WikiLeaks Statement On Edward Snowden’s Exit From Hong Kong

[Hissyspit]

http://wikileaks.org/WikiLeaks-Statement-On-Edward.html

WikiLeaks Statement On Edward Snowden’s Exit From Hong Kong

Sunday June 23, 12:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mr Edward Snowden, the American whistleblower who exposed evidence of a global surveillance regime conducted by US and UK intelligence agencies, has left Hong Kong legally. He is bound for a democratic nation via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks.

Mr Snowden requested that WikiLeaks use its legal expertise and experience to secure his safety. Once Mr Snowden arrives at his final destination his request will be formally processed.

Former Spanish Judge Mr Baltasar Garzon, legal director of Wikileaks and lawyer for Julian Assange has made the following statement:

"The WikiLeaks legal team and I are interested in preserving Mr Snowden’s rights and protecting him as a person. What is being done to Mr Snowden and to Mr Julian Assange - for making or facilitating disclosures in the public interest - is an assault against the people".

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[randome]

2. "I'm not trying to hide from justice here."

The Hong Kong Eddie moniker was too good. What's next? Let's have a contest.

"Snow On The Run"?

"Melting Snow"?

"The Snowden Ballet"?

Even the previous NSA whistleblowers from the Bush Era say Snowden crossed the line into traitorous activities.

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[davidn3600]

4. Keep trashing the messager all you like....it won't change the message.

Our government is spying on us. And it has shown absolutely no respect for our privacy nor our constitutional rights.

No matter how much you trash Mr. Snowden, you will not change the message.

[randome]

7. Keep believing in someone who has shown no evidence of his wild claims.

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[Civilization2]

9. You have become laughable, self deluded, and irrelevant.

You continue to make silly statements attacking a man, when the rest of us are dealing with the facts the man presented.

[zeemike]

16. "shown no evidence"

Right there you have discredited yourself...when someone uses that hyperbole I automatically dismiss everything they say.

[randome]

20. So please be so kind as to enlighten me about what evidence Snowden has shown.

The phone metadata warrant? A legal warrant. Meh.
The fact that we're spying on China? Meh.

What has he shown us? And I don't mean what he has said because talk is cheap.

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[zeemike]

22. Nope...not going to play that game

Of run them around in circles...
If there is any evidence at all that he presented it makes your statement wrong...and he presented more than enough for most of us to know it.

[Bradical79]

30. The evidence is the entire reason he's wanted on espionage charges

He released documents that were classified as top secret. It's part of the charges against him.

[randome]

37. No evidence that the NSA downloads the Internet on a daily basis.

No evidence that they have a 'back door' into all the Internet providers, all of whom say that's bullshit.

Talk is cheap. I'll believe in anything if there is evidence.

He's wanted on espionage charges because he revealed secrets to China. Did you happen to miss that?

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[Comrade Grumpy]

44. If he hasn't revealed anything, how is he a traitor?

He's a traitor who has damaged the national interest with the release of secret information.

or

This is all much ado about nothing.

Pick one.

[Bradical79]

23. That's just an outright lie

Or you haven't been paying attention to anything that has been happening since this guy started talking.

[randome]

38. No evidence that the NSA downloads the Internet on a daily basis.

No evidence that they have 'direct access' to all the Internet providers, all of whom say that claim is bullshit.

Believe what you want. I won't believe anything coming from this guy unless he has evidence.

Even his resume is a lie.

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[truth2power]

26. Where have you been, randome? A number of former whistleblowers have cooraborated

the substance of Snowden's claims.

Most recently, today, Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson, in an article in the Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/23/nsa-intelligence-industrial-complex-abuse

Try to keep up.

[randome]

36. And yet no one has evidence.

Even in the Guardian article, it's taken as a matter of faith that this is what Prism does. I'm willing to be convinced of anything but until there is evidence, I will remain neutral.

I won't believe what anyone says without evidence.

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[truth2power]

42. The Guardian article IS evidence. As is the cooraboration of numerous former whistleblowers...

as is Glenn Greenwald's assertion that Snowden's claims are true; as is the fact that the US gov't. has charged Snowden with espionage.

All of the above information serves as a basis for belief that Snowden is telling the truth. Do you have evidence to counter that?


Evidence is not the same as proof.

[marble falls]

34. Are you kidding? You don't think the things he claims that that have been admitted in Congress....

the last several weeks aren't established? Like what wild claims are you talking about?

[randome]

39. See above. I'm donating platelettes at the Red Cross today so it's difficult typing.

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[yodermon]

40. He's about to be indicted for making "wild claims". Riiiiight. n/t

[truth2power]

43. Yes, yodermom, that should be a clue, shouldn't it?...

Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that Snowden claimed to have actual documents to prove that PO was meeting every morning with a representative of one of the "greys" and that they were secretly plotting the overthrow of the US govt., and let's say some journalists, i.e., Greenwald were traduced into believing that these documents were genuine, and said so, publicly.

Do you think the DOJ would charge Snowden with espionage? Not likely. Because they'd know there are no such documents.

By charging him with espionage, the Obama Administration is admitting that Snowden's claims are true, in whole or in part.

QED

[truth2power]

15. There's a lot of trashing the messenger going on these days....because that's all they've got...

If I hear "didn't finish high school" one more time I think my head is going to explode.

And if it's not that, it's "You hate Obama". I feel like the victim of an abusive spouse. I say to him, "Stop abusing me", and his response is, "You hate me".

"No", I say, "I don't hate you. I just want you to stop hitting me".

Whenever someone pulls out the "Obama-hater" accusation, you would think that DUers (who are probably smarter than the average bear) would see it for what it is - an attempt to distract from the ISSUES.

We're being asked to participate in a very dysfunctional system, here.

[tarheelsunc]

14. Snowed in in Iceland. eom

[morningfog]

28. Long may he run!

[Progressive dog]

35. Eddie on the run with snowshoes

and for short snowshoe Eddie.

[SamKnause]

3. Thanks

A big thank you goes out to all those involved in helping Mr. Edward Snowden !!!!

The former Spanish Judge, Mr. Baltasar Garzon is amazing !!!!!! He tried to go after the Bush administration.

Thank you Julian Assange. Stay safe and strong. You have the support of millions around the globe.

Thank you Wikileaks.

Thank you Mr. Edward Snowden. I hope your journey is a safe one. Stay strong.

NO COUNTRY on this planet should agree to extradite any person to the U.S. !!!!!!

The U.S. uses torture in juvenile facilities.
The U.S. uses torture in their prison system.
The U.S. uses torture in Guantanamo.
The U.S. uses torture in secret prisons the world over.
The U.S. trains torturers and assassins at the School of Americas, in Fort Benning, Georgia. When they return to their countries they use what they have learned to torture and kill their fellow citizens.
The U.S. extradites and sends individuals to countries known for torture.
The U.S. tortured Bradley Manning.

When I hear U.S. politicians, or the current president of the U.S. talk about the rule of law, it sickens me !!!!!

[RVN VET]

5. Agreed.

And I'm sickened even more by American citizens who extoll torture as acceptable for some. DU is generally free of this, but there are cheers heard for it from the shadows whenever someone is accused of a heinous crime against women: "I hope he gets Bubba for a cellmate" sort of thing. (Sorry folks, you don't get a pass just because you want an evil, vile person to suffer torture at the hands of the State.)

The fact, sad and unfortunate though it is, of the matter is that America has ALWAYS used torture. It's just that Bush and Cheney didn't want it hidden anymore. They wanted the public character of America changed to relish it, to wallow in it. They wanted American kids to look at torture as, well, cool in a sadistic way.

They succeeded to a certain extent. And the Obama Administration hasn't done as much as I'd hoped it would to counter the trend. Bradley Manning is just the biggest headline example.

Just my opinion.

I don't know where Snowden's coming from and reserve judgment until such time as the facts are made clear. They may never be made clear, but there you go. But the Government's reaction to what he did seemed more petulant ("Your gonna pay a price for that kick in my shins, punk!&quot then motivated by serious concerns about National Security and justice.

Also, just my opinion.

[East Coast Pirate]

10. "I don't know where Snowden's coming from

and reserve judgment until such time as the facts are made clear."

Which will never happen if the U.S. gov. catches him before he gets to Venezuela.

[truth2power]

17. And I'll second what you said. It seems like the U.S. has become

what the old Soviet Union used to be, gulags and all.

[magellan]

25. +1

Perfectly stated, thank you.

[think]

31. Great post

[L0oniX]

32. +1

[bvar22]

41. Excellent Summary...

I STAND with you,
and AGAINST those who embrace the items on your list,
or ENDORSE them by their silence.

[Zorra]

6. An example of the rest of the world protecting itself fom "American Exceptionalism". nt

[Civilization2]

8. Godspeed Mr. Snowden!

Government without the consent of The Governed is illegitimate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consent_of_the_governed

Secret trade contracts, spying on citizens, drone murders, where is the enactment of will of the people not the corporate interests? Where is a functioning democracy that is not co-opted by the corporate-military forces of the 1% rulers.

[cantbeserious]

11. Best Wishes Mr. Snowden - We All Owe You Our Thanks For Effectively Exposing The Surveillance State

eom

[Daniel537]

12. Big ups to Wikileaks and the govt. of Hong Kong for not taking shit from our revolting govt.

Hoping nothing but the best for Snowden, a true hero.

[KoKo]

13. K&R...!

[snot]

18. K&R'd!

Snowden, Assange et al. are the ones who are really fighting for our freedoms.

We need them alive and free so they can continue their work -- and that is why the 1% has been pouring unlimited resources into trying to capture them and shut them down.

[ancianita]

19. I'm relieved. The messengers must stop being punished. If three letter agencies are in the right,

they have nothing to fear. Perhaps in some hegemonic world, nations' creating enemies and 'getting the drop' on them are important, but better worlds expect 'forces' to play 'war games' to keep themselves ready for defense, not offense. The days of stirring the planetary pot for practice and profit should now be over. Weapons jobs and industries need to be transformed into more constructive work.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

21. kr

[limpyhobbler]

24. Sometimes reading DU is like watching a spy/thriller movie. Quite exciting this stuff.

[think]

27. Yes. It certainly is...

[Gin]

29. Stay safe Mr. Snowden.......you validated what we all knew and suspected.