Lawyer: Snowden ready to return
You remember Ed Snowden, right? The fellow who leaked reams of classified documents to the media while claiming that he’d “begun” special forces training (he actually never finished Army basic training) before he became a spy for the media. Well, his lawyer says that he’s ‘ready to return” to the US;
“He is thinking about it. He has a desire to return and we are doing everything we can to make it happen,” Anatoly Kucherena….
Isn’t that nice of him? I wonder why he’s decided to return now.
Kucherena’s comments came at a presser where he presented a thriller loosely based on his encounters with Snowden.
US filmmaker Oliver Stone has bought the rights to the book as he prepares to shoot a biopic about Snowden starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Oh, I see, what good is being a famous personality in the US, the subject of a movie and a novel, if he can’t be in the US to enjoy his new-found stardom? And the culture hits a new low.
Category: Shitbags
In other words, the Russians have all they need from Eddie, his usefulness is done, so Putin has said GTFO.
They get what they want, we get to hang the traitor, everybody wins!
Yeah, if only…
Indeed, if only.
And the DOJ I am sure will cut a sweet deal with him so he doesn’t spend too much time in jail for fucking us over.
Hell, they might just give him a fucking medal and call it a day.
I once heard a really good suggestion for resolving this whole thing. Snowden blew the whistle on some seriously unconstitutional stuff, and he also committed treason by giving lots more National Security-related stuff to our enemies, and his motives were in no way noble or altruistic. Therefore, give him a medal to go with his blindfold and cigarette.
works for me…..
Sounds good to me
Seconded.
With apologies to the late Sir Winston:
“We are waiting. So is your needle.”
Good. What size rope should we use.
The last person I felt this strongly about was Johnny Walker, and I have the exact same words: FUCKING TRAITOR, MOTHERFUCKER!
Same cell as Bergdahl?
Any bets on a presidential pardon? Do you think he would be that bold?
Dunno. He embarrassed the hell out of the Glorious Leader, and Barry is nothing if not a vindictive bastard.
probably will get one, otherwise snowden will blab ALL the US’s secrets to the russians…?
Toss him in the clink and toss away the key.
I started watching that documentary on him – Citizenfour. Honestly, he is such a fucking douchebag, and SO intent on portraying himself to be bigger, and much more important than he really is! I had to stop watching it, because the urge to punch my TV was becoming too strong.
He needs to stay the fuck in Russia. No one goddamn wants him here.
Maybe the NSA will greet him at the airport?
I do not know about the NSA, but I guarantee you All-Points Logistics will.
Hah! NSA be damned. That bunch of nerds couldn’t come up with a punishment tough enough. Now if the sent me………..
Is it Enigma4You who commonly posts something to the effect of?:
Snowden
Gallows
Rope
Some assembly required
He doesn’t deserve a dignified firing squad.
I believe that’s Proud Infidel’s line, David. I could be wrong.
Tall tree
Short rope
No need for a tall tree, just pull him up on his tiptoes with the noose and leave him there.
Actually, I like to say it this way:
1. Rope.
2. Tree (or gallows).
3. Traitor.
Some assembly required.
I also admit I stole it from elsewhere as well.
He looks like a man who is about to suffer a fatal heart attack and fall out of his hotel window.
“US filmmaker Oliver Stone has bought the rights to the book as he prepares to shoot a biopic about Snowden starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.” Yep, Oliver Stone, the veteran leftist, self appointed, Infantry know it all. Now I know it’s gonna be bull shit.
From the article, “Snowden is ready to return to the States, but on the condition that he is given a guarantee of a legal and impartial trial,” he said. (As opposed to an illegal and partial Federal trial I guess.)
“The lawyer said Snowden had so far only received a guarantee from the US Attorney General that he will not face the death penalty.”
So, Obama’s yes man in Justice has already promised no death penalty. Great. But then again, Obama will never punch someone’s ticket in a Federal rap no matter how much damage they have done. Maybe he can be celled up with Manning and the two can touch each other. He looks like he’s a hair’s breadth from a sex change anyway.
Snowden will return and become a darling of the left, he will be the poster boy for whistleblowers because that’s how the culture works…
He’ll make millions on books and movies and speaking fees will be along the lines of ex-presidents for a while.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see nothing come of a DOJ investigation because of the classified nature of the information, consequently a deal could well be already underway. Nothing would surprise me with respect to Snowden…a clear, clean walk would sound about right after all is said and done…
He sure as hell isn’t going to be in prison for life or executed…
Except, of course, he was NOT a whistle blower. He stole IDs and passwords and stole information.
Sadly I think that will get lost in translation, understand I will be thrilled to be wrong here…just have an odd sense this will take a political path.
To be fair he didn’t actually STEAL it. He asked some douche NSA employee for their PKI cert information, and they gave it to him. Because STUPID!
Possibly, possibly not. He used other individuals’ credentials under false pretense to gain unauthorized access to information for which he had no “need to know”. I’m not a lawyer, so I’m not sure sure whether that qualifies as “theft by deception” (or fraud, or whatever) or not.
It does, however, IMO qualify as unauthorized possession of classified information, as well as mishandling of same. And giving same to a foreign power may also qualify as espionage.
I’m actually convinced that he was working for the Russians before he even entered the Fort. He targeted those who he believed would give him the information he needed. The used their PKIs to access information he had no need to know, and he fortuitously wound up in Russia and gave Putin everything he stole. Yeah… I think he was an asset.
He should’ve never even been able to get that job in the first place for a multitude of reasons:
A) He pulled an “You can’t fire me! I quit!” with the CIA as an IT contractor.
B) Was he in the Army or Army Reserves? From what I’ve seen it looks like he got kicked out of the Army Reserves within a year (WTF? Didn’t show up to drill?).
C) Guy dropped out of high school. Sounds like he also flunked out of Anne Arundel Community College.
How many times should red lights go off in HR’s head knowing this? This guy should have never even sniffed an interview.
Let’s be clear, he is not some super-intelligent whiz kid that impressed his way to the job. Mommy and daddy are GS’s with connections, and that’s more than likely how he got the positions. A hookup. And that’s what’s wrong with so much of contracting and Federal Civil Service side of hiring practices today.
Two words
FUCK
HIM
I say bring his sorry ass back and put him on trial.
From Wikipedia’s entry “Son of Sam Law”:
“In high-profile cases and cases that are closely tied to national security, namely convictions for terrorism and espionage, a Son of Sam clause is often worked into any plea bargain. This had been the case in the convictions of John Walker Lindh and Harold James Nicholson. As a result of their plea bargains, any and all profits made from book deals or movie rights would be handed over to the U.S. Treasury. Neither the convicts nor their families would be able to profit. As of 2010, neither Lindh nor Nicholson have had their crime cases publicized.”
Let him have all the celebrity he wants behind bars for the next 25+ years… just don’t let him profit from it.
Don’t believe it will be necessary. The NDA – SF312 – already says as much. And given who he supported as a contractor, I’m reasonably certain Snowden had to sign one as a condition of employment.
I have had deeply mixed feelings about him.
He exposed a set of processes that needed to be exposed. As far I can determine his “leaks” did nothing to directly cause harm to a human as other leakers HAVE done.
I’d like to shake his hand for that as he climbs the steps to be hanged.
I have no such mixed feelings, Zero.
A whistleblower does not go to an national adversary and “blow the whistle”. People who do that are called “agents” or “turncoats” – or in the common vernacular, spies and traitors.
He was not a whistleblower … He is a traitor!
Oh damn. He alerted us to the depth to which OUR government was intruding in OUR lives.
If you were aware of that prior to Snowden you are ahead of me.
Quite frankly I was genrally aware (to some extent based on what I have read in Clancy novels), along with many others in the biz (that have read the same books).
I personally had no issue with it for three reasons:
1. I was not doing anything wrong.
2. They were not looking at me (or my personal stuff).
3. They were looking for bad guys … not law abiding citizens!
But what do I know?
Oh and some may suggest the programs he outed … they are still up and running for the most part … unabated from his controversary … because they are needed for our national security.
I must gently disagree. As I remember the process he was looking for a safe venue and in fear for his life.
If further recollection serves, Russia was not his first choice.
What he did was wrong, but I’m glad he did it.
Zero: horsecrap.
There are ways to blow the whistle that do not involve going to the former Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China and sharing US national secrets with their intelligence agencies. The US press would have been more than willing to help him “blow the whistle”. Ditto Congress or his own agency’s IG.
This jackass – either knowingly, or through an utterly abysmal degree of naivety – through his actions appears to have provided highly classified material directly to major US adversaries. And he’d sworn a priori not to disclose that information.
That is not the conduct of a whistleblower. That is the conduct of a foreign agent or a turncoat. Whether it was done willingly or through abysmal ignorance is immaterial.
IMO he deserves nothing but scorn – except for possibly a short visit with clergy before he gets a needle.
So what happens had he gone to the IG and nothing was done? Where does he go next if he isn’t prosecuted or terminated for alerting the IG to an issue?
I believe you aware my opinion on Snowden is not favorable, but I often wonder when folks claim it’s so easy to be the whistleblower when there’s no historical evidence to suggest that’s true.
If he followed the right steps and nothing was done, then what? How does one take the next step? Most folks don’t they send a memo and if nothing comes of it they just remain silent about the wrongdoing because it’s easier.
Just curious how he gets to be a whistleblower without being a traitor if nobody takes his concerns seriously and does anything about it.
I have yet to see anything documenting that Snowden took his concerns to anyone in the proper channels, VOV. The only documented evidence he even had concerns appears to be a single written email inquiry about legal authorities (presumably for one or more programs).
There does not seem to be anything else to document Snowden’s claims of having serious concerns about what his employer was doing other than Snowden’s word. And he’s hardly disinterested or objective in this matter.
I might be inclined to “cut him some slack” had he gone to the US press or to Congress. But running directly to known US adversaries in order to “blow the whistle”? Um, no. That’s NOT what I’d expect a legitimate whistleblower and knowledgeable insider to do.
Zero,
I whole heartedly disagree and fart in your general direction (said with my French acsent).
But, it is OK we probably agree on 99% of the other stuff!
I’m not certain we disagree even here. I’ve not nominated him for sainthood.
He took a single element out of the realm of fiction and/or something that only paranoids rant about and made it concrete.
Oh yeah – yer farts don’t stink. Real CPOs manufacture only a pleasing scent in their intestines. A GMC explained it to me.
I disagree 100.73%. He didn’t get hired working at the NSA without some knowledge of what he would be dealing with. He’s a narcissistic turd who intentionally released classified documents. He is a traitor and needs to be dealt with as such.
He alerted us to the depth to which OUR government was intruding in OUR lives.
If you were aware of that prior to Snowden you are ahead of me.
Sorry Zero but I call bullshit here. He had many other legal venues to disclose his concerns besides spilling the info to a foreign country. Fuck him a whole bunch.
I’m guessing that he realized the hard way the depths that a KGB trained leader intruded into HIS life…
Nope sorry. IF he just released some processes which weren’t cool about spying on innocent Americans, that would have been one thing. But he stole MILLIONS of files. More than Manning stole. And he compromised our collection capabilities on some pretty nasty actors, TCOs, terrorists, etc.
I have no mixed feelings here. He’s made the IC’s job harder. He’s compromised NSA’s collection platforms against very dangerous actors, and thanks to him, information is becoming more compartmentalized, which was identified as one of the reasons for the 9-11 intel failures.
Snowden can go hump a fucking goat.
I think you need to reverse the players in that last sentence, Nicki. And also change the goat to an elephant.
LMAO!!!
Sentence: life without parole!
Works for me – as the second-best alternative if the better option isn’t available.
Didn’t a newly elected Congressman state that Gitmo isn’t full enough???
Unfortunately, he’s a US citizen by birth. Unless he renounces that, I think that means he has to go through the Federal court system once he returns to the US.
While extraordinary rendition to an OCONUS holding area for interrogation on the surface does sound attractive, I’m reluctant to advocate that for US citizens abroad who are not currently and directly involved in hostilities against the US (as in both direct membership overseas in al Qaeda and/or ISIS along with direct engagment in their internal operations). And maybe not even then if we manage to catch them alive – though if any such turncoats manage to catch a stray bullet/Hellfire/JDAM, I’ll shed no tears.
I guess the vodka and borscht was getting old…
Needs a new flavor in the “Land of the Big PX?”
FUCK him! Let him rot in Siberia.
Fucking traitor.
This is what will happen. He will come back, get a sentence much shorter then it should be, and get a sex change operation while serving that sentence. They might even let him keep his laptop and cell phone with him as well.
The unexplained issue isn’t Snowden, it’s how Snowden was able to access and copy all that classified material. Being in IT doesn’t get you around classified information protocol and practice. There had to have been a massive breakdown in practicing Classified Information protection, and others had to have been involved. Having access to a computer doesn’t give you access to a file.
HOGWASH. Snowden fucking knew exactly what he was doing. Fuck that ‘exposed processes’ crap, too. There is no rhymn or reason to it, the muthafucker knew from prior research, anybody that even so much as sniffs a dog fart intel wise is to stay the fuck out of Hong Kong. He tried shopping his worthless shitass to China but they declined, why? Because he didn’t have anything they didn’t already know IE Alamagordo and Lawrence Livermoore.
Logic says, his next step was go to Mutha Russia. Putin was interested and let him hang at the Moscow airport long enough to test his mettle then offered him a free pass to stay in Russia. So, FSB sits down with monkey ass at the airport, they finagle and hagle giving him an offer he ain’t gonna refuse either.
Gut tells me, if Snowden didn’t have a little something worth the while value to Putin, he’d be floating face down in an isolated creek or river somewhere in Syberia. Now, Putin gets what he wants, hooks lil Eddy Snowden up with one of his Russian porn-stars to get him to stick around so Putin can play cat and mouse with Obama.
Yes he knew! I don’t buy the whistle blower status one bit.
What was his INTENT?
The SOB wanted to bring an end to Iraq/Afghan wars, same as most other libertarians, stop pumping billions into those countries and who knows what else. Thats a good place to start on intent.
Sh!t happens in old Mother Russia, Snowden could still piss off the wrong people over there and disappear or have a nasty accident.
Building further on my theory, lil Snowden’s fantasy is in all reality a decently executed plan and I whole-heartedly believe the boy had help every step of the way once somebody else found out they had an idealist patsy on their hands. So, I’ll wager a six pack of Budweiser and say, FSB caught wind of him long before he began executing his lil fame and fortune operation. US Embassy in Hong Kong could have gone to HKX and picked his happy little ass up, boom! he’d been back stateside in New York second.
Everything happened tick-tock. I say Putin knew way beforehand what was going on and Putin being Putin, because its exactly what I would have done and relished having a chance to snap up some lowly not so bright, civie contractor intel clerk that happened to have suckered some other not so bright NSA civie into giving him his PKI key number.
If he was so rightous to stop a war, why run?
The is more to this sociopathic narcissistic criminal and it will come out. The left wing media will make him a hero. T-shirts of his mug ala Che.
I say lock him up with B. Manning.
Turn him into a “Philip Nolan.”
Personally, I think we need to turn him into a Rosenberg – for the same reason. If found guilty, of course.
But that’s just me.
Headline: Snowden Ready to Return.
Response: Naw. They can keep him.
I don’t remember where I read this, but some time ago one news source said that Snowden’s sole intention for getting a job with NSA was to do exactly what he did and make money from it. As I said, I don’t recall exactly where or when I saw that, but it doesn’t make him a Rosenberg as much as it makes him a self-serving slug looking for a little glory.
So he runs off to Russia, feeds them everything he’s got until he runs out of stuff, NSA scrambles to cover the holes he’s created, and now the Russians are tired of supporting him. Or is he still living in some non-US embassy in Moscow?
I think he’s not much more than a grandstanding attention whore who thought he’d not only get fame, he’d also get fortune out of this escapade. However, as someone else has pointed out, he won’t get a dime from it and if he does come back here, he’s not welcome.
As far as intruding into our lives is concerned, name one decade between the end of the Spanish-American War and now that the government hasn’t done that.
You can rattle on about government conspiracy stuff all you want to, but this isn’t the 1960s and 1970s, when things like illegal wiretaps were put on phone lines just because someone spoke out against the Vietnam War or Nixon’s obnoxious crap. It’s a lot different now, and this self-centered asshole is just that, nothing more.
When someone sells out his own country for cash and attention, which is what Snowden did, he should be horsewhipped and made to clean the shitters in Afghanistan, under the watchful eye of a sharpshooter. You never know when one of those things will detonate from heat-induced gas ignition. I would love to see this turd-sniffer covered in that.
But since that won’t happen, life in jail, no parole, and no amusements except for reruns of ‘Green Acres’ and ‘Gidget’.
I beg to differ, ExPH2. I see no essential difference between Rosenberg’s conduct and Snowden’s.
Rosenberg convinced others to assist him in collecting highly classified information related to the US national defense, then willingly passed that information on to a foreign power. Best I can tell, Snowden appears to have done exactly the same.
Yes, but were the Rosenbergs doing it to get attention? Snowden was. He enjoyed the spotllight. As near as I can tell, the Rosenbergs were very quiet about what they did because they knew the consequences.
Both were for purely political reasons, but the Rosenbergs didn’t engage in Snowden’s grandstanding, did they?
No the Rosenbergs didn’t do it for the attention. However, that’s irrelevant.
Both the Rosenbergs and Snowden passed classified US defense information to a foreign power. The reason why doesn’t really matter, nor does it affect the amount of damage done.
He wants to come back now, go through the system, get sentenced and have Obummer pardon him on his way out of office.
Makes sense when you think about the timeline.
Yep! That kind of crossed my mind, too. As long as he’s famous like Assange, all that matters to him.