Posted on 06/09/2013 11:41:17 AM PDT by sunmars
The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell.
The Guardian, after several days of interviews, is revealing his identity at his request. From the moment he decided to disclose numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to opt for the protection of anonymity. "I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong," he said.
Snowden will go down in history as one of America's most consequential whistleblowers, alongside Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. He is responsible for handing over material from one of the world's most secretive organisations the NSA.
In a note accompanying the first set of documents he provided, he wrote: "I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions," but "I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant."
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
True, because if this was more like the Army physician who was court martialed for the principle of not obeying orders from an imposter commander in chief... then he would be someone they would have already found and “quieted”
Cloward Piven includes this type of direct action to distract and dismay and erode faith in our institutions, the military and intel for example. So this would fit that action by obamaumau
They are an asset management corp./ private equity firm. Huge. Run by investment banker types and others high up in the food chain. Located at 1001 Pennsylvania Ave in DC. How convenient...
Well put. We are citizens, not suspects.
Carlyle that is...
“To have risen so high and so fast in the intelligence field without any degrees just means he is so smart they could let him get away... some people are just so smart the normal rules don’t apply to them.”
Or he’s lying.
Some other things he said don’t add up. He sounds like an IT guy. Yet he claims he could perform collection on anyone’s email or phone calls. That’s highly unlikely if not outright impossible. It’s like a B-52 mechanic claiming he could bomb any target.
He also claims he could have revealed the names of all Intelligence personnel, covert operators and sources. This is just an out right lie. No NSA contractor in Hawaii would have access to such info, most especially the CIA info.
He also claims that he hoped the wrongs he saw would be stopped by Obama’s election in 2008. It’s 2013. It took him five years to realize that Obama wasn’t going to stop it?
Yea, he’s smart. </sarc>
What did Snowden mean when he said that they could get the Triads to take care of him?
I get the impression he saw NSA literally acting like Jack Black in Enemy of the State and was just sick of it. We need more interviews with him.
Yes, he admitted there were other documents in his possession but was careful not to release those that would damage people directly....so it would appear he could do so and said exactly that.... those, as himself, with access , could destroy people...there is no oversight.
So no doubt he has any who come after him in a sling.....they are going to be careful how they approach this...not to mention he’s in China...Obama sure as heck isn’t going to disturb the China thing he has going now...
So how long can he continue to support himself....I suspect the Guardian is offering him some dollars...but eventually he’s going to have to leave Hong Kong...the Chinese have several options on how they can play thier hand with him in it.
<....”I’m willing to bet he has a ton of “insurance” in his possession”....>
That may very well be why they will take him out sooner rather than later...and let the chips fall where they may...rather than allow him to sustain a “slow drip” of damaging their agenda and plans.
I’m beginning to think the US won’t be the only ones after this guy...after all he was privy to International Communication.
Question is will he have a safe place anywhere? I think he even mentioned Iceland.
Do you see the list of current and former partners and advisors ?
Ex-Presidents, CIA, Saudi, Diplomats, Prime Ministers, etc.
Lefties willl say it’s right-wing/defense/bush, etc.
Righties will say it’s just a well-connected private equity firm.
It is what it is; it’s not so much right or left, it’s loaded with financial oligarchy types, where their career focus is on government, diplomacy, defense, etc.
This is a firm with ties to the financial oligarchy that can profit from defense spending and has a tight relationship with U.S. intelligence.
To put it into better perspective you’ve got to read the bio’s of all those top heavy hitters, and in cases like GHW Bush, back a few generations.
I don’t disagree but it sounds like your blaming Reagan for NAFTA.
While Bush started a limited project the liberals opened it wide open to what it is.
Reagan started NAFTA with a 100% different set of rules and was changed by Clinton to do the reverse.
Excellent question. Living in a hotel with room service sure can eat up one’s resources.
Ironic, Obama just met with the Chinese president over issues like hacking. I suppose Snowden could try a new ID, doing minor jobs in areas where he has expertise but his visa would run out at some point, and he likely doesn’t have a work permit. So the Chinese would have to be supporting him.
Of course the US Gov says it will prosecute him. It wouldn’t take much to find and arrest him, just given the info in this article. So room/board/health care would be taken care of for a while. IF the Chinese will release him.
At this point, it may be in this Administration’s best interest to let him stay in Hong Kong, let the Chinese take care of him, and let the story die down at home.
Wouldn’t surprise me if the girlfriend is Chinese.
I think only an IG can grant that.
Oh, notice in Butterfield the reference to HSBC.
Ding,ding,ding... money laundering alarm bells.
Hong Kong will be handing him over to China? Is this guy a spy for China? Yikes. I wonder what 0bama and that Chinese official talked about?
Maybe that’s how China recruited him, if indeed he’s working for them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.