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Home Front: WoT

Bolton: Snowden guilty of treason

2013-06-11

There is a lot of reaction on WLS this morning to the identification of the man who leaked information last week, about the U.S. Government's secret surveillance program, which allows the National Security Agency to monitor the phone calls and emails of Americans.

Former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton told Bruce Wolf and Dan Proft on WLS that he thinks admitted leaker Edward Snowden, is guilty of treason:

"Number one, this man is a liar. He took an oath to keep the secrets that were shared with him so he could do his job. He said said he would not disclose them, and he lied. Number two, he lied because he thinks he's smarter and has a higher morality than the rest of us. This guy thinks he has a higher morality, that he can see clearer than other 299-million 999-thousand 999 of us, and therefore he can do what he wants. I say that is the worst form of treason."

The 29-year-old Snowden spoke with the British newspaper "The Guardian." The paper says Snowden is a former CIA covert employee and has been an NSA contract employee for four years, working for the consulting giant Booz-Allen.

Posted by:Steve White

#15 ...means you (other Americans) and me (an American)

As we sit here typing, the US Senate is voting to end what being an American was. Anyone who can get their ass here will be an American with no loyalty to anything but the man or woman who will deliver the goods to them.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-06-11 23:44

#14 Ok, this is a mess.

Let's get some clarity on facts.

Senator Moynihan wrote a book saying secrecy was a problem. If that doesn't make sense to you, then go read it. He was pretty clear.

This leaker guy is a douche. Even if he had a point, he is arguably a traitor and certainly in violation of his non-disclosure agreement with the US government, i.e. us (which is a pronoun that means you (other Americans) and me (an American)).

Now that we can reasonably argue that both sides of this issue are wrong, let's actually think about what sort of future is right for us.

Yes, us. The self-centered people who run this country. What is it that we want?

Congress needs to know that.

Posted by: rammer 2013-06-11 23:38

#13 I just saw an Enigma machine on Sunday at the International Spy Museum in DC.

Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2013-06-11 20:50

#12 BP, it probably IS still classified Top Secret. Bureaucracy is like that.

Posted by: Glenmore 2013-06-11 19:50

#11 I doubt the enigma machine is classified as secret as I watched a video on cracking it only a few weeks ago.

Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2013-06-11 19:46

#10 The government has too many secrets. They missed 9/11. They missed Ft Hood. They missed Tsarnaev. They missed the Times Square bomber. I don't trust our government. A caller into cspan claimed that the WWII Enigma machine is still classified top secret.

Posted by: irishrageboy 2013-06-11 16:07

#9 YS, that's an excellent point. The US government has grown so bloated and corrupt, I don't really have a problem with Snowden blowing the whistle. He didn't betray the secrets of a just and fair government that respects the rule of law. He betrayed the secrets of a thugocracy.

But: he's a dumbass and a drama queen. Just how many more wankers like him have access to sensitive systems and data? A dozen? A thousand? That is equally worrisome as the existence of Prism, and an equally strong argument to radically prune back the scope and reach of every sector of government.

Posted by: RandomJD 2013-06-11 14:11

#8 Why should we trust the government if the government trusted Snowden with our data?. After all, they hired and vetted him. They gave him unrestricted access to these systems and our data. The more badly he is depicted, the weaker the governments case for surveillance becomes.

Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2013-06-11 11:58

#7 I'm sure the Crown in London felt the same about George and the lot back in the colonies. They felt they were protecting and fighting for the 'natural' rights of Englishmen.

We must, indeed all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately - Benjamin Franklin.

Paging Nathan Hale to the courtesy phone. PS - guess who's statute adorns the CIA grounds?

Time and events will tell what side of the coin this person lands. Violating secrecy is damning. Violating the Constitution is tolerated, if done by the 'right' people for the 'right' reasons. The greater evil is?

Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-06-11 10:23

#6 When are leaks legal and when are they illegal? Many times, the NYTs has been used as a leaking conduit by an administration. The current administration let out classified information about the Osama bin Laden raid.

In 2003, correspondent Geraldo Riviera, was embedded with the Army's 101st Airborne Division. He violated rules of operational security by broadcasting future troop movements during a live broadcast in Iraq. He was expelled from Iraq.

Posted by: JohnQC 2013-06-11 10:20

#5 Booze Allen just announced Fast Eddie had a salary of $121,000. per year and was terminated on 10 June 2013.

Fired I tell you, FIRED! FIRED!

Posted by: Besoeker 2013-06-11 10:15

#4 he lied because he thinks he's smarter and has a higher morality than the rest of us.

Obama, Right?

Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-06-11 09:33

#3 We are a nation of laws,

Really? When they indict the IRS leakers just as quickly, please post it. Some animals are more equal than others.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2013-06-11 08:45

#2 'soeker is correct. For now, he should be charged with treason. We'll find him guilty later....

Posted by: Uncle Phester 2013-06-11 08:30

#1 Fast Eddies fate will be for a court to decide, not Bolton or Besoeker. We are a nation of laws, at lease we should be. He is innocent until proven guilty. Right now we must concentrate on what can learned from all of this.

Posted by: Besoeker 2013-06-11 04:12

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