Edward Snowden Revelations Prompt UN Investigation Into Surveillance

[Indi Guy]

Source: the guardian

The UN's senior counter-terrorism official is to launch an investigation into the surveillance powers of American and British intelligence agencies following Edward Snowden's revelations that they are using secret programmes to store and analyse billions of emails, phone calls and text messages.

The UN special rapporteur Ben Emmerson QC said his inquiry would also seek to establish whether the British parliament had been misled about the capabilities of Britain's eavesdropping headquarters, GCHQ, and whether the current system of oversight and scrutiny was strong enough to meet United Nations standards.

The inquiry will make a series of recommendations to the UN general assembly next year.

In an article for the Guardian, Emmerson said Snowden had disclosed "issues at the very apex of public interest concerns". He said the media had a duty and right to publish stories about the activities of GCHQ and its American counterpart the National Security Agency.

"The astonishing suggestion that this sort of responsible journalism can somehow be equated with aiding and abetting terrorism needs to be scotched decisively," said Emmerson, who has been the UN's leading voice on counter-terrorism and human rights since 2011.


Ben Emmerson: 'The Guardian has revealed an extensive programme of surveillance which potentially affects every one of us.'

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/02/edward-snowden-un-investigation-surveillance

[2banon]

1. Well Done Emmerson!

Powerful comment, appears from someone in a position of International Respect and Credibility.

[Indi Guy]

9. I would say that his voice...

...will be hard for the spy industry to ignore. Given that Spook Central appears to be tone deaf to "we the people," this is good news.

[2banon]

14. indeed, and then there's that piece from the Guardian

Alan Rusbridger says he won't be intimidated. Don't have the link, I think it's in the Latest Breaking News today.

[Hubert Flottz]

2. K&R

The UN needs to look in to the paperless voting machines also.

[JimDandy]

3. K & R

[SoapBox]

4. No matter what Mr. Stuffed Stiff says...

Comrade Snowden is a traitor, revealing State secrets

and

Mr. Stiff will never convince me that Comrade Eddie's blabbing, has not given the best of the best of the Terrorists invaluable information on how to avoid detection.

[Ace Acme]

5. Who exactly are these Capital Tee "Terrorists" you're so scared of,

and what exactly is the threat they pose to you?

[Maedhros]

6. Nice jackboots you've got there.

Limited edition?

[truedelphi]

18. That sums it up nicely. Yet some of thee people consider themselves

Progressives!

[SpcMnky]

7. You are not in good company when disparaging the UN

This is the same kinda drivel i expect from the RW, not from fellow democrats.

Fortunately, most people do not share your view on this critical threat to our democracy.

[Indi Guy]

10. I see that you like to give demeaning nicknames to those you disagree with.

That's a common propaganda tactic designed to appeal to emotions, dehumanize and thereby make it OK to persecute individuals & groups.

So the essence of your arguments against Snowden (& all who justify his actions) is based in emotion & not logic. Therefore, it must follow that no one has any logical reason to agree with anything you say in this manner.

But keep trying, if it gives you emotional satisfaction. This is your Constitutional right to free speech. ...a right which would disappear if the spy agencies went unchecked.

[2banon]

15. very similar to McCarthy Period Red Baiting..

Same tripe, different stripe..

[Indi Guy]

17. You mean...

...there wasn't a commie around every corner & all those air raid drills I went through were just meant to scare me into trusting my government? Unthinkable.

[2banon]

19. Lol!

I just watched on Netflix the Trials of Henry Kissinger that was released some years ago .. there are these clips of an interview with Alexander Haig - I don't have his exact wording committed to memory, but his description of Allende and Chili going all "communistic", was something to witness.

Mind you, it's years and years past McCarthy period, and he's yammering on about the dirty communists, I think he said Allende was the "Sewer" with an expression of self righteousness and such palpable hatred.. All that to suggest that Allende's Aid assassination was an accident that happened by mistake in the commission of his kidnapping. Beyond the pale.

Yesterday, I re-watched William Mandel's speech smacking down the HUAC committee in San Francisco, 1960.. I saw a thread on du that implied a certain individual brought McCarthy down I think in 1954.

6 years later the House on Un-American Actitives Committee was still destroying peoples lives with the the threat of the Communists bogyman.

Love, Love, Love Mandel's slap down on that committee.

In the Trials of Henry Kissinger, I was reminded that Kissinger was both Secretary of State and head of the NSA simultaneously. He had the FBI wiretapping everybody, journalists, his own aids etc.

Back then, people were outraged, including journalists and congress critters. Now domestic spying is so ho hum.. talk about a successful psy-ops program!

sorry for rambling....

[Indi Guy]

20. Up until now...

...the PTB have played public opinion like a fiddle under the guise & plausible deniability factor of "national security." Well, I'm happy to see that this dog doesn't hunt like it used to. We're sick of the decades of lies & deception; and yes, we are paying attention to the man behind the curtain.

[AverageJoe90]

21. Snowden would have loved these people.....well, the McCarthyists, that is.

I wouldn't be surprised; that's the kinda person he IS, like it or not. Don't forget that a lot of modern Paulite "libertarian" thought also had its origins in "anti-Communist" B.S. as well as Randian blither-blather(Snowden, after all, is a Ron Paul fan, amirite?).

[Oscarmonster13]

8. wow

let's hope some sanity prevails....sounds promising, but i worry it will be one of those investigations that ends up buried in court for years as the actions continue, where nobody ends up being responsible, it becomes irrelevant and fades away, and the PTB get to keep on with the Prime Directive

[Indi Guy]

11. Welcome to DU

I think the NSA firmly grasped the 3rd rail here; and the repercussions won't let this issue fade away. This has been a wakeup call for Americans who thought that our Constitutional rights were respected by the people who swore allegiance to said Constitution upon assuming their positions of authority.

We don't like being lied to and fooled by the people we pay to be in office.

[bvar22]

13. I would like to believe that,

...but I see much evidence to the contrary....right here at DU.
It appears that many are more than willing to go gentle into that good night as long as it is someone with a "D" after their name leading the way.

[2banon]

24. Iran-Contra, BCCI, WallStreet, Big Banks the list is endless..

so many crimes to investigate, so little time. what is a congress critter ever to do? oh sigh..

[bvar22]

12. Naw Man....can't be.

I heard it right here that Snowden didn't reveal anything that we didn't already know,
but that he is a publicity seeking traitor/coward anyway who had boxes in his garage.

If the UN read DU, they wouldn't be making these kinds of embarrassing mistakes.

[Blue_Tires]

16. Jog my memory -- Was there EVER a real investigation into this:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/28/clinton-ordered-diplomats-spy-un/

Because that story got way too little attention here....

[randome]

22. I just wanted to point out that I won't be posting in this thread.

Because I have no problem with public investigations or even international agreements regulating spying to a far greater degree than now.

Just, you know, keeping it real.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[2banon]

23. back at ya, and then some..