An attempt to get the facts straight on the release of the Snowden email by the NSA

[truedelphi]

28. Consider this:

I happen to regard many of merrily's statements highly, including this one:

DU'er "merrily" --
Yes, leaking does lead to making secret govt conduct an issue and yes that is due to actions of the govt.



he was not careful to limit his leaks only to things he thought were wrong.



Greenwald has said otherwise, that Snowden gave them to journalists he believed could, better than he could, evaluate because they have more experience doing that. And Greenwald has described his own process very carefully.

I am not saying Greenwald is correct. I am saying there is more than one version of your claim that Snowden was negligent.

And I have yet to see anything posted here that proves that anyone got information damaging to the US that they did not already have, other than the general populace. Every poster I've asked for a link on the China story--and I have asked three so far--has disappeared from the thread after I made the request.

However, on balance, I would rather have had the disclosures than not, even if some info leaked to nations and groups that have their own intel outfits.

I have no brief for Snowden or Greenwald. I not only do not know what their motives were, I don't care. It's irrelevant to me. I challenge stuff posted here only because I never like propaganda and resist it when I see it. The disclosures and the acts and omissions of my government, acting on my dime, however, are very relevant to me.
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An individual over at "emptywheel.net" is doing credible (and incedible!) work on the Snowden issue, and that site should be a must read for anyone sorting through the issues:
http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/05/30/snowden-a-classified-executive-order/


http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/05/29/snowdens-emailed-question-addresses-one-abuse-revealed-by-his-leaks/

http://www.emptywheel.net/2014/05/29/nsas-training-programs-are-a-mess/