"U.S. officials might not know for years whether former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden divulged war plans to China and Russia, intelligence experts say.
Snowden has denied passing on U.S. secrets to either country and last month said American officials would “notice the changes” if rivals had been given his document trove.
But while former intelligence officials agreed that some tactical shifts might be apparent right away, they said it could be years before the full extent of Snowden’s deception is known.
“We may see some things immediately that might indicate that they have things, but it will create a great deal of uncertainty for years,” said Mark Lowenthal, president of the Intelligence and Security Academy and former CIA assistant director of central intelligence for analysis and production.
U.S. officials say Snowden’s leaks to the press about NSA surveillance have already begun to influence the behavior of adversaries, particularly terrorists looking to escape detection when building bombs.
American officials have also noticed some intelligence sources drying up.
[SNIP]
Some former intelligence officials say it’s possible the U.S. will never know whether Snowden spilled secrets.
“It’s impossible to prove a negative. They just will never know, even if Snowden returns and confesses. He doesn’t know himself what they could have, and what access they’ve had to his computers,” said Dan Gabriel, a former CIA official.
But others argue the proof that Snowden is working with the Russians or Chinese is that most of the files he stole had nothing to do with the NSA.
“He stole a lot of material that had nothing whatsoever with these programs that he’s opposed to,” Lowenthal said.
Gabriel said it’s hard to believe Russia wasn’t somehow behind Snowden’s intelligence theft, given how it has caused a public relations nightmare for the U.S..
“The nation’s dirty laundry is being displayed in an international forum. The political value rivals any covert action program,” he said."
Suffice it to say that Obama is “on the wrong side of History.”
Jimmy Carter is back in the White House after an extended tanning salon visit.
Obama is not working for America. People need to face that and it all becomes easier to understand.
The wishywashiness and incompetence of Obama is why Putin doesn’t fear him.
Obama is someone who Putin thinks can’t stand up to him. So far, he hasn’t been off the mark.
In 1985, Reagan laughed at Russia, daring them to compete against US capitalism.
In 2014, Russia laughs out-load at Obamugabe for abandoning the pricipals of US capitalism.
Kruschev, once again from the grave, shouts, “We will bury you!”
and smiles.
Maybe just using it for blackmail would be more useful to them. Maybe they are blackmailing him now. Maybe they don't even need to, yet.
The average American has no idea how dangerous this president is.
The freepers love the NeoCons like Krauthammer, John Bolton, Dick Cheney, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Bill Kristol, Karl Rove, George W. Bush, etc. etc.
Considering his whispering with Medvedev prior to the election, Obama could well be working with the Russians in that he’ll not oppose the directions they choose.
The only reason that’s more acceptable a notion is because it’s hard to conceive of any competent enough to gain the presidency but absolutely, totally inept at dealing with foreign affairs.
However, it’s possible that Obama is so incompetent that this is a result of his inability.
I don’t think Obama’s incompetence has a single thing to do with Snowden.
However, Obama’s willingness to weaken America might well make him a co-conspirator in the Snowden affair. Anyone who would design a fast & furious campaign designed to intentionally injure the US would also design a Snowden campaign designed to intentionally injure the US.
If a low level contractor was given access to American War plans, that would be the scandal of the century.
And if a low level contractor could get this material, how hard would it be for professional spies to get it?
This Snowden hatred is a huge straw man distraction from a gigantic failure of our Federal Government. And a CONTINUING failure.
Thanks for all your posting. But no one should confuse or blame snowden for the weakness putin is now exploiting.
If snowden was a russian agent, we never would have heard a word about it.
Blaming snowden for american weakness is something obama and his supporters would like us to believe. Shifting blame to snowden/bush- anyone but obama.
I love seeing Obama stumbling
But pray tell what would uberNeo sorta liberal Dr. Charles Krauthammer propose Obama can do to remove Putin from Crimea?
Short of war...
Yeah.....that’s what I thought
This is not about Putin for Fox....its about beating up Obama
Suits me but this ship sailed back when Obama did the apology tour day one
Putin just waited to get the Olympics out ta the way
Knock off part of Georgia and Moldavia in the meantime..
But, the little guy’s pants are still pressed nicely. That’s cool.
Putin is good for America. He has shown that Obama is weak and totally ineffective. His followers are all wound up in ideology that is shown to be failing. The collapse of liberalism is in process.
Putin is removing some of the props
Obama to Putin: “You don’t frighten us, Russian pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called “Putin King,” you and all your silly Russian K-nig-hts. Now go away before I taunt you a second time.”
Obumster momma, please remember, was a clueless Russophile. Has she passed her love of Russian-Asiatic savagery on to her boy along with her pairs of jeans?