Slashdot Mirror
US Charges Edward Snowden With Espionage
cold fjord writes "Further developments in the controversy engulfing Edward Snowden and the NSA. From the Washington Post: "Federal prosecutors have filed a sealed criminal complaint against Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked a trove of documents about top-secret surveillance programs, and the United States has asked Hong Kong to detain him on a provisional arrest warrant,... Snowden was charged with espionage, theft and conversion of government property ... The complaint was filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, a jurisdiction where Snowden's former employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, is headquartered, and a district with a long track record in prosecuting cases with national security implications...it is thought that he is still in the Chinese territory. Hong Kong has its own legislative and legal systems but ultimately answers to Beijing, under the so-called "one country, two systems" arrangement. The leaks have sparked national and international debates about the secret powers of the NSA to infringe on the privacy of both Americans and foreigners. Officials from President Obama down have said they welcomed the opportunity to explain the importance of the programs, and the safeguards they say are built into them. Skeptics, including some in Congress, have said the NSA has assumed power to soak up data about Americans that were never intended under the law."""
Who is the US engaged in war with that he has given aid and comfort to?
The US is at war with al Qaida under the terms of Public Law 107-40 passed by the 107th Congress, which under well settled legal precedent is equivalent to a declaration of war. When Snowden exposed US national security secrets to the world, al Qaida wasn't wearing ear muffs. They found out too, so they are no doubt working on countermeasures and workarounds.
Private Manning is facing similar circumstances.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.
(a) In General.--That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
The point is that a number of people (not pointing at anyone in particular) have said something along the lines of, "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."
Could you remind me which people in government were saying that? I know it is very popular on Slashdot, but I don't recall it being common coming from the national security establishment. I think I do recall them saying things along the lines of they don't target ordinary Americans, which is a very different thing.
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
It is to protect intelligence programs that guard against terrorist attacks on innocent people, Americans as well as people in other nations.
Al Qaida and its associates have repeated demonstrated the willingness and ability to attack innocent civilians around the world. Terrorism is not a trivial problem, but is being kept in check by active measures. There is a long list of arrests and convictions for terrorism and related offenses that can help one differentiate between successful anti-terrorism measures and "magic anti-terrorism rocks."
Major terror attack on scale of 7/7 foiled every year in UK, police reveal
NSA director: Surveillance foiled 50 terror plots
National Counterterrorism Center: Annex of Statistical Information
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell