Snowden plans more leaks...will let foreign press decide if leaks endanger Americans

[ProSense]

Snowden plans more leaks about US spying abroad, will let foreign press decide if leaks endanger Americans

by John Aravosis

Edward Snowden appeared to first admit to the South China Morning Post today that he took classified documents from the NSA, without regard to whether the content would be so damaging to the United States that it should not be released publicly. Then he appears to suggest something far worse...Regarding the classified documents showing that the US had spied on China, here’s what Snowden had to say today:

“I did not release them earlier because I don’t want to simply dump huge amounts of documents without regard to their content,” he said.

“I have to screen everything before releasing it to journalists.”

Why does he have to screen it? At first, I thought it was to make sure the secrets weren’t too dangerous to be released publicly. But then Snowden continues:

“If I have time to go through this information, I would like to make it available to journalists in each country to make their own assessment, independent of my bias, as to whether or not the knowledge of US network operations against their people should be published.”

<...>

But it gets worse. In that quote above, Snowden appears to be suggesting that the delay in releasing more documents has not been because he’s worried about compromising US national security – but rather, that he wants to make sure the right documents get to the right countries, meaning the only delay is due to him having to go through the documents and make sure that country X gets country X’s documents, and country Y gets country Y’s.

After he sorts through the documents, Edward Snowden says he will let journalists in those countries decide whether it’s safe and appropriate to print the classified documents he took from American intelligence, and whether the information he’s released poses a danger to our country. He wouldn’t want to let his “bias” as a former NSA employee, someone who actually understands the damage these documents can pose to American lives, interfere with the determination of the damage these documents might pose to American lives. He’d rather let non-experts, foreign experts, decide if information they don’t fully understand puts American lives at risk.

- more -

http://americablog.com/2013/06/snowden-plans-more-leaks-about-us-spying-abroad-will-let-local-press-decide-whether-to-publish.html

Snowden’s Attorney: ‘He Never Anticipated This Would Be Such A Big Matter’
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023084521

[BeyondGeography]

1. Always like a strong ending

And for anyone, like Snowden, who seems to believe that the US is just as “bad” as Russia or China, ask yourself how the Russians or the Chinese would have dealt with their own homegrown Edward Snowden.

His entire family would be in jail, if they were still alive at all.

[madrchsod]

23. two years hard labor for pussy riot for criticizing putin in a church

...a russian snowden would have disappeared.

[Turbineguy]

2. Maybe they should let

Aldrich Ames out to take Snowden's place at Booz and Allen.

[mike_c]

3. good....

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant." --Brandeis

[11 Bravo]

10. Yeah, we really should have shared details of the Manhattan Project with Germany.

Because ... TRANSPARENCY! And no doubt, they could have then disinfected the ever-loving fuck out of Europe.

[mike_c]

19. is the U.S. government at war with its own citizens...?

Really? You equate revealing broad NSA surveillance without probable cause as being a secret as important to defend from the American people as the Manhattan project was important to conceal from Axis powers during WWII? Why do you think that is? What might we do that they are so afraid of?

[jeff47]

24. You should go read that OP again. This information is not about US citizens. (nt)

[mike_c]

28. I read it-- I'm glad that Snowden released those documents and look forward...

...to more. I don't give a rat's buttocks about Snowden revealing the extent of U.S. spying on foreign nationals, especially when the surveillance is directed against private citizens whose primary reason for being spied upon is that they used a cell phone or the internet, and the NSA could listen in or log their activity. Surveillance without probable cause is a violation of the right to protection from unreasonable search-- and I'm also not sympathetic to the argument that only Americans should have that right. If other governments disagree, then let them behave according to their principles, but the U.S. should not have one set of principles for some, but another for everyone else.

And if everyone simply acknowledges that everyone spies on everyone else anyway, then nothing more than international one-upmanship will result. But a light will shine on the obsessive culture of government secrecy that leads inevitably away from democracy.

[Cha]

30. Snowden is stupid to give classified info to China and maybe

Russia. He's his own worst enemy.

[mike_c]

32. BTW-- what do you think about broad electronic surveillance without probable cause...?

Snowden is not the issue.

[jeff47]

35. Ah yes, change the argument when you're wrong. It's how you can always be right!

Surveillance without probable cause is a violation of the right to protection from unreasonable search

The Constitution doesn't apply to non-US Persons. It's also ironic that you're so concerned about the US violating the privacy of people living in China.

If other governments disagree, then let them behave according to their principles, but the U.S. should not have one set of principles for some, but another for everyone else.

So....we should have let the Axis win WWII? That required the evil practice of spying on citizens of other countries.

And if everyone simply acknowledges that everyone spies on everyone else anyway, then nothing more than international one-upmanship will result. But a light will shine on the obsessive culture of government secrecy that leads inevitably away from democracy.

And those two thoughts are utterly unrelated. Spying does not require secrecy - see: China.

[graham4anything]

26. +1

[Skraxx]

4. If It's About The NSA surveilling US Citizens, Why Is He Doing THIS?

This has nothing to do with domestic surveillance, this is just shit stirring.

We are under no constitutional obligation to not spy on other countries. Why does he think he has the moral authority to release this information to the international community? What does he base this decision on? it's not the 4th ammendment.

[davidn3600]

33. Because he needs friends. The infomation he has is as good as currency to governments like Russia

You think he wants to come back here so they can give him the Bradley Manning treatment?

Maybe if we treated prisoners better and didn't torture people he'd be more willing to come back here.

[railsback]

53. Like a backrub

and cool lemonade under a heat lamp.

[Skraxx]

55. LOL! Uhh, Yeah, Russia and China are Known For Their Human Rights

With friends like those...

[uponit7771]

43. +1

[snooper2]

5. And I'm sure there is a doc saying, NSA active wiretaps on foreign embassies

etc., etc., etc.,

which all spy agencies do...good job snowball- truthy to power! Till it bites you in the ass-

[one_voice]

6. I have a real problem with this...

He wouldn’t want to let his “bias” as a former NSA employee, someone who actually understands the damage these documents can pose to American lives, interfere with the determination of the damage these documents might pose to American lives. He’d rather let non-experts, foreign experts, decide if information they don’t fully understand puts American lives at risk.

So basically fuck any person that I might put in danger or whose life I might damage. Fuck twice in fact...

[Progressive dog]

7. From the mouth of Snowden

“If I have time to go through this information, I would like to make it available to journalists in each country to make their own assessment, independent of my bias, as to whether or not the knowledge of US network operations against their people should be published.”
A spy for every nation but his own. A hero to the American Paulites.

[graham4anything]

27. yep.

[JI7]

8. it seems like his problem is the US spying on other nations

but he doesn't seem to have a problem with China spying on it's own citizens. and seriously, are US citizens more oppressed by our Govt than Chinese citizens ?

and Ecuador is limiting freedom of press.

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. +1000.

Simeon Tegel
June 24, 2013 12:02

Ecuador has a sinister anniversary gift for Julian Assange

A year ago, Ecuador allowed fugitive WikiLeaker Julian Assange to seek refuge in its London embassy. Now its new media law tightens the vice on journalists critical of the South American country’s government.

LIMA, Peru — As Julian Assange today completes a full year living in Ecuador’s London embassy, back in Quito, President Rafael Correa has found an original way to celebrate — hammering yet another nail into the coffin of his country’s free press.

Last Friday, Ecuador’s congress, dominated by Correa’s leftist Proud and Sovereign Fatherland grouping, passed a new media law that's been universally condemned by human rights and journalism groups.

Vaguely written and granting the government sweeping powers to regulate the media, the law is even reported to further criminalize precisely the kind of leaking of official information that fugitive WikiLeaks founder Assange champions.

Can you say h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y? David Corn of Mother Jones also has a great article on the apparent contradictions of Assange & Snowden in playing ball with countries who have far worse human rights & press freedom records than the US.

[uponit7771]

44. +1

[sibelian]

57. Suits me.

America doesn't give a shit what happens to anyone anywhere. Why should I care if its secrets get exposed?

Significant improvements in world conflict resolution await as a result of Snowden, I strongly suspect. America generates conflict for profit. Clipping the wings of the behemoth will benefit everyone, including America, who really needs to start thinking about making money in some other way.

[sheshe2]

9. Yup "without regard to the harm"

I’m sorry, but it is incredibly dangerous what this man is now doing. This goes far beyond whistle-blowing. Edward Snowden has a vendetta against US intelligence operations overall, and has made it his one-man mission to expose classified US operations around the world without regard to the harm he may cause America or Americans.

Edward Snowden is no whistleblower, and he’s no hero either.

This little "child" as his attorney describes him, is playing with matches!

This fine American, as he is being touted and hailed, plans to unleash his Pandora's Box. With out any regard to the safety of the Country that he alone has forsaken!

Such a fine upstanding young child, not!

Thank you, ProSense for this new piece of information. The dots are being connected.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

56. You forgot to mention that he poured out a can of lighter fluid before playing with the matches

since those cans can be dangerous just laying around

[cali]

11. 76 trombones, er no. 76 threads on Snowden.

[ProSense]

12. Where did you get that number? FYI:

I'm fairly certain, there is more to come.

[Cali_Democrat]

31. You've created your fair share

hypocrite.

[jeff47]

38. I'm trying to come up with a worse argument

than "you've made a lot of posts on this subject".

[uponit7771]

46. +1

[randome]

13. Someone should ask Daniel Ellsberg for an update on his opinion of Snowden.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[Tarheel_Dem]

16. This was discussed on NPR today. Some are definitely backing away from Snowden at this point.

They agreed with his initial action re: domestic surveillance, but not with the crap he's pulled since.

[leftstreet]

14. What horseshit

Read his own words:

as to whether or not the knowledge of US network operations against their people should be published.

They're meant to decide if THEIR interests THEIR people are at risk, not US interests

[bunnies]

17. Because theres no way that putting the US in the worlds crosshairs...

could possibly harm US citizens. Right?

[leftstreet]

18. Irrelevant. OP thread title is a lie n/t

[bunnies]

20. How so?

If the ramifications of what the foreign press decides is fit to print could negatively affect the people of the United States, then the title = true.

[leftstreet]

21. Read his actual quote. Stop wasting my time n/t

[bunnies]

22. oh my.

Forgive my use of logic, your highness. I shan't waste more of your precious.

[jeff47]

25. Yes, lord knows China is extremely concerned about the privacy of its citizens.

You're stretching really, really, really far to try and defend the guy.

Btw, do you think that should the US "spy" on other countries?

[idwiyo]

29. What "American" lives? Likes of Bush & Co and everyone else who kept this shit going?

I hope they ARE scared enough to never show their faces outside of US, and if they do I hope they are arrested and prosecuted and forced into hard labour (they can start with rebuilding Afghanistan and Iraq, by hand).

Who else is threatened? Ordinary Americans should be scared of their own government who managed to waste tens of billions of dollars and accomplish absolutely damn nothing. Couldn't even stop ONE terrorist attack or find ONE whistleblower, FFS. If anything ordinary americans benefit from these disclosures simply because they are looking just like other ordinary people elsewhere else in the world - fucked up by their own government.

[jeff47]

40. Yeah, screw those Chinese democracy activists!!

If they were smart, they'd have been born in a democracy to begin with.

Tip: The people providing information and doing the "spying" are not necessarily US citizens, nor located in the US. In fact, there's this whole world out there full of non-US people.

[idwiyo]

41. Are we talking about NSA or CIA here? WTF spying on Americans and foreigners have to do with

the gibberish you wrote?

[jeff47]

42. Take a look at Stuxnet

An Iranian installed it.

You think that pattern only ever happened in Iran?

[idwiyo]

48. Oh, you are taking about those brave people who help NSA to spy on their countryman!

It's not damn enough their own government is spying on them, they now are also spied on by an American government. But of course it's for their own good. Got it. Thanks for enlightening me.

BTW, I have this funny feeling that our dear British Defenders of Democracy (tm) who think its all spiffy to help your NSA morons to spy on us, would dearly love to remain as anonymous as humanly possible. For a good damn reason. Hopefully someone will leak THEIR names to British population, I am sure a lot of us would love to have a nice neighbourly chat with those arseholes.

[jeff47]

49. Again, you're arguing against a ton of activists around the world

so that you can complain about the US not giving them rights. Rights they are fighting to get in their own country.

Your post is a perfect example of "first-world problem".

[idwiyo]

50. What bloody activists? According to you they sold their own countryman to a US secret services.

The well known defenders of Human Rights and Democracy(tm) everywhere.
Now those foreigners have to be scared of their own government, and your won. But of course, I am absolutely sure YOUR government would NEVER EVER use illegally obtained private information to blackmail someone in China (as an example) to to do what CIA wants them to do. No Sir, not ever.
That information is absolutely safe in NSA's and CIA's capable hands.

FFS, are you really naive or do you think I am total moron?

[Bonobo]

34. What a transparent and amateurish headline!

I have to admit it made me laugh because it almost sounds like an Onion headline -it is so slanted and leading...

[hack89]

36. He's trying to buy his safety

hoping he can buy sanctuary.

[warrprayer]

37. Ohhh Noes!

Someone is upsetting the MIC!!!

[MattFromKY]

39. I can't wait until all of the...

turn into



When his criminal activity finally catches up with him and he's in our hands.

[idwiyo]

45. Agent Mike, is it really you?

[uponit7771]

47. WTF Does this have to do with the 4th amendment!?!? He's "selling" info for sancutary now

[baldguy]

51. Tell me again how Snowden is a hero, and this isn't espionage.

[okaawhatever]

52. The f$$king arrogance..."I have to screen everything". Give me a friggin'

break. He is not an operative, nor does he have a big picture of the operations currently going on. His self-delusion that he can "screen" anything is laughable. By local press, does he mean the government owned press in certain countries?
Next he's going to pretend like the Chinese didn't take every bit of info he has. Chances are they're already negotiating with friendly countries to pass on the intel. I wonder if he will print the evidence our gov't collected about China hacking and spying on political dissidents, or the intel we have on their hacking the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan gov't in exile?

It makes me sick to my stomach that some of these Americans aren't worried one iota about the deaths his leaks may cause. Usually the type who share their disdain for the current "surveillance state" in the US but aren't the least bit concerned with writing anti-government and anti-Obama posts 20 to 30 times a day. I especially love when their tirades include the chilling effect it's having on freedom of speech, as they attack the government and it's operations. Chilled, indeed.

[railsback]

54. In the beginning, I was annoyed

willing to let it all play out and maybe be enlightened. Now I'm getting really sick to my stomach, especially when I still see people here praising Snowden. This guy is garbage.