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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."

7 of 155 comments (clear)

  1. Limited Hangout by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you don't know what it means, search it.

  2. Snowden is a patriot / hero by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  3. In Soviet Russia... by SeaFox · · Score: 5, Funny

    Snowden releases NSA documents!

  4. Re:Snowden is a traitor by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.
  5. Re:Snowden is a traitor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ....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

  6. Oh, look who else is involved... by l0n3s0m3phr34k · · Score: 5, Interesting

    from TFA: "and US Senator Dianne Feinstein to discredit Snowden" Gee, what else has Feinstein tried to do? Weaken/destroy encryption? Her own staff hacked by the CIA? Repeatedly tried to push bills that empower law enforcement to violate the 4th Amendment? Makes me wonder if the NSA/CIA has some leverage on her, something they know about her, to get her to have such zeal in violating her oath to uphold the Constitution.

  7. Re:Snowden is a traitor by Lisandro · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.