Posted on 01/02/2014 4:45:08 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The editorial board of The New York Times is urging the Obama administration to grant Edward Snowden clemency.
It is time for the United States to offer Mr. Snowden a plea bargain or some form of clemency that would allow him to return home, face at least substantially reduced punishment in light of his role as a whistle-blower, and have the hope of a life advocating for greater privacy and far stronger oversight of the runaway intelligence community, an editorial published Wednesday said.
The paper argues Snowden blew the whistle on National Security Agency activities that have exceeded its mandate and abused its authority.
A few federal judge has ruled that the NSA's phone metadata collection program is "likely unconstitutional," and a panel tasked with reviewing the agency presented a report to President Obama thats said to contain reforms.
Mr. Snowden deserves better than a life of permanent exile, fear and flight. He may have committed a crime to do so, but he has done his country a great service, the editorial said.
Snowden has been living in Russia since August, when its government granted him temporary asylum. He faces multiple espionage charges in the United States.
In December, the White House downplayed rumors that it would consider granting Snowden amnesty.
The Times board wrote that many in the Obama administration have accused Snowden of damaging U.S. national security, but no one has provided evidence that that has happened.
Its why President Obama should tell his aides to begin finding a way to end Mr. Snowdens vilification and give him an incentive to return home.
Snowden blew the whistle on National Security Agency activities that have exceeded its mandate and abused its authority.
Snowden blew the whistle on National Security Agency activities that have exceeded the bounds of the constitution and abused its mandates under FISA, PA and PA II.
FIXED
Well, the problem is that while he did blow the lid of Uncle Sam’s domestic spying, he also revealed in minute detail how NSA spies on foreign governments and citizens (which I don’t care about). That’s where the real damage has occurred, especially with our Allies like Germany and the UK.
I’m voting for Snowden for all my write-in candidates ... given the choice between a Demo or Rino, I’m writing in Snowden.
He's been in the hands of commies and ex-communist thugs for months.. I do not believe he's got any control over leaks. They do.
It's obvious to even the casual observer that the NYT is an outright Obama mouthpiece.
But Snowden outted Obama's police state.
So, what is their REAL motivation? To make Snowden more accessible for assassination? To make him available for arrest on other crimes? What is their real, and heinously nefarious, motivation?
That.
I agree, something smells like a fish here. The NYT is a mouthpiece for Obama. And they come out “pro” Snowden? If they were told to do this by the administration (as usual)...then why does Obama want to protect Snowden?
Snowden isn’t a traitor to the US. To the regime that controls it, yes, but not to the US itself.
If Snowden gets amnesty, it will set an awful precedent: he will become a defacto “rock star” for leaking classified information. As a result, many with access to classified and big egos/fantasies will follow in his footsteps. Count on it.
It’s simple: the NYT can ALWAYS be counted on to advocate an agenda which will weaken the United States. They are the perfect reverse barometer.
Yep. File under: keep your enemies closer.
They’ll offer to make him the “transparency czar”.
The cynical pessimism of the MSM and the Left drips from your keyboard - welcome to my world!
Snowden knows something that he hasn’t yet released.
Why indeed?
When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. - Arthur Conan Doyle.
Problem is...a lot of people on this forum also support the traitor Snowdon.
Pretty hard to rub out Snowden while he’s still in Russia ... get him back to the US, and he can be conveniently run down in a “traffic incident”, hey accidents happen all the time .... just like that woman in Hawaii who saw Obama’s birth certificate, and wound up being THE ONLY ONE ON THE PLANE who died in the crash ....
“If Snowden gets amnesty, it will set an awful precedent: he will become a defacto rock star for leaking classified information. As a result, many with access to classified and big egos/fantasies will follow in his footsteps. Count on it.”
Oh, they might give him amnesty and do a big show of supposedly cutting down surveillance for the sheeple. But that terrible accident/fire/medical/robbery that happens to him shortly afterward will send the real message
Combined with a Jonathan Pollard release, would cause everyone at the NSA and CIA to resign.
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