John Kerry tells fugitive Edward Snowden to 'man up' - BBC

US Secretary of State John Kerry has labelled intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a fugitive from justice who should "man up" and return home.

Mr Kerry added that if Mr Snowden, 30, "believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice"...

"A patriot would not run away," Mr Kerry said on Wednesday. "If Mr Snowden wants to come back to the United States... we'll have him on a flight today."

Mr Kerry also called the former National Security Agency contractor "confused", adding "this is a man who has done great damage to his country".

John Kerry tells fugitive Edward Snowden to 'man up' - BBC

The United States did damage to itself, not Snowden, through over-reaching domestic spying policies. Snowden simply revealed the data that allowed the government to be critiqued for rules that were already in place before it broke them.

The spy agencies were clearly and are still clearly outside of the bounds of the constitution.

The N.S.A. was not even known as a spy agency, but simply a cryptography center prior to the revelations made by Snowden last year, even by members of congress. The C.I.A. is not supposed to be allowed to do domestic spying, either.

I am interested to see what kind of people Greenwald reveals were spied on, and if he is allowed to make his report..

Kerry: "This is a man who has betrayed his country." Well, what about the senators, including John Kerry, who have betrayed our country by violating their own oath of office to uphold the constitution? Have they just thrown patriotism in the bucket?

Kerry: "Come back and stand in our system of justice." I wouldn't trust our system of justice, either, when trying to expose the kind of secrets and corruption that Snowden was trying to expose. Look what happened to Michael Hastings.



Here is what John Kerry has to say.

a reply to: darkbake

I'm not that articulate in expressing what I'm trying to say here - but I don't like America's domestic spying program, I don't think it should have been operating outside of the bounds of the legal system and congress, and I think that it should be held accountable to the nation's laws.

I think that what Snowden did is what he had to do, what a real Patriot would have done in his situation - I think that John Kerry comes across as a bumbling idiot who is trying to save face.

a reply to: darkbakeu

Edward Snowdan has already answered to this. Being charged with espionage ...he does not get a trial . Look at what has happened to whistleblowers in this administration and it is truly scary. Good job mainstream media for inciting complacency.

Yeah "man up " come back and watch your plane crash on the way back . .....


*rolls eyes*

I thought the NSA was the villian here?

Am I missing something?


Just saying .....

John Kerry once 'manned up' and threw some war medals war in protest of an unnecessary war.

I voted for Kerry in 2004 because I thought he would man up and put an end to unnecessary wars. I was wrong about Kerry, he is swine like the others.

He would have to be an idiot to come back. If he were to by some miracle stay out of prison, he would have to constantly watch his back. There are plenty of media brainwashed idiots out there that would tear him apart in the streets. Sometimes being brave and doing the right thing comes at a price. John Kerry can go suck an egg.

Perhaps John Kerry should 'man up' and face the facts: that the administration of which he belongs, has violated the human rights of not only American citizens, but civilians belonging to allied and enemy states alike.

Lmao.. american justice... now thats a good joke ...

Kerry should become a comedian since he's a epic fail as secretary of state ..

Lol... this meme says it all:

a reply to: darkbake

Wow..lol to all of that.
He didn't man up when he threw away a solid career and middle class life in the US to leak information on the governments illegal activities?

He should trust the American Justice system? Doesn't everything about his actions say he doesn't trust the American system under the current administration.

originally posted by: darkbake

Mr Kerry added that if Mr Snowden, 30, "believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice"...

Please allow Data to sum up my feelings on this statement:



"Trust the American system of justice", rotfl. Funniest thing I've heard yet this week, Kerry, good one! XD

a reply to: darkbake

As i decode political speak this means that by 'maning up' kerry is saying they are coming after him and he'd better get ready to die from a drone attack cos after all, this is the american justice system these days is'nt it?

Dear John,
Mr. Snowden took and oath which unlike some he took seriously. He saw anti/Un constitutional activities by an agency of the United States Government and reported it. Of course anyone who is breaking the law wants to remain a hidden hypocrite full of lies under the cloak of nationalism and national security. Knowing your record Mr. Kerry with Viet Nam being just the tip of the iceberg have you looked between your legs lately.. If you do you will not find anything to man up with...IMO.. Of course said with all due respect.

a reply to: darkbake

I find such comment from John Kerry to be somewhat hypocritical.

For a start, let us consider the position from which he speaks. He is speaking as a well defended member of his political party, and as a highly placed member of the government. He will, after being involved in politics for as long as he has been, have various skeletons in his closet. The thing which separates him from the people, and indeed Mr Snowden, is that his skeletons, his secrets are protected by the state, so that the state can continue to run with the APPEARANCE of legitimacy and moral solidarity.

Mr Snowden, who spoke his truth without such protections, and was called a criminal for doing so, cannot be called out as unpatriotic in this instance. I can think of no greater act of patriotism, than to prevent the justice system being further discredited by being involved with the US governments attempts to prosecute Mr Snowden, by entirely avoiding that system. If he IS ever tried in a US court, that would be the day that any last shred of validity or moral strength left in that over monied institution, evaporates and dissipates into the air.

You see, if Mr Snowden is even ARRESTED, or placed before a court, that would indicate one very dark and suspicious thing about the government who are so aggravated by him. It would indicate that when one catches one nation doing something very wrong, that the ill behavior is institutional, that when every "legitimate" attempt has been made to alert the higher authorities to the issue has been met with a stone wall, the only option one has is to either accept it, or become a criminal in the eyes of your government.

Now, people, this is not a message that ANY government should be sending its citizens. I would argue, that a government which is doing a good job of representing the wishes of its citizens, would not be a) spying on the people without their express consent, and b) would not, therefore, be able to be accused of spying by contractors in its intelligence industry.

John Kerry may have a history for which many applaud him, but I believe that a person should not just be judged on their actions (if at all) but specifically judged on their actions on a given day, or on a given topic. Mr Kerry could have saved the world a thousand times with one hand tied behind his back and a leg missing, but if he continues to behave toward Mr Snowden in both such a dismissive manner, and at the same time such a covetous and possessive manner, and if he brings about Snowdens being prosecuted at any time in the future, he will invalidate all the positive things he has ever done for his country, in one glorious balls up.

Snowden is the only patriot related to the story he broke. He told the truth, he alerted the people of the USA to the down right underhanded behavior of its own government, when the atmosphere surrounding the projects which partook of the fruits of that poisonous tree was one of extreme secrecy, despite the fact that these systems and projects were clearly being used in a way which runs counter to the freedom and liberty for which America is world famous, and which many Americans seem to still have a fierce respect and desire for.

A patriot is not a person who does what they are told. A patriot, is someone who does what is right, and for many Americans, indeed many citizens of THE PLANET, there is no greater act of patriotism than the example set by Mr Snowden.

He saw that something was very wrong, he let people know, and he did so despite the fact, that he knew that it would probably lead to him being unable to remain in the nation in which his life had thus far played out. He knew he would probably have to leave EVERYTHING he had ever worked for, loved, cherished, or enjoyed, because the people for whom he had been working would never let him utter the truth without trying to prosecute him for it. He did it anyway, he spoke the truth, and people heard, and sure enough, such is the anger being expressed toward him from the less informed quarters of society, and indeed from virtually every echelon of government, that to return home would be damned near suicidal.

The hardship he has put himself through to ensure that the truth got out, and continues to be heard I might add, is a feat which many people would simply shy away from, and in fact, many people before him had done exactly that.

Here is a revelation that Mr Kerry ought to pay attention to. The unpatriotic people in this scenario, would be the people who started the project which caused all the fuss in the first place, the people who signed off on it, the people who worked on the project before Snowden who did not announce its existence to the world, and indeed, the people who continue to work on the project, and the people who act on the intelligence gained thereby as well.

This part of my post is directed toward Kerry himself:

Sir,

I am not a citizen of your nation, I am a citizen of the UK. However, right and wrong do NOT change dependent on ones geographical location, and as such I feel I must warn you of something.

When you stopped fighting wars as a soldier, you came home and began fighting battles as a politician. I am sure that you believe you have done good work in your life, in both those roles, and you have been called a patriot over the years, because of those things. However, while you have fought for your nations physical security as a warrior, and for your nations political security as a member of its political establishment, you are fighting AGAINST the spirit of your own country, and against the wishes of the people.

Snowden fights for the spirit of your nation, and one can only assume that you have either lost sight of the right and wrong of the situation, or that you have ceased to care what the right and wrong of the matter is. Suffice to say, that a land of freedom and liberty cannot stand as such if it secretly invades the privacy of its citizens, and any system which seeks to do such a thing is unpatriotic. Revealing the existence of such a project is the moral imperative of any individual who believes in the spirit of your nation. You would be better off accepting that, and stopping this pathetic whining, just because your government has been caught doing a great wrong.

What you, and the entire political establishment in Washington SHOULD do, is frankly apologise for the creation of this system, shut it down, the members of the government who signed off on it should resign, and you should apologise for your treatment of the ONLY patriot in the command chain of this operation.

this probably deserves it's own thread, and maybe i'll do it up later, but to the op:

i see your video, and raise you...this....



even he knows there would be nothing even remotely resembling a fair trial, if he came home..

Run Edward Run. You did the right thing, God bless you.

a reply to: darkbake
I think it depends on how you define "Country" Snowden has done great damage to our corrupt "Government" not "Country". I define "Country" as "We the People" and Snowden's actions have made us "We the People" aware of our corrupt governments tyrannical actions. He is a Hero. We should erect statues of him and make a holiday out of his birthday.

I think kerry needs to stick it where the sun no longer shines.

originally posted by: awareness10
I think kerry needs to stick it where the sun no longer shines.

I dunno, it seems to me that it would be rather crowded in there with his head shoved in that abyss.

To be serious, I find his comment just appalling. We have many examples of "American Justice" lately that is just an unbelievable farce. Take the cop who got a month in jail and a few years' probation for having drugs planted in his wife's vehicle. I mean really, come on, our "justice" system is a joke on the lower end of it, does he really expect people to believe Snowden would receive any fair justice?