How Snowden is helping Putin in Ukraine
AEIdeas
In June 2013, The Guardian revealed that, according to documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the NSA had intercepted the communications of then-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. According to the classified document — “Russian Leadership Communications in support of President Dmitry Medvedev at the G20 summit in London — Intercept at Menwith Hill station” — the NSA had discovered “a change in the way Russian leadership signals have been normally transmitted.”
In other words, the documents Snowden stole (yes, that is the correct word) from the United States government contained highly classified intelligence detailing the NSA’s collection capabilities against the Russian presidency – information that is now in Moscow’s hands.
Fast forward to this morning. The front page of the Wall Street Journal reports:
U.S. military satellites spied Russian troops amassing within striking distance of Crimea last month. But intelligence analysts were surprised because they hadn’t intercepted any telltale communications where Russian leaders, military commanders or soldiers discussed plans to invade.
America’s vaunted global surveillance is a vital tool for U.S. intelligence services, especially as an early-warning system and as a way to corroborate other evidence. In Crimea, though, U.S. intelligence officials are concluding that Russian planners might have gotten a jump on the West by evading U.S. eavesdropping….
Some U.S. military and intelligence officials say Russia’s war planners might have used knowledge about the U.S.’s usual surveillance techniques to change communication methods about the looming invasion. U.S. officials haven’t determined how Russia hid its military plans from U.S. eavesdropping equipment that picks up digital and electronic communications.
Coincidence?
Some, like House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, have declared that Snowden is “under the influence of Russian intelligence services.” To what extent he may be actively helping the Russians defeat US collection efforts remains unknown – at least to the general public.
But this much we do know: the secrets he has leaked publicly have aided Russia, by exposing the fact that the NSA had successfully penetrated the communications of the Russian presidency – a revelation which undoubtedly led Russian intelligence to take countermeasures to protect those communications.
That means – whether directly or indirectly – Edward Snowden is helping Vladimir Putin in his unlawful invasion of a sovereign nation. How does that make him a hero, or a champion of civil liberties?
We do not yet know whether Snowden is a stooge, a traitor or both — but he is without question a criminal.
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Through its illegal and fundamentally un-American domestic spying activities, the government (NSA) created an incentive for people like Snowden to expose its secrets. I’d put the government’s culpability in this entire fiasco on par with Snowden’s.
Right. Still waiting for evidence of anything other than legally sanctioned, well-intentioned efforts to protect national security. You may find oversight inadequate. Fix it. Don’t neuter intelligence collection.
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
— C. S. Lewis
It comes down to intent. The NSA’s intent is to protect american citizens. You can argue about the methods but the intent is good. Snowden on the other hand intends to harm the U.S. as is evidenced by him giving (we now know) the documents to both the Chinese and the Russians. Snowden should be executed. Hopefully they’ll be able to get to him in Russia and shoot a poison dart into him from afar.
Sorry BFM,
I don’t care how noble the intentions….. The US Constitution takes precedence over what have proven to be a very questionable ability of our government to “protect” us. Maybe we should start by keeping our noses out of other peoples business and minding our own? Maybe we would be less hated or less a target if we did so?
As for Snowden, he did EXACTLY what our elected officials, from Obama to Reid to Boyner on down have sworn to do- which is to defend the US Constitution from all enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC.
I hope the guy wins the Nobel Peace Prize next year. Surely he deserves much more so than does Obama.
BR,
Dr. PDG
It comes down to intent. The NSA’s intent is to protect american citizens. You can argue about the methods but the intent is good. Snowden on the other hand intends to harm the U.S. as is evidenced by him giving (we now know) the documents to both the Chinese and the Russians. Snowden should be executed. Hopefully they’ll be able to get to him in Russia and shoot a poison dart into him from afar. He should be made an example of.
Mike Rodgers is just mad that his utter disregard for the Constitution has been exposed. He has used every opportunity to spread misinformation about Snowden in some misguided attempt at character assassination to distract from the real issue.
If you find Snowden, with all he has done, to be admirable, and hate your government this much, maybe Russia is just for you. Please, don’t let us stand in your way.
Marc Thiessen’s column bears out what prize-winning Guardian of the Leaks Glenn Greenwald said last summer. Snowden stole thousands of “very specific blueprints” that would allow an adversary “to know exactly how the NSA does what it does, which would in turn allow them to evade that surveillance or replicate it.” http://bigstory.ap.org/article/greenwald-snowden-docs-contain-nsa-blueprint
Marc, the very fact that both the Bush and now Obama administrations are running roughshod over the US Constitution makes whatever Snowden has done pale when compared against the near total disregard for our Constitution.
IMHO, Snowden is a true American hero, in the same league with Paul Revere and George Washington.
Putin’s intentions over the past 15 years have been abundantly clear from his dissertation, speeches and actions- that his goal and objective is to unite Mother Russia. We did not need the NSA or any other “State” agencies trampling our constitutional rights to be able to figure that out or to reasonably interpret what his actions might be.
BR,
Dr. PDG
Evidently, 70 percent of people working in U.S. intelligence today are private contractors…like Snowden.
Snowden was found out because he wanted to be found out.
Does anyone believe that others aren’t doing the Snowden thing, for money, or for ideology, but staying low?
How much loyalty does a private contractor have? They are in it for the money by definition…
Benjamin,
Snowden was loyal to the US Constitution, something that our elected officials who take an oath of office to uphold, seem incapable or unwilling to do?
Sorry, but I think Snowden’s loyalty was right where it should be and I can only hope that our elected officials will take his leadership by example to heart and uphold their oath of office.
Marc and Benjamin,
Looking at this purely pragmatically there is some research out there claiming that the impact to American companies over a real or perceived conspiracy between the US Government and the big IT and Telecom firms is in excess of 22 billion USD over 3 years? https://plus.google.com/+Nextgovcom/posts/Sz8viH17YTu
Another thought- maybe if we kept our noses out of other countries affairs and minded our own business, there would be a whole lot less need for all this cloak and dagger stuff?
Not to date myself, but the old “Pogo” cartoon summed things up rather nicely- “We has seen the enemy and they is us”…… Something to do some serious reflection on…..
Dr PDG: Years ago I had a Pogo comic book with that actual strip in it.
I don’t know Snowden’s motivations…I doubt he is alone…and yes, sometimes we seem to create enemies…
This article is redundant for anyone with half a brain. Snowden’s original leaks were whistleblowing but since the summer of 2013, he has done nothing but expose legit spycraft and this is the result. Our intel agencies have been flying blind since the Snowden leaks.
Yes, give the Nobel Peace Prize to Snowden like they gave it to Henry a Kissinger…
Ridiculous article.
Makes huge assumption that Snowden gave anything to Russia, which hasn’t been confirmed anywhere.
Makes assumption that if Russia plans on doing anything militarily, OF COURSE the US has 100% capability to intercept it and know about it ahead of time (laughable).
“Some U.S. military and intelligence officials say Russia’s war planners might have” … might have? Is that as strong as “probably has” or as weak as “could possible have”?
I’ll tell you exactly how Snowden is helping Putin. Snowden is showing what a hypocrite the US is. Putin doesn’t look nearly as bad when the US is eavesdropping everyone illegally. That is precisely, and only, how Snowden is helping Putin.