Posted on 03/08/2014 10:52:48 AM PST by SeekAndFind
WASHINGTON — Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked a trove of documents revealing the agency’s surveillance operations, said he raised his concerns to more than 10 officials, “none of whom took any action to address them,” before he decided to give the documents to journalists.
Mr. Snowden’s comments, in written answers to questions by members of the European Parliament that were released on Friday, amplified previous assertions that he initially tried to raise concerns internally about surveillance collection he believed went too far.
An N.S.A. spokeswoman declined to comment, but the agency has previously said its internal investigation, including interviews with co-workers, found no evidence that he had brought concerns to the attention of anyone.
But in his written testimony, Mr. Snowden insisted that he had, adding that his efforts had elicited two types of responses. Some people, he said, responded with “well-meaning but hushed warnings not to ‘rock the boat’ ” for fear of retaliation like being investigated by the F.B.I. as a suspected leaker.
“Everyone in the intelligence community is aware of what happens to people who report concerns about unlawful but authorized operations,” he wrote.
Other people, he said, told him to “let the issue be someone else’s problem.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“....they would have seen to it that the improprieties were dealt with...”
.
A few .22LR holes behind the right ear?
I wonder how many concerned guys handling shepherds at German railroad yards in the 40's were told that...?
The loyalty is to the agency,not the constitution. Snowdon is as good as dead
I used to have a pretty high security clearance in the DOD.
Even when I quit the feds, I was not even remotely tempted to reveal any shred of classified information.
But then again, the NSA wasn't unconstitutionally collecting personal data on USA citizens, as far as I knew, way back then.
Adjust the times and the circumstances...I might have done what Snowden did. Hard to decide, based on the limited amount of data/propaganda that is available to me now.
I'm still ambivalent as to his status as whistleblower or traitor.
It's possible he is equally both, given what little we all think we know, now.
“...family jewels...crown jewels...”
LMAO
“...family jewels...crown jewels...”
LMAO
Heck, you should see [non-]responses I get when I eviscerate the legitimacy of the War on Drugs based on the Constitution (and Bill of Rights)… nobody wants to argue for its legitimacy after that.
(link 1 and 2)
Corruption is a serious problem, and we are just deluding ourselves if we blindly accept that those in authority are in the right because of their position.
You can watch this interview to get a better informed opinion.
Personally I don't think he's a Traitor.
Obama:....Hey Vlad, you keep my birth certificate quiet and you can have UKRAINE!!
The people who claim to know on this site are more mad that he violated the NDA than the NSA/CIA spying on private citizens without a warrant.
The most common response is “Well, everyone should know that it happens, and if you are not guilty it isn’t a problem!”
The GOP will end as a party because of things like this. Rather than defend the constitution, they defend their own business interests.
I went dark on FR for a good bit because the alternative was to point this stuff out, and the mods were just on a knife fest banning people left and right.
It is nice to see that some people seem to be waking up to the idea that a Free Republic (the concept, not the site) can never be saved by the exercise of state power, and that authority can never be trusted.
My fear is that once “our guy” (whoever that turns out to be) is back in power, the same crew will once again roll over, expose their bellies and pee themselves in submission to tyrants, and be INDIGNANT at the idea that “our great country” would start wars, trample freedom, impoverish people and trample the constitution.
Just look at what has happened since then. But im not giving up.
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