Whistleblower Edward Snowden claims Belgian spies could have stopped Brussels attacks

Edward claims the recent terrorist attacks in Belgium could have been prevented:

Spy whistleblower Edward Snowden claims the terror attacks in Brussels could have been stopped because Turkey shared information about the killers with Belgian security forces.

The former US National Security Agency worker, who is described as a traitor by British and American intelligence services after leaking huge amounts of data relating to mass surveillance, was referring to reports that Turkey warned Belgium that some of the men behind the attacks were involved in terrorist activities.

Snowden, speaking from an undisclosed location in Russia at a video conference hosted in Tucson, Arizona by the University of Arizona College of Behavioral Sciences, also cited news stories that Russia warned the US about the Tsarvaev brothers, who were behind the Boston Marathon bombing, but the authorities did not take any action, reports Sabah.

www.mirror.co.uk...

Now I have a number of problems with what Snowden is saying here. I don't think for a second officials took intelligence surrounding potential terrorist attacks lightly. In the days following the attacks in France, it was well televised in the media that Europe was on alert and Belgium was the main focus for where the next potential attack would be. There were raids, checkpoints, a heavy police presence around Europe, in particular France and Belgium following the attacks in France. I think ANY information given would have been taken seriously. Snowden acts as if people were acting sloppy.

Second of all, how many people are there on watchlists in Europe and the United States? Probably in the thousands. We cannot expect each and every single individual on those watchlists to be constantly followed and monitored. It's unrealistic. What does Snowden recommend aside from criticizing from Russia? Especially considering he complained the American government was doing too much monitoring of people in the first place?

According to his Twitter account he said no such thing.

mobile.twitter.com...




That's from his most recent Tweet.


Sorry to kill your thread so quickly, Southern.
I'm just a stickler for info.

No hard feelings.

It's been reported since the attack that Turkey deported one of the guys back to Belgium, and flagged him as a potential terrorist.

They had the INTEL but they didn't know what to do with it. Just like the United States.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

Sorry to kill your thread so quickly, Southern.

Hey no sweat, I'd rather the facts than anything else. I did find it strange that he supposedly had info on these terrorists when he hadn't been with with the government for the last 5 years.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

According to his Twitter account he said no such thing.

Are you sure he has control over his official account?

It wasn't just Turks who told the authorities about these guys ; USA also had them in their radar and warned Brussells too .

originally posted by: Southern Guardian
nowden-claims-belgian-7634035

Now I have a number of problems with what Snowden is saying here. I don't think for a second officials took intelligence surrounding potential terrorist attacks lightly.

You mean like our leads on 9/11? I see Snowden didn't say this but none the less I wouldn't be surprised if Belgium joins the coalition of successful mass surveillance.

Apparently Snowden did NOT say this, but nevertheless, why is Snowden, who obviously is no longer privy to secret information, is now considered an expert on everything security-related? OK, he had some access awhile ago. OK, he shot off his mouth about it. I get that part. But that doesn't turn him into an expert.

a reply to: schuyler

Yes I concur with that.

Sure he knows how the system operates, but they have probably changed a few things since he spilled the beans.

In all fairness though the Belgian authorities had detained one of the Brothers, but released him after deciding he wasn't a threat. They detained him after he was deported by the Turks, if what has been printed, is to be believed.

originally posted by: schuyler
OK, he shot off his mouth about it. I get that part. But that doesn't turn him into an expert.

That then should mean that every former expert that media wheels in is basically useless..., even more so if those experts have little grounding in IT. Snowden does.

originally posted by: smurfy

originally posted by: schuyler
OK, he shot off his mouth about it. I get that part. But that doesn't turn him into an expert.

That then should mean that every former expert that media wheels in is basically useless..., even more so if those experts have little grounding in IT. Snowden does.

The difference is most of those former experts left/retired on good terms, and didn't do what Snowden did. Also none of them are holed up in Russian or where ever right now either.

originally posted by: Wardaddy454

originally posted by: smurfy

originally posted by: schuyler
OK, he shot off his mouth about it. I get that part. But that doesn't turn him into an expert.

That then should mean that every former expert that media wheels in is basically useless..., even more so if those experts have little grounding in IT. Snowden does.

The difference is most of those former experts left/retired on good terms, and didn't do what Snowden did. Also none of them are holed up in Russian or where ever right now either.

That matters not, nobody is going to tell me that Snowden is now out of the matrix, more than that, it's more likely that he, much more than those you speak of, will still have much better access that any of the old hats ever did.