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NSA Releases New Snowden Documents (vice.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Hundreds of internal NSA documents have been declassified and released to VICE in response to their FOIA lawsuit. They're now sharing them all online, calling it "an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the efforts by the NSA, the White House, and US Senator Dianne Feinstein to discredit Snowden [that] call into question aspects of the U.S. government's long-running narrative about Snowden's time at the NSA." The documents officially confirm that Snowden had also worked with the CIA, and show a vigorous internal discussion about how to respond to Snowden's leaks that apparently led the NSA to erroneously assert that Snowden hadn't voiced his objections about the surveillance of U.S. citizens within the NSA before going public.
Living in Russia now, Snowden himself refused to comment on the new releases, with his attorney saying Snowden "believes the NSA is still playing games with selective releases, and [he] therefore chooses not to participate in this effort. He doesn't trust that the intelligence community will operate in good faith."
The EFF is also marking the three-year anniversary of Snowden's leaks, saying they led directly to the first legislation curtailing the NSA's power in over 30 years and changed the way the world perceives government surveillance. Snowden was inspired in part by a desire to keep the internet free, saying in 2014 that "I remember what the Internet was like before it was being watched, and there's never been anything in the history of man that's like it."
Living in Russia now, Snowden himself refused to comment on the new releases, with his attorney saying Snowden "believes the NSA is still playing games with selective releases, and [he] therefore chooses not to participate in this effort. He doesn't trust that the intelligence community will operate in good faith."
The EFF is also marking the three-year anniversary of Snowden's leaks, saying they led directly to the first legislation curtailing the NSA's power in over 30 years and changed the way the world perceives government surveillance. Snowden was inspired in part by a desire to keep the internet free, saying in 2014 that "I remember what the Internet was like before it was being watched, and there's never been anything in the history of man that's like it."
If you don't know what it means, search it.
Any efforts to discredit this man are a fucking disgrace that should be called out as such. The founding fathers had a vision. It certainly didn't include anything like the FBI, CIA, or NSA spying on their own countrymen.
Snowden is no more a traitor than any whistle blower who tries to get the government, their employer, etc. to live up to the law and stop breaking the Constitution. The constitution is pretty clear as to what constitutes treason.
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
Snowden has not carried on a war against the US, nor become a citizen of one of their enemies, nor given them aid and comfort. And before you start prattling on about how Russia or China or Germany has been given "aid and comfort", the US is not at war with any of them.
The CIA, on the other hand, has committed treason on numerous occasions.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
....how does it benefit the American people to disclose that the US is spying on leaders like Angela Merkel?
Because in our Republic, I have a right to know what my government is doing. Because I do not want my government doing something belligerent and when retaliated against, turn to the media and act like some innocent victim of another country's aggression and start a long expensive war that costs thousands and thousands of lives.
Much of the bullshit in the World and violence directed at us - the USA - is the karma that our leaders in the past have committed. We wouldn't be dealing with this Islamic terrorism if it weren't for the fact that our government has been shitting all over those people to secure our oil supplies. And even though new technology has allowed the US to have plenty of domestic oil (although a little pricey compared to World prices - for now), we have to still deal with the hatred towards us.
And we see how effective the propaganda is. We are told the BS story that we are over there "fighting for freedom" when the truth is we are fighting for oil. But regular Joes still believe the lies and condemn folks who understand the geo politics of oil (Carter Doctrine) as being unAmerican or some other name calling - like traitor. And the irony that a Democrat's policies wasn't pointed by conservatives just shows how the American people are gullible and easily manipulated - or choose to be blind so that it fits into their opinion that we stand for Freedom and Truth and our young people aren't dying for just oil
While I agree with exposing the spying on US citizens, how does it benefit the American people to disclose that the US is spying on leaders like Angela Merkel?
In the sense that the American people is then informed on what the fuck their government is doing. Knowledge has this funny side effect of forcing responsibility: if you know your leaders are up to no good is up to you to demand solutions. Or not. But that ball is now in your court.
Perhaps they do, but I think she's just a pro-authoritarian.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
The founding fathers had a vision. It certainly didn't include anything like the FBI, CIA, or NSA spying on their own countrymen.
George Washington ran a spy ring that spied on both the British and fellow colonists. Benjamin Franklin opened other peoples mail to gather intelligence.
George Washington, Spymaster
Washington took his role as spymaster in chief quite seriously, laying the groundwork for today’s complex intelligence community and recognizing that civilian observation, mobilization and insight was just as important as military might. Without this foresight, the outcome of the Revolutionary War might have been quite different. The war for independence from Great Britain was not just one of battles and firearms, it was one of intelligence. As one defeated British intelligence officer is often quoted as saying, “Washington did not really outfight the British. He simply out-spied us.” -
What do you think General Washington would have done with someone that stole secret war plans of the Continental Army and then fled to a foreign country as General Arnold did? What did they do with spies and traitors?
What was Snowden's real agenda? There really isn't any way to know for sure, is there?
German spies imply Snowden leaked files for Russia
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden could have been acting under the influence of the Russian government, the heads of Germany's foreign and domestic intelligence agencies said on Friday.
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Any efforts to discredit this man are a fucking disgrace that should be called out as such.
Snowden has admitted his guilt publicly. There isn't any genuine doubt he is guilty of the offenses with which he is charged, and it all could have been avoided if he had gone to Congress. Because of his actions al Qaeda, ISIS, North Korea, and other enemies and adversaries of the US have had direct access to large collections of national defense secrets of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, France, and others. What a hero.
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
You don't need to overthrown a government to make it accountable. This is not Game of Thrones.
The US cannot seem to exist WITHOUT ENEMIES.
IMO, this is done for control of the populace's attitudes and opinions. People are compliant and acquiescent to authority when they feel threatened.
"What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public." -Ray Zalinsky (Tommy Boy)