The demonization
of Edward Snowden has already begun. It was so predictable that he even mentioned it in his interview with the Guardian.
The government is now in damage control mode and Edward Snowden is the enemy.
The government is now in damage control mode and Edward Snowden is the enemy.
Just today CBSreports that they have uncovered
documents that show the State Department may have covered up allegations of
illegal and inappropriate behavior within their ranks.
That “..according to an internal State Department Inspector General’s memo, several recent investigations were influenced, manipulated or simply called off.”
Yet we hear government mouthpieces calling Edward Snowden a traitor.
That “..according to an internal State Department Inspector General’s memo, several recent investigations were influenced, manipulated or simply called off.”
Yet we hear government mouthpieces calling Edward Snowden a traitor.
Yesterday Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, the 9/11 whistleblower on the
Able Danger program, said on Fox News that Snowden has essentially defected to
China, and that whatever information he possesses about this program the
Chinese either already have or likely will in the near future.
One thing about Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer – he is a whistleblower himself. He claimed that he alerted the FBI in September 2000 – yes, one year BEFORE 9/11 – about the information uncovered by the secret military unit “Able Danger”, but he alleged that three meetings he set up with bureau officials were blocked by military lawyers.
What did CBS report? “..investigations were influenced, manipulated or simply called off.”
Shaffer gave the 9/11 Commission this information and they DID NOT INCLUDE IT IN THEIR FINAL REPORT. (you can read the rest here)
The point is…Edward Snowden has worked inside this government…he knows how they operate. Did he also know that if he went to a superior, as Lt. Col Anthony Shaffer suggested, that his concerns would be ignored? Of course he did.
The current president – Obama – had great words for whistleblowers right after his election. He even went so far as to call them courageous. It’s still there today, on his website change.gov:
One thing about Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer – he is a whistleblower himself. He claimed that he alerted the FBI in September 2000 – yes, one year BEFORE 9/11 – about the information uncovered by the secret military unit “Able Danger”, but he alleged that three meetings he set up with bureau officials were blocked by military lawyers.
What did CBS report? “..investigations were influenced, manipulated or simply called off.”
Shaffer gave the 9/11 Commission this information and they DID NOT INCLUDE IT IN THEIR FINAL REPORT. (you can read the rest here)
The point is…Edward Snowden has worked inside this government…he knows how they operate. Did he also know that if he went to a superior, as Lt. Col Anthony Shaffer suggested, that his concerns would be ignored? Of course he did.
The current president – Obama – had great words for whistleblowers right after his election. He even went so far as to call them courageous. It’s still there today, on his website change.gov:
·
Protect Whistleblowers: Often
the best source of information about waste, fraud, and abuse in government is
an existing government employee committed to public integrity and willing to
speak out. Such acts of courage and patriotism, which can sometimes save lives
and often save taxpayer dollars, should be encouraged rather than stifled. We
need to empower federal employees as watchdogs of wrongdoing and partners in
performance. Barack Obama will strengthen whistleblower laws to protect federal
workers who expose waste, fraud, and abuse of authority in government. Obama
will ensure that federal agencies expedite the process for reviewing
whistleblower claims and whistleblowers have full access to courts and due
process.
Fair words from then candidate Obama...but, as always with him, they were only words.
Thomas Drake, a former NSA employee who was a whistleblower on NSA waste has been charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 for leaking NSA documents.
William Binney, J. Kirk Wiebe and Edward Loomis are three more former NSA employees charged under the same act for exposing NSA WASTE…what did Edward Snowden think would happen to him for revealing something much more egregious…spying on innocent American citizens?
So, accept what you hear and read about Edward Snowden with care my friends.
As Snowden said in his interview with Glenn Greenwald "The government has granted itself power it is not entitled to. There is no public oversight."
And that very government is scrambling right now to put all the pieces of their shield of secrecy back in place so that we will continue to remain in the dark about what they are doing and who they are doing it to.
To quote Obi-Wan "Nothing to see here. Move along."
DR
