on me. He has every right to fear the government, not because it's Rogue, but because he has every intent to cause the government and Americans harm.

Has he even been accused of doing this yet? :island14:

If so I have not read it.

So far I thought it has all been done through the press..

I have a feeling he is holding out a lot more, and they would rather see him dead than arrest him, just a hunch though....

How is it in Obama's interest at this point to have Snowden back? He's famously allergic to capturing and prosecuting prominent enemies of the state because of the legal and political headaches involved. That explains 80 percent of his drone policy towards jihadis. If Russia hands him over, then O has to deal with protests here from Snowden fans and chilly White House coverage from sections of the press that are sympathetic to him. [B]Capturing him now probably won't stop the leaks, either. Glenn Greenwald was crowing again this morning that "the majority of revelations that are significant have yet to be made..." If the feds grab him, maybe that's the Guardian's cue to start publishing stuff. In which case, if you’re O, leaving Snowden alone in Ecuador might be the lesser of two bad outcomes.

Yahoo! (http://news.yahoo.com/why-russia-wont-hand-over-edward-snowden-154000956.html;_ylt=Ag9K9kdN5xBY.cL8dAyIYqqZCMZ_;_ylu=X3oDMTVxY2sxdjRlBGNjb2RlA2dtcHRvcDEwMDBwb29sd2lraXVwcmVzdARtaXQDQXJ0aWNsZSBNaXhlZCBMaXN0IE5ld3MgZm9yIFlvdSB3aXRoIE1vcmUgTGluawRwa2cDODA3MmE4ZTItMzdmNS0zZjg3LWIxODYtMzkwZTk5NTc4MDhhBHBvcwM1BHNlYwNuZXdzX2Zvcl95b3UEdmVyAzljMzE2ZGIwLWRkY2YtMTFlMi05ZjdmLWE1MTFlODgyZjJjNQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTBhYWM1a2sxBGxhbmcDZW4tVVM-;_ylv=3)

[Stangkiller]

Has he even been accused of doing this yet? :island14:

If so I have not read it.

So far I thought it has all been done through the press..

I have a feeling he is holding out a lot more, and they would rather see him dead than arrest him, just a hunch though....

How is it in Obama's interest at this point to have Snowden back? He's famously allergic to capturing and prosecuting prominent enemies of the state because of the legal and political headaches involved. That explains 80 percent of his drone policy towards jihadis. If Russia hands him over, then O has to deal with protests here from Snowden fans and chilly White House coverage from sections of the press that are sympathetic to him. Capturing him now probably won't stop the leaks, either. Glenn Greenwald was crowing again this morning that "the majority of revelations that are significant have yet to be made..." If the feds grab him, maybe that's the Guardian's cue to start publishing stuff. In which case, if you’re O, leaving Snowden alone in Ecuador might be the lesser of two bad outcomes.

Yahoo! (http://news.yahoo.com/why-russia-wont-hand-over-edward-snowden-154000956.html;_ylt=Ag9K9kdN5xBY.cL8dAyIYqqZCMZ_;_ylu=X3oDMTVxY2sxdjRlBGNjb2RlA2dtcHRvcDEwMDBwb29sd2lraXVwcmVzdARtaXQDQXJ0aWNsZSBNaXhlZCBMaXN0IE5ld3MgZm9yIFlvdSB3aXRoIE1vcmUgTGluawRwa2cDODA3MmE4ZTItMzdmNS0zZjg3LWIxODYtMzkwZTk5NTc4MDhhBHBvcwM1BHNlYwNuZXdzX2Zvcl95b3UEdmVyAzljMzE2ZGIwLWRkY2YtMTFlMi05ZjdmLWE1MTFlODgyZjJjNQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTBhYWM1a2sxBGxhbmcDZW4tVVM-;_ylv=3)
[/QUOTE]

He's giving secrets in exchange for protection. Might as well be selling it.

[Mike Mercury]

He's giving secrets in exchange for protection. Might as well be selling it.



point.

[island14]

He's giving secrets in exchange for protection. Might as well be selling it.

Maybe he has... Maybe he hasn't.. :island14:

Since the US has not accused him of doing so yet, I'm thinking it is too early to speculate just yet.

One thing is for sure though, he is trying to hold some cards back to deal with later.

Extortion, Blackmail, whatever you want to call it..

[Stangkiller]

Maybe he has... Maybe he hasn't.. :island14:

Since the US has not accused him of doing so yet, I'm thinking it is too early to speculate just yet.

One thing is for sure though, he is trying to hold some cards back to deal with later.

Extortion, Blackmail, whatever you want to call it..

There is no maybe he hasn't. He clearly has. otherwise he'd be in our governments hands right now. He's charged with Espionage, which is giving the secret data to foreign countries.