Edward Snowden Elected Rector Of University Of Glasgow

Edward Snowden, Winnie Mandela, Ross Kemp: All The Greats Have Been Rector Of Glasgow University

 

 

 

 

” What were Glasgow’s students thinking when earlier this week they elected Edward Snowden as Rector of that ancient and great institution?In Scottish universities the office of Rector is an important role. Not only is it his or her job to represent the interests of undergraduates. A good Rector can also play a key role in the development of the university.

  Snowden cannot possibly do the job, because he is in hiding or on the run. Perhaps, from a top secret location, he could be “Skyped” in virtually to chair the university court, one of the functions of he is supposed to fulfill at the University of Glasgow. The moment I suggested that there I regretted it. That’s what they’re going to do, isn’t it? The designer protest Rector of the tech generation, who is at war with the US government over internet spying, can be beamed in remotely, thus “sticking it to the man”.

  In truth, much of the outraged reaction from traditionalists over Snowden’s election is hugely overdone. The whistleblower Snowden is merely the latest in a long and quixotic line of choices. All the greats have been Glasgow Rector. Winnie Mandela did the gig, although it was never clear whether she actually knew she had been elected. Questions were asked about the validity of her nomination papers and the authenticity of her signature. Her supporters in the Labour Club always insisted she had signed up.”

 

The Telegraph has more

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edward Snowden Interviewed By German TV

German Television Does First Edward Snowden Interview

 

 

 

 

 

” German Television Channel NDR does an exclusive interview with Edward Snowden.
Uploaded on LiveLeak because German Television thinks the rest of the world isn’t interested in Edward Snowden.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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17 Countries Accuse Secret Service Of Misconduct

Secret Service Officials Reportedly Accused Of Misconduct In 17 Countries

 

 

” Secret Service officials are being accused of recently engaging in sexual misconduct and other indiscretions in a total of 17 countries, according to a report Friday in The Washington Post.

The paper reported that the claims were made by whistleblowers to a Senate committee. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., top Republican on that Homeland Security subcommittee, told the Post that the accounts contradict claims made by Secret Service leaders that the agency does not allow such behavior.

The shocking allegations follow the April 2012 incident where a number of agents were caught drinking and seeing prostitutes while on assignment in Colombia.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CNN Interviews ‘Fast and Furious’ Whistleblower

 Will Networks Follow Suit?

 

 

 

 

” CNN scored an exclusive interview with a “Fast and Furious” whistleblower on Tuesday morning, and New Day co-host Chris Cuomo was intent on letting his guest tell his story that the Obama administration did not want him to tell.

The guest, ATF agent John Dodson, wrote a book on the operation “Fast and Furious” but the government is blocking its publication. Cuomo’s first question to Dodson prodded him to tell his story: “What do you want people to know about the operation? What it was supposed to be and how it went wrong? What’s your message?”

Dodson ripped the operation from the start. “I guess what I want people to know is a lot more detail and a lot more clear understanding of the operation,” he began. “It was the design of the operation, the methodology and the strategy that was employed that was in error from the beginning. And that’s a lot of what I think people don’t understand.” “

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ATF Tries To Block Whistleblowing Agent’s Fast and Furious Book

1st Amendment Battle Over ‘Gun-Walking’ Expose

 

 

” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is blocking the main whistleblower in the Fast and Furious case from publishing a book, claiming his retelling of the Mexico “gun-walking” scandal will hurt morale inside the embattled law enforcement agency, according to documents obtained by The Washington Times.

ATF’s dispute with Special Agent John Dodson is setting up a First Amendment showdown that is poised to bring together liberal groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and conservatives in Congress who have championed Mr. Dodson’s protection as a whistleblower.

The ACLU is slated to become involved in the case Monday, informing ATF it is representing Mr. Dodson and filing a formal protest to the decision to reject his request to publish the already written book, sources told The Times, speaking only on the condition of anonymity.”

 

 

Illustration by Nate Beeler

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Greenwald: UK will be ‘sorry’ for detaining partner

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Michael Hastings Cremated, Family Never Requested; Wife Hires Private Investigator

The Ethics of Whistleblowing

 Part I Of A Two-Part Analysis Of Ethical And Legal Questions Pertaining To Whistleblowers Who Expose Government Wrongdoing

 

 

” Recent revelations about the extent and details of the massive NSA surveillance program have been made possible mostly by the actions of a single whistleblower, Edward Snowden, presently in hiding from the wrath of the US government, whose shameful and frightening secrets he has now made public knowledge. Despite repeated denials by its officials, it is now evident that the NSA runs a data-collection and spying network which collects masses of data on the private communications of non-US citizens, and some private communications on US citizens. It does so without requirement for any individual warrants for its targets, and without requirement for any probable cause with respect to any of the individuals whose communications are collected. Instead, the entire program operates under a broad procedure-based warrant system, whereby a special clandestine court hears submissions from the government in secret and then dutifully approves general procedures for mass surveillance, without any adversarial argument being raised by any other party. The warrants allow mass surveillance and storage of data at the discretion of NSA analysts, and these warrants are clearly at odds with the principle of eschewing unreasonable searches.[1]“

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bolivian Leader’s Plane Refused European Overflights Due To Snowden Rumor

BOLIVIAN LEADER’S PLANE REROUTED ON SNOWDEN FEAR

 

 

 

 

” The plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales was rerouted to Austria after various European countries refused to let it cross their airspace because of suspicions that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was on board, Bolivian officials said Tuesday.

Officials in both Austria and Bolivia said that Snowden was not on the plane, which was taking Morales home from a summit in Russia, where he had suggested that his government would be willing to consider granting asylum to the American.

A furious Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said France and Portugal would have to explain why they canceled authorization for the plane, claiming that the decision had put the president’s life at risk.

In a midnight press conference, Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia said that not only France and Portugal, but also Italy and Spain were denying the plane permission to fly through their airspace.

“We want to declare very firmly that it was an American story that Edward Snowden was on this flight,” said Saavedra at the VIP terminal of Vienna’s airport. “This is a plot by the U.S. government to destroy president Morales’ image. We say this simply is a lie. And we will confirm this.”

 

 

Related: Bolivia Vs. Europe Over Snowden-Linked Plane Delay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Snowden Took Booz Allen Job With Intention Of Leaking Info ?

Snowden Took a Job To Leak NSA Secrets? Cool. Let’s Have More Like Him at the DOJ, IRS …

 

 

” Much has been made of Edward Snowden telling the South China Morning Post that he deliberately took a job with Booz Allen to gather up evidence of National Security Agency spying so he could leak it to the world. This makes the international man of government officials’ mysteries even more traitorish to the authority-worshippers who already didn’t like his revealing widespread surveillance by the U.S. For the rest of us, it means he set out to do a thorough job before giving the state a well-deserved kick in the ‘nads. This is a guy who apparently deliberately infiltrated the security apparatus, got hold of its dark secrets, and imposed a little of that “transparency” we’d been promised. We could use a few thousand more like him at the IRS, the Justice Department, the DEA, in the Obamacare bureaucracy, local police forces …

From the South China Morning Post:

Edward Snowden secured a job with a US government contractor for one reason alone – to obtain evidence of Washington’s cyberspying networks, the South China Morning Post can reveal.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Snowden Asks 21 Countries For Asylum

NSA Whistleblower Snowden Applies For Asylum In 21 Countries

 

 

” Moscow – While Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower, languishes in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, he has now sent out a number of requests for asylum or asylum assistance, bringing a total of 21 countries approached by him.

According to a statement released by WikiLeaks on Tuesday, legal advisor to Snowden, Sarah Harrison, submitted by hand several requests for asylum and asylum assistance on his behalf to an official at the Russian consulate at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow, late in the evening on June 30.

 

According to the WikiLeaks statement, among the countries receiving requests are:

 

The Republic of Austria, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Cuba, the Republic of Finland, the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of India, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Ireland, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Nicaragua, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Poland, the Russian Federation, the Kingdom of Spain, the Swiss Confederation and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

 

Previous requests had been made to the Ecuador and Iceland.

Russia has already said that it would give Snowden asylum, as long as he stopped releasing data that could cause damage to the US.”

 

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday: “If he wants to stay here, there is one condition: he has to stop his work aimed at damaging our US partners, no matter how strange this sounds coming from me.”

 

However, Putin added: “Snowden feels he is a fighter for human rights, he doesn’t appear to intend to give up such work. Therefore he should pick a country for himself and travel there. When this will happen, I don’t know.”

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Oh The Irony … Russia , China Stand For Freedom Of Speech Against Obama Administration

OBAMA HIT BY SNOWDEN SETBACKS WITH CHINA, RUSSIA

 

 

 

”  For President Barack Obama, National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden’s globe-trotting evasion of U.S. authorities has dealt a startling setback to efforts to strengthen ties with China and raised the prospect of worsening tensions with Russia.

Indeed, Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday called U.S. demands for Snowden’s extradition “ungrounded and unacceptable.”

While the U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, the White House publicly prodded the Kremlin to send Snowden back to the U.S., while officials privately negotiated with their Russian counterparts.

“We are expecting the Russians to examine the options available to them to expel Mr. Snowden for his return to the United States,” Carney said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday bluntly rejected the U.S. request, saying Snowden hasn’t crossed the Russian border. He angrily lashed out at the U.S. for warnings of negative consequences if Moscow fails to comply.

“We consider the attempts to accuse Russia of violation of U.S. laws and even some sort of conspiracy, which on top of all that are accompanied by threats, as absolutely ungrounded and unacceptable,” Lavrov said.”

 

 

     Imagine a world where Russia and China are defending the people’s right to know against the US government … Another first for the Obama administration .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Difficulty Of Being A Freedom Advocate When You Are Spying On Everyone

U.S. Surveillance Scandal Overshadows Top Internet Freedom Talks

 

 

” A high-level Internet freedom conference, that concluded in the Tunisian capital on Tuesday, was overshadowed by the recent U.S. internet surveillance scandal.

The U.S. government, a founding member of the Internet Freedom Coalition, and U.S.-based tech giant Google came under attack by dozens of human rights activists, internet researchers and computer engineers who attended the two-day conference.

The attacks came in response to this month’s revelation that the American National Security Agency (NSA) has been running a large-scale international surveillance program gathering data on internet users around the world by accessing the serves of tech-giants such as Google and Apple. Some of the most targeted countries are located in the Middle East and include Iran, Egypt and Jordan.

The NSA access, according to The Guardian newspaper, is part of a previously undisclosed program called Prism. The program allows U.S. officials to collect information on internet users, including search history, the content of emails, file transfers and live chats, according to an official document obtained by the newspaper.

In light of the extensive program of surveillance, many called into question the credibility of the U.S. government and Google’s longtime advocacy for an Internet environment free of censorship and surveillance.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Three Snowden Predecessors Speak Out

3 NSA Veterans Speak Out On Whistle-Blower: We Told You So

 

 

In a roundtable discussion, a trio of former National Security Agency whistle-blowers tell USA TODAY that Edward Snowden succeeded where they failed.

When a National Security Agency contractor revealed top-secret details this month on the government’s collection of Americans’ phone and Internet records, one select group of intelligence veterans breathed a sigh of relief.

Thomas Drake, William Binney and J. Kirk Wiebe belong to a select fraternity: the NSA officials who paved the way.

For years, the three whistle-blowers had told anyone who would listen that the NSA collects huge swaths of communications data from U.S. citizens. They had spent decades in the top ranks of the agency, designing and managing the very data-collection systems they say have been turned against Americans. When they became convinced that fundamental constitutional rights were being violated, they complained first to their superiors, then to federal investigators, congressional oversight committees and, finally, to the news media.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Russia To Offer Snowden Asylum ? Think Twice Edward

In Tweak To US, Russia Would ‘Consider’ Asylum For Snowden

 

 

” Russia might be willing to grant asylum to Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who exposed the extent of the National Security Agency’s electronic surveillance, if he asked for it, Kremlinspokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

“If such a request is made, it will be considered. We’ll act according to facts,” the Moscow daily Kommersant quoted Mr. Peskov as saying.

That single, utterly noncommittal phrase triggered a storm of commentary on Russian social media, with some exulting in the historic turn-of-fortunes situation that nowadays makes Russia look like a potential haven for US dissidents.”

 

 

     Wow … just wow . Imagine the irony of Americans fleeing to Russia to escape government totalitarianism . Obama world really is Bizarro World .

 Of course fleeing to Russia would probably not be such a good choice for a “freedom lover” . Escaping one Statist government by taking residence in another is not much of a step forward .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRISM Yields First Lawsuit

 

Former U.S. Prosecutor Sues Obama And NSA Over PRISM Scandal

 

 

” TorrentFreak just obtained a copy of a complaint submitted at a federal court in Columbia, targeting President Obama, the NSA, Eric Holder and Verizon who all played a role in the mass surveillance scheme.

The class action lawsuit was filed by Larry Klayman, a former US prosecutor under the Reagan administration, together with the parents of the killed Navy SEAL Team VI member Michael Strange.

The plaintiffs accuse the PRISM participants of violating their constitutional rights, reasonable expectation of privacy, free speech and association, right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures, among other illegal and criminal acts. Both Klayman and the Navy Seal parents demand compensation for the damage they suffered.”

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• Former U.S. Prosecutor Sues Obama and NSA over PRISM Scandal (philosophers-stone.co.uk)
• The Audacity of Irony: Bye, Obama, Nice Knowing You (norberthaupt.com)
• Klayman Sues Security State (humesbastard.wordpress.com)
• Conservative activist files lawsuit over NSA surveillance (computerworld.co.nz)
• Americans Are Now Suing Obama Over NSA Phone Scandal (wired.com)
• Obama Sued For ‘Despicable’ Snooping (patdollard.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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PRISM Whistleblower Edward Snowden Tells His Story

Edward Snowden: The Whistleblower Behind The NSA Surveillance Revelations

” The 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA’s history explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows.

The individual responsible for one of the most significant leaks in US political history is Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defence contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. Snowden has been working at the National Security Agency for the last four years as an employee of various outside contractors, including Booz Allen and Dell.

The Guardian, after several days of interviews, is revealing his identity at his request. From the moment he decided to disclose numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to opt for the protection of anonymity. “I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong,” he said.”

 

 

Read the accompanying article as well as watching the video .

 

 

 

 

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Hillary’s Scapegoat Refuses To Go Quietly Into The Night

UH-OH: HILLARY’S BENGHAZI SCAPEGOAT SPEAKS OUT

 

 

 

” Raymond Maxwell was put on indefinite leave by the State Department after its Administrative Review Board (ARB) investigation of Benghazi for reasons that are still unknown to him. The person he claims made the decision to cast him out was Cheryl Mills–Hillary Clinton’s former chief of staff and counsel at the State Department. 

It is the second time Mills’ name has turned up during scrutiny of the State Department’s response to the attack.

According to a new report by Josh Rogin: “On the day after the unclassified version of the ARB’s report was released in December, Mills called Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Beth Jones and directed her to have Maxwell leave his job immediately.” 

Regardless, Maxwell’s decision to challenge Clinton suggests that there may indeed be much more to the Benghazi scandal than is yet known.”

 

 

 

 

 

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“I Know Nothing … About Whistle-Blowers Being Threatened

 

President Obama Claims He “Isn’t Familiar” With Blocking of Benghazi Whistleblower Testimony

 

 

 

” Speaking today to reporters at the White House, President Obama denied knowing anything about Benghazi survivor claims that their testimony and efforts to become whistleblowers have been blocked.

“I’m not familiar with this notion that anybody has been blocked from testifying,” Obama said in response to a question from FoxNews’ Ed Henry. “I’m not familiar with it.”

President Obama said he would “find out” what was going on and that of course he is dedicated to making sure U.S. embassies around the world are secure and safe for diplomats.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Not Content With Trampling The 2nd Amendment , Colorado Readies To Stomp On The 1st

 

Why A Fox News Reporter’s First Amendment Battle Should Trouble All Americans

 

 

 

” Why are you not up in arms, New York Times and Washington Post? Why so quiet, Cleveland Plain Dealer and Sacramento Bee? Weekly newspaper editors, students at the Columbia School of Journalism, government employees who have quietly revealed wrongdoing to reporters – why are you not raising hell about what is happening to Fox News investigative reporter Jana Winter?

Winter is currently facing a jail sentence for refusing to reveal the sources who provided her with alleged Aurora shooter James Holmes’ notebook, which he had sent to a psychiatrist and which was”full of details about how he was going to kill people.” Holmes’ defense attorneys subpoenaed Winter to testify about who told her about the notebook and a Colorado judge has said that he will rule on April 10th whether Winter must reveal her source or face jail time for refusing to testify.

That Winter is even in this position should send a chill down the spine of anyone who has ever read a piece of investigative journalism.” 

Related articles

• The reporter in the middle of the Aurora shooting trial (cjr.org)
• A Fox News Reporter Could Be Jailed For Protecting Her Sources, And Nobody Seems To Care (buzzfeed.com)
• Fox News Reporter Faces Potential Jail Time For Refusing To Disclose Source (outsidethebeltway.com)
• INTERVIEW: Judith Miller on Court Threatening to Jail Fox News Reporter for Refusing to Reveal Source of James Holmes’ Notebook (foxnewsinsider.com)
• Fox reporter faces jail for refusing to reveal sources to Holmes’ attorneys (kdvr.com)
• Megyn Kelly Goes to Bat for Fox News Reporter Jana Winter: ‘She Protects You, She Writes for You, Not Anybody Else’ (foxnewsinsider.com)

 

 

 

 

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A Climate Change Bill Of Goods

 

Climategate Leaker: Civilization Is Being Destroyed By Lying ‘Science’ Elitists

 

 

 

” “What if climate change appears to be just mainly a multi-decadal natural fluctuation? They’ll kill us probably.”

This private musing between two climate scientist colleagues first surfaced along with a whole raft of embarrassing material in 2011, when the anonymous Climategate leaker who calls himself “Mr. FOIA” leaked his second set of emails from Britain’s disgraced Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia. Now, Mr. FOIA has emerged for a third time, sharing with the world not only his entire batch of 220,000 encrypted emails and documents but also, for the first time, his thoughts.

Mr. FOIA had previously released two batches of 5,000 files each in 2009 and 2011. This enormous third batch went to a network of friends for decoding, sorting and publication.”

 

 

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Support The Whistle-Blower Defense League

Whistle-Blower Defense League Fights Government Oppression To Protect 1st Amendment

 

 

 

” When the media, big business and big government are working in collusion to further their respective agendas, the general populace — putting faith in the information, policy and business practices of the aforementioned entities — usually gets shafted. But in a free society, whistle-blowers serve as a great equalizer in the battle between everyman and elitist; unfortunately, the U.S. legal system as it currently stands dissuades or, worse, destroys those who bring to light abuse, incompetence and corruption.

Over the course of the past year, the plight of the American whistle-blower has been highly publicized with the military trial of military leaker Bradley Manning under way, Stratfor hacker Jeremy Hammond in jail awaiting a trial, Andrew “Weev” Auernheimer’s imprisonment for pointing out an AT&T security flaw and the late Aaron Swartz’s Federal harassment and subsequent suicide after he downloaded academic journals and made them free to the public.”

 

Related articles

• Court ruling could strip federal whistle-blowers of ability to appeal (bizjournals.com)
• We Are Bradley Manning (truthdig.com)
• NYPD Whistle-Blower Testifies In Stop-And-Frisk Trial (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• Housing executive ‘out of control’ (bbc.co.uk)

 

 

 

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ACORN …. Election … Remember

Part One

 

 

Part Two

 

Pelosi and the Jacksons .. the Picture of Ethical

  “Documents and a whistle-blower affidavit obtained by The Daily Caller charge that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Illinois Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., participated in an unethical — and possibly illegal — effort to force 76 employees of an Illinois state agency to engage in political activity
on the taxpayers’ dime.”