Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEdward Snowden makes 'moral' case for presidential pardon
Source: The Guardian
Edward Snowden makes 'moral' case for presidential pardon
Exclusive: Whistleblower says citizens have benefited from
his disclosure in 2013 of US and UK government surveillance
Ewen MacAskill Defence and intelligence correspondent
Tuesday 13 September 2016 12.28 BST
Edward Snowden has set out the case for Barack Obama granting him a pardon before the US president leaves office in January, arguing that the disclosure of the scale of surveillance by US and British intelligence agencies was not only morally right but had left citizens better off.
The US whistleblowers comments, made in an interview with the Guardian, came as supporters, including his US lawyer, stepped up a campaign for a presidential pardon. Snowden is wanted in the US, where he is accused of violating the Espionage Act and faces at least 30 years in jail.
Speaking on Monday via a video link from Moscow, where he is in exile, Snowden said any evaluation of the consequences of his leak of tens of thousands of National Security Agency and GCHQ documents in 2013 would show clearly that people had benefited.
Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing, but that is perhaps why the pardon power exists for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things, these were vital things, he said.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Exclusive: Whistleblower says citizens have benefited from
his disclosure in 2013 of US and UK government surveillance
Ewen MacAskill Defence and intelligence correspondent
Tuesday 13 September 2016 12.28 BST
Edward Snowden has set out the case for Barack Obama granting him a pardon before the US president leaves office in January, arguing that the disclosure of the scale of surveillance by US and British intelligence agencies was not only morally right but had left citizens better off.
The US whistleblowers comments, made in an interview with the Guardian, came as supporters, including his US lawyer, stepped up a campaign for a presidential pardon. Snowden is wanted in the US, where he is accused of violating the Espionage Act and faces at least 30 years in jail.
Speaking on Monday via a video link from Moscow, where he is in exile, Snowden said any evaluation of the consequences of his leak of tens of thousands of National Security Agency and GCHQ documents in 2013 would show clearly that people had benefited.
Yes, there are laws on the books that say one thing, but that is perhaps why the pardon power exists for the exceptions, for the things that may seem unlawful in letters on a page but when we look at them morally, when we look at them ethically, when we look at the results, it seems these were necessary things, these were vital things, he said.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/13/edward-snowden-why-barack-obama-should-grant-me-a-pardon
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
5 replies, 724 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (3)
ReplyReply to this post
5 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Edward Snowden makes 'moral' case for presidential pardon (Original Post)
Eugene
Sep 2016
OP
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)1. Comrade Eddie can make that case to a jury. nt
brush
(53,778 posts)2. Oh, now he wants to come home. Good luck with that.
Adrahil
(13,340 posts)3. Ummm.... No.
Even if you deserve some consideration for revealing illegal activities, you released THOUSANDS of documents that revealed perfectly legitimate foreign intelligence ops.
Fuck you, Eddie. You wanna come home? Own up to what you did. Work out a plea deal. Hell, I'll even support leniency, if you have the guts to admit your crimes.
Egnever
(21,506 posts)4. Winter is coming!
.
Enjoy Comrade!
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)5. BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!