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USA Calling For the Extradition of Snowden

Posted by samzenpus on from the we-want-a-word-with-you dept.

Taco Cowboy writes "Edward Snowden, the leaker who gave us the evidence of US government spying on its people is under threat of being extradited back to the U.S. to face prosecution. Some people in Congress, including Republican Peter King (R-NY), are calling for his extradition from Hong Kong to face trial. From the article: 'A spokesman for the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, said Snowden's case had been referred to the justice department and US intelligence was assessing the damage caused by the disclosures. "Any person who has a security clearance knows that he or she has an obligation to protect classified information and abide by the law," the spokesman, Shawn Turner, said.'"

8 of 955 comments (clear)

  1. It wont do much, but at least register interest by stewsters · · Score: 5, Interesting

    https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/pardon-edward-snowden/Dp03vGYD

    1. Re:It wont do much, but at least register interest by Entropius · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I'd be interested to see, built into the Constitution, a nuclear option:

      Every time there is a federal election (i.e. every two years), there is a little tick box for "vote of no confidence". If over 50% of people (or a majority of people in over 50% of states, or however you want to define "majority" -- or perhaps a supermajority) tick it, then there is another election after a three month campaign, for all Senate seats, House seats, and the Presidency. All current members of Congress, the President, the Vice President, and senior Cabinet members are ineligible to run. Until they're sworn in, any act of the lame-duck Congress requires a supermajority (so they can't break things out of spite on the way out), and can be vetoed by a majority of state governors. (The point is to impose paralysis for all but urgent matters until the new government gets there.)

  2. Re:The damage to the freedom by intermodal · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The constitution is the highest law of this nation. Particularly the specific protections the constitution contains. If government uses "security clearance" to hide breaches of the constitution, anyone with clearance has an obligation to act. The constitution is above the government, not the other way around.

    --
    In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
  3. It really annoys the hell out of me... by Endimiao · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... how they placed a high school dropout in such a position of trust. Quoting the Guardian "Snowden is a 29-year-old high-school dropout who trained for the Army Special Forces before an injury forced him to leave the military. His IT credentials are apparently limited to a few “computer” classes he took at a community college in order to get his high-school equivalency degree—courses that he did not complete. His first job at the NSA was as a security guard. Then, amazingly, he moved up the ranks of the United States’ national security infrastructure: The CIA gave him a job in IT security. He was given diplomatic cover in Geneva. He was hired by Booz Allen Hamilton, the government contractor, which paid him $200,000 a year to work on the NSA’s computer systems." .. Wtf are people smoking in the US?

  4. Strange days indeed by kilfarsnar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I never thought I'd see the day when an American is seeking political protection in China.

    --
    "What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)
  5. Re:Doing what is right... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Now that being said: Breaking confidentiality on top-secret stuff is no laughing matter. It's treason, a capital offense.

    It's no laughing matter, but it's not treason. Treason is defined in the Constitution and this ain't it.

    It's worth noting that 'treason' is one of the very few(possibly only, I can't remember if there are any others) offenses specifically defined in the constitution, rather than being left to "eh, congress will write some laws when they get together, and the several states already have things in place to keep murder and cannibalism to a minimum". And that's because the framers knew how... versatile... 'treason' can be if you allow it to be defined by whatever butthurt government is vexed with somebody at the moment.

  6. Re:Someone start a defense fund by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    At the very least, sign the Whitehouse Petition, if only for the entertainment value of forcing Obama to respond.

    Pardon Snowden

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  7. Re:Someone start a defense fund by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Acting without a common definition is anarchy

    So just like the NSA and US government acted when they illegally gave themselves the power to spy on its citizens.