Edward Snowden Q&A: NSA whistleblower answers your questions

Edward Snowden Q&A: NSA whistleblower answers your questions

www.guardian.co.uk

The 29-year-old former NSA contractor and source of the Guardian's NSA files coverage will – with the help of Glenn Greenwald – take your questions today on why he revealed the NSA's top-secret surveillance of US citizens, the international storm that has ensued, and the uncertain future he now faces. Ask him anything.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This was tweeted by the Guardian about 20 mins ago. I did a quick search and wasnt able to find it posted anywhere so i thought i would share, i hope thats cool.

Apparently the q&a session is going to be subject to Snowdens own security concerns and his ability to get a secure connection.

Personally i dont think we are going to see any major disclosures come from it as im sure the guardian would want first dibbs on any new revelations; however i do think it will be interesting to follow.

You can also follow along on twitter using #AskSnowden

I think these are the first two questions that he will be answering as chosen by Glen Greenwald...

1) Why did you choose Hong Kong to go to and then tell them about US hacking on their research facilities and universities?

2) How many sets of the documents you disclosed did you make, and how many different people have them? If anything happens to you, do they still exist?


www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by HumanPLC

Personally i dont think we are going to see any major disclosures come from it as im sure the guardian would want first dibbs on any new revelations; however i do think it will be interesting to follow.

Personally I don't think we are going to see any major disclosures as we have no way of knowing this is really Edward Snowden and not some NSA intern.....while the real Ed is feeding the worms. Assuming the face that has been attached to the name is genuine, I doubt we'll see him in a public appearance again. Maybe still in the next week or so, but that's probably about it..... No way are they going to let this guy live...he's too big of a liability to just have hanging out there.

reply to post by Gazrok


I do agree Gazrok and the same thought regarding if it really is Edward Snowden who is participating in the Q&A crossed my mind too.

I also think its a bit strange, i mean you have a guy who has lifted the lid on some pretty serious stuff that is more than enough to make him a target and yet he is doing a Q&A. I cant think of the words i am looking for but it seems a little bit too commercial, if you know what i mean. There again, that could just be how the Guardian are pushing it, i suppose from their viewpoint its all about milking the story for all its worth to increase readership.

Here's something I've been wondering: Does he know of any citizens who have been harassed /or worse as a result of this program who would normally not have been?

I don't want to be the wet blanket here...but just drop a note to think about on this. At least for Americans and especially for Americans who are or ever plan to be working for Military/Government/Establishment type employers ranging from an Intelligence Service to the Forest Service. Snowden is, however we feel about his actions, a Federal fugitive and a very high priority national security risk/threat. That's not subjective opinion or my personal feelings...just factual statement.

It matters as to how "TPTB" might view participation in a convo with him weeks or even years from now in a background investigation process someone today may or may not even anticipate having by then. Taking part today could slam doors tomorrow you didn't even know you'd want open for you.

Something to consider, as the situation here is far beyond anything like a game or forgiving in even the slightest way for those doing the hunting. Unless you're protected by something like TOR...and I really doubt even that will be enough on this ....NSA will know who you are and your home address before Snowden's people do for their own safety.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I do agree mate, and if its is the real Snowden participating im sure the Q&A and its participants will be very closely watched. Just a side note with regards to closing doors in the future though, in your opinion wouldn't even something less trivial such as frequenting and/or actively participating in discussions on sites like ATS be enough to close those doors?

reply to post by HumanPLC


I think that depends entirely on the nature and tone of participation, to be honest. Someone like me and a dozen or two dozen others like me? lol.... Security Clearances sufficient to enter their parking lots as a visitor are probably a fantasy because I'm outspoken and don't much care who knows it. Then again...they are funny about those things. It might have no effect at all, if the disclosure phase of the check was still 100% and absolutely honest about everything ... every single last thing.

I wouldn't count on ever holding anything like that, personally though.

To the VAST majority of users who haven't decided to voice opinions and TPTB be damned? Why would ATS create problems unless someone lied about their activity here? Lying is a cardinal sin...not necessarily what someone thinks it was worth lying about.

reply to post by Gazrok

No way are they going to let this guy live...he's too big of a liability to just have hanging out there.

normally I'd agree but I just don't see that being an option at this point, the leak already occurred, killing him now just fuels suspicions.

I would like to know how he intends to secure his connection, considering it's all being tapped, high end to end encryption would be a must, and I assure you, he aint going anywhere near twitter, he's more than likely feeding information to someone from the guardian who posts it up.

If it's him at all

reply to post by HumanPLC


I think that is pretty cool of him, if it is him that is. I've just tweeted a few questions to him

Originally posted by Gazrok
reply to post by HumanPLC

 

Personally i dont think we are going to see any major disclosures come from it as im sure the guardian would want first dibbs on any new revelations; however i do think it will be interesting to follow.

Personally I don't think we are going to see any major disclosures as we have no way of knowing this is really Edward Snowden and not some NSA intern.....while the real Ed is feeding the worms. Assuming the face that has been attached to the name is genuine, I doubt we'll see him in a public appearance again. Maybe still in the next week or so, but that's probably about it..... No way are they going to let this guy live...he's too big of a liability to just have hanging out there.

You can easily silence or assassinate the character of someone who's alive. Kill them and suddenly they're a martyr.

For many faceless victims of ill thought out plans to defect, whistleblow, or generally fly the coup so-to-speak, they are killed in sometimes questionable, or sometimes relatively benign circumstances, once they go fully public though, the puppet masters are screwed.

If you look at Assange and the kid in the army, they wanted to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law to set an example. Both were pretty public.

Assange's publicity probably saved him. The Bradley Manning case though, it was someone in their command. So it was an obvious prosecution.

Personally, in the OP case, I think he's to public to suicide himself.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Actually mate, i think what you said about someone lying about it is pretty bang on. I watched a documentary many moons ago about the MI5 recruitment process, it was all very vague, naturally; however i remember one candidate who they were following claiming that in one of his interviews/interrogations he was grilled about his past online activity and affiliations.

It was only after the interview had concluded that he found out that the interviewer already knew the answers to the questions being asked as a result of their own research into the candidate. Basically they were giving him the opportunity to lie, just to see if he would.

reply to post by HumanPLC


My foot and an exotic form of fungal infection (apparently know well enough to our troops in Korea, of all places..but not here) kept me out of the Army. Not for any lack of trying before I chose trucking for my career. I got as far as MEPS and was lining up for Intelligence/Counter-Intelligence path based on the ASVAB scores, to explain how the conversations came about. Anyway...The Staff Sergeant handling my recruiting had told me not to worry about what had been a very colorful second half of my childhood. Let's just say I lived life the the fullest and without a record to show for it ...by only sheer dumb luck and fate. lol.....

What always stuck with me? He'd said flat out (and this was for an MOS requiring a Top Secret level), if I was 100% honest about every last thing. Everything. Even what I thought they couldn't know about (They would..he said), they wouldn't care one bit about any of it and might even see some as a bonus for life experience at that age. If I held back ONE thing tho....just one....they'd cashier me on the spot and I'd be given the crappiest MOS the Army had to offer for what I was looking at a 6 year commitment to have pursued. They really value that honest disclosure above all else, it seems.

Of course for this thread? Snowden is the Arch Villain to these folks right now and the guy they will, I really don't doubt, kill to get. They'd certainly have no problem blackballing someone for "giving aid and comfort", eh?

I wonder if the US government would make any attempt to shut the Q&A down?
Could they do it?
It will be interesting to see.

Did anyone notice that one of the questions asked about UFO's/aliens?
Maybe the possibility of disclosure through Ed Snowden?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


So it does seem that honesty is the best policy!

Kinda strange though for them to expect a person to be honest in order to get into a career where the ability to lie and deceive would, i assume, be an integral part of the job, lol. I would have thought they would have rewarded those that were able to lie the most effectively as oppose to those that 'folded under questioning'

Obviously im just kidding there, lol.

reply to post by butcherguy


Yes mate, i noticed that one.

Actually there are some really interesting and well though out questions being asked! I suppose it comes down to whether those questions actually get answered though.

Its certainly interesting to watch!

Why do I get the feeling it is the old "washington Redskins" trick... only for modern times of the internet.

You know the one... tell people "on the lamb" they have Washington Redskins tickets for a game and then when these people come to "collect" they get loaded up on the Blue Goose Prison Bus.

Just a thought anyway...

Originally posted by HumanPLC
reply to post by butcherguy

 

Yes mate, i noticed that one.

Actually there are some really interesting and well though out questions being asked! I suppose it comes down to whether those questions actually get answered though.

Its certainly interesting to watch!

It see that conspiracy theorists are getting their questions in...

I saw on about 9/11 and the Kennedy assassinations on page 11.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by HumanPLC

 

My foot and an exotic form of fungal infection (apparently know well enough to our troops in Korea, of all places..but not here) kept me out of the Army. Not for any lack of trying before I chose trucking for my career. I got as far as MEPS and was lining up for Intelligence/Counter-Intelligence path based on the ASVAB scores, to explain how the conversations came about. Anyway...The Staff Sergeant handling my recruiting had told me not to worry about what had been a very colorful second half of my childhood. Let's just say I lived life the the fullest and without a record to show for it ...by only sheer dumb luck and fate. lol.....

What always stuck with me? He'd said flat out (and this was for an MOS requiring a Top Secret level), if I was 100% honest about every last thing. Everything. Even what I thought they couldn't know about (They would..he said), they wouldn't care one bit about any of it and might even see some as a bonus for life experience at that age. If I held back ONE thing tho....just one....they'd cashier me on the spot and I'd be given the crappiest MOS the Army had to offer for what I was looking at a 6 year commitment to have pursued. They really value that honest disclosure above all else, it seems.

Of course for this thread? Snowden is the Arch Villain to these folks right now and the guy they will, I really don't doubt, kill to get. They'd certainly have no problem blackballing someone for "giving aid and comfort", eh?

Lol I was told by my recruiter to just lie and no matter what the people at MEPS said they would never be able to find out about anything I didn't disclose. That SSG used a scare tactic on your young mind to weed you out of the selection process. To bad (or good thing depending on how you look back at the situation) you didn't have a shady recruiter like I had.

I thought i would keep everyone updated with the questions answered just in case you cant access from where you are, hope thats cool.

Questions:

1) Why did you choose Hong Kong to go to and then tell them about US hacking on their research facilities and universities?

2) How many sets of the documents you disclosed did you make, and how many different people have them? If anything happens to you, do they still exist?

3) I should have asked you this when I saw you but never got round to it........Why did you just not fly direct to Iceland if that is your preferred country for asylum?

Answers:

1) First, the US Government, just as they did with other whistleblowers, immediately and predictably destroyed any possibility of a fair trial at home, openly declaring me guilty of treason and that the disclosure of secret, criminal, and even unconstitutional acts is an unforgivable crime. That's not justice, and it would be foolish to volunteer yourself to it if you can do more good outside of prison than in it.

Second, let's be clear: I did not reveal any US operations against legitimate military targets. I pointed out where the NSA has hacked civilian infrastructure such as universities, hospitals, and private businesses because it is dangerous. These nakedly, aggressively criminal acts are wrong no matter the target. Not only that, when NSA makes a technical mistake during an exploitation operation, critical systems crash. Congress hasn't declared war on the countries - the majority of them are our allies - but without asking for public permission, NSA is running network operations against them that affect millions of innocent people. And for what? So we can have secret access to a computer in a country we're not even fighting? So we can potentially reveal a potential terrorist with the potential to kill fewer Americans than our own Police? No, the public needs to know the kinds of things a government does in its name, or the "consent of the governed" is meaningless.

2) All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.

3) Leaving the US was an incredible risk, as NSA employees must declare their foreign travel 30 days in advance and are monitored. There was a distinct possibility I would be interdicted en route, so I had to travel with no advance booking to a country with the cultural and legal framework to allow me to work without being immediately detained. Hong Kong provided that. Iceland could be pushed harder, quicker, before the public could have a chance to make their feelings known, and I would not put that past the current US administration.

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