NSA Wiretapping and Snowden on the run

Robbie3000

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Edward Snowden Leaves Hong Kong: Plane Believed To Be Carrying Leaker Lands In Moscow

MOSCOW -- A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday.

An Aeroflot flight from Hong Kong believed to be carrying Edward Snowden landed in Moscow. Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on Flight SU213, which landed on Sunday afternoon in Moscow. The report said he intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

Snowden had been in hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks since he revealed information on the highly classified spy programs. The WikiLeaks anti-secrecy group said it was working with him and he was bound for an unnamed "democratic nation via a safe route for the purpose of asylum."

The White House had no immediate comment about the departure, which came a day after the United States made a formal request for his extradition and gave a pointed warning to Hong Kong against delaying the process of returning him to face trial in the U.S.

The Department of Justice said only that it would "continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

The Hong Kong government said in a statement that Snowden left "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel."

It acknowledged the U.S. extradition request, but said U.S. documentation did not "fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law." It said additional information was requested from Washington, but since the Hong Kong government "has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong."

The statement said Hong Kong had informed the U.S. of Snowden's departure. It added that it wanted more information about alleged hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies which Snowden had revealed.

The signal that Hong Kong had let Snowden go on a technicality appears to be a pragmatic decision aimed at avoiding a drawn out extradition battle. The move swiftly eliminates a geopolitical headache that could have left it facing pressure from both Washington and Beijing.
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Hopefully he makes it to Venezuela
 
KeysT

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Type Username Here said:
The 4th amendment is the supreme law.

He broke a law to expose unconstitutional government behavior.

Those people who violate the constitution take oaths as well to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

But let's not let facts get in the way.
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So do you think in a court case a lawyer can successfully argue that since he swore an oath to support and defend the consitution against all enemies he would get off?
 
N

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Type Username Here said:
The 4th amendment is the supreme law.

He broke a law to expose unconstitutional government behavior.

Those people who violate the constitution take oaths as well to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

But let's not let facts get in the way.
Click to expand...

I don't think this is the argument one would make in a court of law in defending Snowden. It would have to be more narrow than that, and even then he'd still be found guilty of something, I just doubt the charges would be severe.

As far as the NSA program goes, it would be very difficult to challenge it given the approval both the judiciary and the legislature have given it. In that regard, what Snowden did was necessary because judicial opinions and legal arguments made under the cloak of secrecy cannot be challenged for their rationale. I hesitate to call anyone a hero prematurely, but I can say that what he did was necessary regardless of his motivations. We had let this conversation die.

The thing about it is, I think that he'd get a very public trial if he was tried which would keep the attention on the issue. The Obama administration is becoming Clinton like in that they measure their responses to public sentiment. This is through the grapevine, but from I hear Obama planned to formally address the NSA stuff, and then saw the public hadn't completely turned on him because of it and decided not to. Snowden on trial would force us to talk about it.
 
superunknown23

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Type Username Here said:
The 4th amendment is the supreme law.

He broke a law to expose unconstitutional government behavior.

Those people who violate the constitution take oaths as well to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

But let's not let facts get in the way.
Click to expand...
He's a judge now?
Tell me what was illegal and unconstitutional about it, Justice XXX :beli:
 
thernbroom

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The new channel RT coverage of snowden is probably the best :king:




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WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, told Australian Sydney Morning Herald paper that Snowden will be met by “diplomats from the country that will be his ultimate destination” in the airport, who’ll accompany him on a further flight to his destination.
 
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