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well said smurfy
smurfy
It's funny how politicians spend all day throwing paper darts at the other parties, then get all huggy and kissy together when they see a common foe...in this case Snowden who has all the pictures of them with their trousers down.
No wonder fancy Nancy wants him home, probably to smother him with dollars to get him to STFU.
opethPA
If you ever had your clearance you wouldn't be making the case he didn't do anything wrong no matter how good/noble his intentions appear to be.
Taupin Desciple
Not everyone who holds or has held clearances thinks like you.
You sound a little too old school, too rigid, for own good.
opethPA
My guess is you never had your clearance in America or any other country with laws and regulations around classified info. If you did then you would understand what I am saying below.
sdcigarpig
reply to post by smurfy
Revealing classified information is a crime and punishable.
smurfy
The information was illegally obtained, no matter what was done with it, that's why reporters and the like are going to gaol for obtaining information in the same way. Snowden realised he was living in, and acting for a rogue state.edit on 26-1-2014 by smurfy because: Text.
opethPA
You think you way is right which tells me you never had a SECRET or higher clearance in the US or else you wouldn't be claiming he did nothing wrong. I know my way is right because I am just going by the clearly defined laws so let's just agree to disagree.
smurfy
Who mentioned the US?
In Northern Ireland all civil servants are required to sign the official secrets act. In my day I had also to sign the Oath of allegiance.
Also when I was talking about information illegally gained I was talking about the NSA and the rest's illegal gathering and classifying of that information. I was not talking about Snowden's gathering of evidence, that's what a whistleblower needs to do for credibility.
So, you want him to do a 'little time' for that? That sounds a little Nancy.
sdcigarpig
It is a federal crime and under title 18, of the US Code, 798-Disclosure of Classified Information.
(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise A: makes available to an unauthorized person, B: or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified information—
(1) concerning the nature, preparation, or use of any code, cipher, or cryptographic system of the United States or any foreign government; or
(2) concerning the design, construction, use, maintenance, or repair of any device, apparatus, or appliance used or prepared or planned for use by the United States or any foreign government for cryptographic or communication intelligence purposes; or
(3) concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government; or
(4) obtained by the processes of communication intelligence from the communications of any foreign government, knowing the same to have been obtained by such processes—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
Taupin Desciple
A: Define unauthorized person. If an unauthorized person is one without clearance, it needs to state that. Otherwise I'm going to assume that "unauthorized" means a person who is not a citizen of the U.S.
Taupin Desciple
whyamIhere
reply to post by Taupin Desciple
Once the facts come before a jury....
Only the "OJ Jury" could screw this up..
When you have a job like Snowden had, there is no time off. You're always on the job because you have Government clearances you can take home with you. He took them to Russia after the fact, that should be proof enough that he was on the top tier of his job.
If he committed any crime, it was a breach of confidentiality from his employer that is more than likely covered in a contract that I know Snowden would have had to sign before he was hired for the position he was in. I would've said a breach of trust, but you can't put that in a contract. And for good reason. If it were a crime to betray trust on a high corporate level you wouldn't have any corporate heads left.
Would you Pelosi?
I'm waiting for something about his background that actually rings true when I hear it. Something tells me, Snowden is a play by another US agency to disgrace the NSA publicly. Like all children, siblings do have their squabbles....
zeroBelief
I've said this before, but I'll say it again.
Although I am glad he came forward, Snowden's story does not sit well in my mind.
High School Dropout.
Went to Jump School in the US Army, fell and broke both legs. Discharged. This is almost unheard of, as bones heal.
Worked as a rent-a-cop for a security company.
Somehow became an employee of the CIA.
Was given a very high ranking clearance, and posted as an "operative" in next to no time in Europe.
Decided to leave.
Went to work for BAH.
Was placed in Hawaii, working for the NSA.
Made $250K a year.
Where he had only a few (under five, if I remember correctly) years experience, had all these amazing occurrences in his career, and then lands a primo job for BAH in HAWAII of all places...earning $250K a year?
Snowden is a box jockie. Networking. Operating Systems. Woop-di-doo. This happens to be a fairly common denominator for a huge bunch of IT folks.
When I went to work for BAH in approximately 2003, had eight years experience in a very specific and difficult to get training for software package used as a key component of IT systems world wide by major corporations and governments...I had a salary of $105K year. I was working at sites like Bolling AFB for the DOD.
Not Hawaii.
I'm waiting for something about his background that actually rings true when I hear it. Something tells me, Snowden is a play by another US agency to disgrace the NSA publicly. Like all children, siblings do have their squabbles....
Possibly the CIA?
whyamIhere
reply to post by zeroBelief
I'm waiting for something about his background that actually rings true when I hear it. Something tells me, Snowden is a play by another US agency to disgrace the NSA publicly. Like all children, siblings do have their squabbles....
Interesting theory....
I think it should be explored. Usually these guys sell the information for profit.
This breach seems highly unusual and punitive. The government talks he punishes.
Very strange....Unless we are seeing a true Patriot come to the rescue of his Country.
Or, this is high stakes payback.....I smell something.....🐟 🐠 🐁 🐀