Posted on 08/18/2014 12:52:38 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Edward Snowden's in-depth interview with James Bamford of Wired offers details about his last job as a contractor for the NSA in Honolulu, which raise disconcerting questions about the motives of the former systems administrator.
While working at two consecutive jobs in Hawaii from March 2012 to May 2013, the 31-year-old allegedly stole about 200,000 "tier 1 and 2" documents, which mostly detailed the NSA's global surveillance apparatus and were given to American journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras in June 2013. The government believes Snowden also took up to 1.5 million "tier 3" documents potentially detailing U.S. capabilities and NSA offensive cyber operations, the whereabouts of which are unknown.
We now know more about the larger and more sensitive cache of classified documents. Furthermore, a close reading of relevant reporting and of statements made by Snowden suggests that much of what the rogue NSA employee intentionally took involved operational information unrelated to civil liberties.
While the tier 3 material appears to have not been shared with American journalists, some of it was shown to a Chinese newspaper. And 14 months later, given the uncertain fate of the documents, it is not unreasonable to ask whether they could have fallen into the hands of an adversarial foreign intelligence service.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
If the Government has nothing to hide...
They’re just mad because they can’t deny what they’ve been saying that they’re not doing and been exposed for what they’ve been doing...: )
Why didn't the Thuglicants have his head? Co-conspirators is the ONLY explination.
He released the things about spying of Americans to get public support. He is a traitor in the end.
Now bow before your leaders and accept the chains of slavery, because that's all that's left.
Russia, Venezuela, and China love him. The guy is a commie.
CIA dude on c-span last night had a different take on it. He said there was no doubt he had broken many very serious laws and was in deep trouble. He also said he saw what happened to whistle blowers and how their lives had been ruined. He thought we owed Snowden a debt of appreciation for exposing NSA’s illegal actions.
The only thing that bothers me is how many others had access to the same information but sided with the thugs.
Good point. That IS disturbing. But hey, we can count on them if ever FedGov should decide the American public is the enemy, right? Right???
This needs repeating, and emphasis.
But Wait, my Government told me he was a low level analysist who didn’t have access to National Security Info...
Snowden AND Obama both are about destroying America’s MORAL...
And it’s working..
IMO, the FedGov already has.
Indeed, I would posit that the elite are well on their way to establishing a true caste system, and you should know your place.
We're after power, and we mean to have it.
Snowden also reportedly used TrueCrypt encryption to protect his stolen files. This software has since been discontinued and the company has acknowledged unfixed security issues - in other words, it provides little if any protection against major intelligence services such as those of the Chinese and Russians.
The NSA must assume all the information he stole is now in the hands of America's two primary adversaries, and that portions of it are available for trade to enemies such as North Korea and Iran.
At this point, it really matters little what Snowden's intentions were - the end results are the same. This may be the most consequential loss of secrets since the theft of the nuclear secrets from the Manhattan project. Wars can be won or lost on the basis of such a catastrophic intelligence loss.
Some hero Snowden is.
“The government believes Snowden also took up to 1.5 million “tier 3” documents potentially detailing U.S. capabilities and NSA offensive cyber operations, the whereabouts of which are unknown.”
The CIA dude said his contacts actually admitted they had NO IDEA how many “tier 3” documents he may have taken. The 1.5 million is a guess.
Sounds like the government needs some IT advice. First the IRS loses emails, 2nd, there should be NO WAY anyone can download that many sensitive documents.
He’s a traior plain and simple.
He stole info that can aid and abet enemies and competitors and gave it to them.
“NSA must assume all the information he stole is now in the hands of America’s two primary adversaries, and that portions of it are available for trade to enemies such as North Korea and Iran.”
And IS or al Qaeda who have dealt with China in the past via Taliban and China’s close ally Pakistan.
China, whom Snowden provided all the documents, uses asymmetrical techniques against us including aiding Islamic groups.
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