Counterpoint: Why Edward Snowden May Not Deserve Clemency

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Fred Kaplan, the Edward R. Murrow press fellow at the Council on Foreign Relation, writes at Slate that if Edward Snowden's stolen trove of beyond-top-secret documents had dealt only with the domestic surveillance by the NSA, then some form of leniency might be worth discussing. But Snowden did much more than that. 'Snowden's documents have, so far, furnished stories about the NSA's interception of email traffic, mobile phone calls, and radio transmissions of Taliban fighters in Pakistan's northwest territories; about an operation to gauge the loyalties of CIA recruits in Pakistan; about NSA email intercepts to assist intelligence assessments of what's going on inside Iran; about NSA surveillance of cellphone calls 'worldwide,' an effort that 'allows it to look for unknown associates of known intelligence targets by tracking people whose movements intersect.' Kaplan says the NYT editorial calling on President Obama to grant Snowden 'some form of clemency' paints an incomplete picture when it claims that Snowden 'stole a trove of highly classified documents after he became disillusioned with the agency's voraciousness.' In fact, as Snowden himself told the South China Morning Post, he took his job as an NSA contractor, with Booz Allen Hamilton, because he knew that his position would grant him 'to lists of machines all over the world [that] the NSA hacked.' Snowden got himself placed at the NSA's signals intelligence center in Hawaii says Kaplan for the sole purpose of pilfering extremely classified documents. 'It may be telling that Snowden did not release mdash; or at least the recipients of his cache haven't yet published — any documents detailing the cyber-operations of any other countries, especially Russia or China,' concludes Kaplan. 'If it turned out that Snowden did give information to the Russians or Chinese (or if intelligence assessments show that the leaks did substantial damage to national security, something that hasn't been proved in public), then I'd say all talk of a deal is off — and I assume the Times editorial page would agree.'"

Comments

What's good for the goose

[Anonymous Coward]

Governments can dish it out but can't handle it? Too bad. I was never consulted about being taxed, I just am. I'm glad it's not just a one way street with the government thugs.

Clemency?!

[Maimun]

Snowden chose to take part in a war. A war that takes place on many fronts; part of it is a real hot war (against the islamists - the scale may be not one of a total war but it is a real war with active killings), part of it is cold (against Russia and/or China - no shooting takes place on those fronts but there is some real struggle about shifting the power balance this or that way). Whose side one takes is a matter of preference. I personally feel part of the Western world and consequently I side with the US because the US is the only remaining real Western power. The hot war the US wages against the islamists keeps them pinned down in some remote (from my POV) locations. It is leftist myth that if the US withdraws the islamists will calm down; for a while, maybe, and then they will be upon us; they clearly seek control and domination. The US kinda decreased the pressure on Russia during Obama's presidency and we are witnessing the ill effects of that at the moment, Russia smothering Ukraine into submission. The EU has some ways to influence Russia but they are clearly insufficient and it is really sad to watch the EU senility and inability against the bold arrogance of Northern Asia.

Those wars are out there, like it or not. The US has done terrible wrongs but, from my POV, that is secondary to the fact the US is the only real power that can keep the Asian autoritarianism at distance. Information is absolutely vital for not losing a war (winning is impossible anyway) and what Snowden did, no matter what the motives, clearly hurt our side. To whine about "clemency" is ridiculous. He chose to switch sides himself. His former job was such that getting into neutral position for him is impossible. I doubt Russia will ever let him be free to move at will. Just like the USSR never trusted Kim Filby and kept him in a controlled environment, more a showcase rather then any asset of any value, I suspect now Snowden will be a pet monkey for the Kremlin satrap. However, if Snowden is let free, I will not shed any tears when the long arm of youknowwho reaches him.

Re:human rights

[tpstigers]

He may be a hero. He's definitely a traitor. If he's really the former, he needs to take personal responsibility for the latter.