Snowden Not Interrogated by Russians: Assange

[Hissyspit]

Source: The Age

Snowden not interrogated by Russians: Assange

by Philip Dorling - 16/08/13, 8:20 PM

United States intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden has not been interrogated by the Russian security services, according to WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange, who is hopeful there will be a wider "rollout" of revelations about the global nature of US internet and telecommunications surveillance.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, Mr Assange has confirmed that WikiLeaks personnel have continuously accompanied Mr Snowden since he left Hong Kong for Moscow on June 23, and that he has not been interviewed by Russian intelligence.

"Since Hong Kong we have had someone physically by his side the entire time," Mr Assange said. “We have had someone with him for 54 days."

Numerous US and other media reports have speculated that Mr Snowden has fallen into the hands of the Russian state security services, specifically the Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the Soviet-era KGB. However Mr Assange said WikiLeaks has been "watching the situation closely and the Russian authorities have behaved well".



Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/world/snowden-not-interrogated-by-russians-assange-20130816-2s1iq.html

[cliffordu]

1. Ah, bullshit.

[Hissyspit]

2. Because you know for sure.

[cliffordu]

8. I'm just some fucking guy on the west coast.

I'd interrogate and debrief that little fucker in my front room given the opportunity. The idea that THAT MUCH intelligence was wandering around with one fucking guy and a sovereign state NOT getting to it is fucking stupid.

Most CORPORATIONS would kill to get that much info.

[7962]

25. +1

[kardonb]

43. asange

but of course , if St.Assange said it , it must be true . Noting but a load of bull pucky .

[Cleita]

3. K&R

[MADem]

4. I don't think anyone "KNOWS" anything -- it's all a load of who-knows-what...

Assange isn't there, so he doesn't know. He also doesn't seem to grasp that every time Ed meets with his Russian lawyer, he's being interviewed by the FSB. I mean, good grief, the lawyer served in the KGB with Putin--it strains credulity to think he's left all that behind for a law career and just "happened" to catch the Snowden case while his old pal Pootie just "happened" to be the President of the regime.

I hear Judge Judy's voice saying "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining..."

Snowden's father, the father's lawyer, and the lawyer's wife have had plenty to say, too, but Snowden has said they 'aren't the boss of him,' either.

[JDPriestly]

7. If Wikileaks says they have a lawyer with Snowden all the time, we have to take them at

their word unless we have real evidence to the contrary.

I think it is very plausible that the Wikileaks lawyer attends all of Snowden's meetings with the Russian lawyer. And even more credible that Snowden would inform his Wikileaks lawyer if the Russian lawyer asked questions in the Wikileaks lawyer's absence.

I doubt that Snowden could tell the Russians anything they didn't already know. The Russians have some very sharp computer people.

[MADem]

9. Well, who knows if one of "their" lawyers is Kucherena, that's my point.

If Assange thinks Kucherena is "on his team," then Kucherena could spend all day with Snowden and no one would bat an eye.

The only person who hasn't been challenged thus far in any substantive way is Kucherena. It's kind of odd to me--a leopard doesn't change his spots.

The other major players (Assange, Greenwald, Lon Snowden and entourage) are all catching flak in one way or another.

It's curious.

[JDPriestly]

23. So this is your conjecture. You could be wrong. You could be right, but it would be more honest

if you simply stated that this is your opinion or that you are speculating.

I try to do that simple thing when I post a theory of mine (and I have lots of them). Just explain to a reader that this is your opinion.

I'm sorry if I am preaching too much, but misinformation gets spread precisely when we express opinion or speculation or possibility as fact.

Assumptions are dangerous things. They should be differentiated from facts.

We do a service to the truth and ourselves when we remember to make the difference clear.

But we all make the mistake of presenting speculation as fact. Of course, that is Fox News' specialty.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

33. I await the Russian document dump from Wikileaks.

I know I'll be waiting a very very long time.

[BeyondGeography]

37. They paid good money for that lack of a dump

[JDPriestly]

47. Apprarently a newspaper owned by Lebvedeb and Gorbachev promised to publish

the dump. The promise was made in December 2012, but I have not heard any more about it.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-22/wikileaks-joins-forces-with-billionaire-lebedev-gorbachev.html

Maybe that is why Russia gave Snowden temporary asylum. We shall see.

I know that Lebvedeb hit someone and was jailed for some time (not that long).

Maybe Bloomberg News will ask Gorbachev about it.

[bemildred]

48. Snowden said in the past that he wants to give China and Russia the relevant parts.

And let them decide what to do with it. Back when he was in Hong Kong. That even floored me for a minute when he said that.

But the name of the game is keeping it in the news, so i expect continued dribbling of revelations for as long as possible.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

52. Actually dated Dec 2010,

which makes it > 2 and a half years since that story. Not holding my breath.

[MADem]

53. So this is your conjecture.

You could be wrong. You could be right, but it would be more honest if you simply stated that this is your opinion or that you are speculating.

How's that feel?

I am tossing your very own words at you to provide you with a little lesson, because I actually read your post and noticed the conditional terms (you know, the very sorts of terms that YOU MISSED when you were reading my posts) in your remarks.

[JDPriestly]

54. Yes. Note my use of the word "maybe."

That means that my words are merely a possibility or conjecture.

Bloomberg News reported that a publication of Wikileaks on Russia was planned.

The BBC reported that he hit someone.

Russian media magnate Alexander Lebedev, a critic of President Vladimir Putin, has been convicted of battery for punching a guest on a TV show.

Mr Lebedev, who owns two UK newspapers and a big stake in Russia's opposition paper Novaya Gazeta, was sentenced to 150 hours of community service.

He had previously expressed a fear he would be jailed, but the main charge against him, hooliganism, was dropped.

more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23149431

[MADem]

57. Yeah, I noticed, and I also noticed that you FAILED to notice my use of

conditional words, because you had a need to play gotcha.

That was my point--it wooshed right over your head.

You transmit, but you don't read. Post fifty one amplifies this point.

[MADem]

51. What is wrong with you? What part of the phrase "who knows"--which you will find

in my subject line--is insufficiently "conjecture-ish" to suit you?

What NERVE you have, suggesting that I am not "honest!" If you were honest, you'd back the hell up and apologize for that crap you're flinging at me, with zero justification.

No one is "presenting speculation as fact." You have a major READING COMPREHENSION problem. You're too damn busy writing your response to read the post.

But hey, grab your big wooden spoon, give it a few hearty twists, and make the thread about ME.

Here's something for YOU to keep in mind, since you're so into pointless pontificating with a side order of disparagement: We do a service to the truth and ourselves when we read what the poster we're replying to is ACTUALLY SAYING.


Have one of those nice days.

[George II]

19. Assange has proven....

....that we can't take ANYTHING that's said by him at his word.

[JDPriestly]

24. When did he prove that? How?

Speculation? Exaggeration? or Fact?

Please provide a link.

[George II]

60. When? When he promised to return to Sweden to face the accusations against him.......

........but he headed for the Equadorian Embassy in London instead.

[okieinpain]

31. so are you saying the russian's are spying on the american people. NOOOOOOO! n/t.

[awoke_in_2003]

49. Agreed...

we don't know for sure. But maybe since I grew up durIng the Cold War I have a hard time believing that they didn't. They probably didn't torture, but I cannot fathom them not interrogating

[longship]

5. They don't need to.

Snowden has already released the information anybody needed, if only in summary. I think the Russians already know they'll not likely get more than what has already released.

Also, interrogation of Snowden would be a really stupid thing to do. Why trigger an even bigger international incident? Likely a much bigger one at that.

[bemildred]

12. Precisely. Our spooks would "interrogate" him, so they think everybody else must want to too.

But what they really want is punishment, prison at least. They don't need the data back since he just made copies of everything. They still would like to recover those too, hoping against hope they could go back to pretending it was still secret because they got control back.

The Russians have no reason to do anything, even supposing they found the data interesting, an idea I would question. None of it is secret, like the government says, what it is is private, personal. While I would not accuse the Russians of sincerity or honesty in any of this, I think their amusement at our discomfort and disinterest in "Snowden's Treasure" is real. Nobody else wants it.

Russia, like us, is interested in it's own citizens. That is who Pooty-Poot fears too, the people who can remove him from office, his voters. Are our politicians interested in the private lives and relationships of ordinary Russians? Hah. Maybe the vast fountains of Russian porn. They are not even interested in the NSA, let alone Russia. There is no real oversight at all. We already know how lazy and venal they are.

Everything he stole cannot be in any sense considered secret anymore, this is security SOP, if it's not under your control, it has to be considered exposed, and this goes quite beyond that. You have people out there actively working on dumping the good parts. With enthusiasm and lots of support. It IS out of control. There are at least two copies out there independent of Snowden, or that is what I have read, Poitras and Greenwald. But probably more, Snowden is a very cautious guy, and the keys will be well separated and hidden.

[longship]

14. Well stated. I concur. nt

[bemildred]

15. Thank you.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

35. There's ALSO what he's carrying around in his head.

You're assuming he wrote everything down and stored it electronically. Wrong assumption. Debriefings exist to get at that stuff.

And, as I said, I await the Russian Wikileaks document dump. You'd have to be unbelievably naive to think that will EVER happen.

[bemildred]

40. Depends. It's a thorny question, actually, circumventing social engineering.

And people will say what it is politic to say, at times, as a matter of prudence. Perhaps keeping a few aces up ones sleeve.

But he has said that he doesn't have it, and there are protocols to support that sort of thing, all depending on some trusted and unknown third party. You can't just hide it or do anything that you would have to know to hide it. Someone else has to do it, and they have to be safe, unassailable, able to carry on if you get stopped. You want to know what the four laptops are for, that's what, to set up communications with people you don't want it known you are communicating with, TOR routers.

(As an aside, I would not want to be one of Snowden's known close friends now, it's probably a mercy he's a loner, they are likely getting lots of attention.)

[bemildred]

59. You know, I was thinking about this.

I think it would be a serious mistake for the government to try to take Snowden's laptops away, at least while they hope to keep any of Snowden's sweepings secret.

[U4ikLefty]

21. See post #1 for the sound reasoning.

[bemildred]

22. Brilliant argument, thanks so much. nt

[hack89]

6. One of the greatest intelligence windfalls ever just lands in their laps

and they are going to ignore it? Right - because we know that Russian security services are renown for their ethics.

Just wait - the Russians will find a way to get those WikiLeaks personnel out of the way. i can't imagine WikiLeaks has too many fans in the Russian government.

[7962]

26. Yes, that bastion of freedom, Russia.

[RC]

39. As opposed to that bastion of freedom, America?

You know, that America that has the highest percentage of it's population per capita incarcerated.

[7962]

55. Which has little to do with the difference between the two countries

[RC]

58. Apparently you are not paying enough attention yet.

[A Simple Game]

30. What intelligence windfalls? I doubt Snowden knew as much about the NSA. their

inner works, or the information they have gathered as the Russians and the Chinese. We know with a very high degree of certainly that he knew much less than the British already knew.

The only people that learned anything and the only ones that really mattered to the NSA are the American people. They know the other countries know we are spying on them, just as they know the other countries are spying on us.

[hack89]

32. The only way for the Russians to confirm that would be to talk to him.

don't you think?

[A Simple Game]

36. Or they could just wait until he releases the information. Other than that

they probably had someone higher up in the NSA already in place.

[Fringe]

44. Exactly,

I think it is a ridiculous assumption that they wouldn't interrogate him given what type of a country Russia is.

[rtracey]

10. and

And you are up on things from you Ecuadorian Jail Cell ohh I mean your palace in Ecuador...So why should we believe anything you say, now that Bradley Manning has apologized for something you probably tricked him into doing.....

[Hissyspit]

11. Fact-free ad Hominem rant.

Feel better now?

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. +1

[Hissyspit]

18. Why?

[bemildred]

16. Yep, they are real angry and depressed:

[frylock]

20. you should actually READ Manning's apology

[Cha]

29. What he lie just because he admires liars?!

"Assange/Wikileaks talk about who they admire…wait for it…& the answer is Ron/Rand Paul & Matt Drudge"

“The only hope as far as electoral politics… presently, is the libertarian section of the Republican party,” said Assange, in response to a question about the recent swell of college-aged and youth-based support for libertarianism.

“The libertarian aspect of the Republican Party is presently the only useful political voice really in the U.S. Congress,” said Assange. “ am a big admirer of Ron Paul and Rand Paul for their very principled positions in the U.S. Congress on a number of issues.”
…

“Matt Drudge is a news media innovator… It is as a result of the self-censorship of the establishment press in the United States that gave Matt Drudge such a platform and so of course he should be applauded for breaking a lot of that censorship,” said Assange.”

http://www.campusreform.org/blog/?ID=4989

h/t kpete http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023472701

What a dumbshit.

[George II]

17. Assange is now Snowden's press secretary?

[KittyWampus]

28. Snowden was almost certainly groomed by Assange's cohorts.

[KittyWampus]

27. Assange found a great little performing monkey in Snowden after Manning didn't pan out.

-

[dawn frenzy adams]

34. HA!

And I'm the Queen of England.

[MjolnirTime]

38. Assange is trapped in an Embassy. He knows shit about Russia.

That he even claims to know this blows his credibility.

[Hissyspit]

42. Ah, the experts on credibility...

[George II]

61. He isn't trapped, he's chosen to be there.

[RC]

41. Why would anyone think the Russians would even need to interrogate Snowden?

They probably have their own double-swinging, glass back doors to the NSA computers. NSA is so busy collecting data and spying on everyone, it doesn't even check its own logs.

[Fringe]

45. Well, the government give Swowden

A top secret clearance so anything is possible.

[dbackjon]

46. And does anyone believe Assange on anything?

Or since he is talking about a fellow right-winger, he is fine?

[George II]

62. Assange has to say something when the attention is away for him for more than a day or two.

[onehandle]

50. Why would they need to? The drugged him and took all of his files.

They had whatever data he hand on hand, and took whatever data he had remotely.

The Chinese did the same while he was in Hong Kong.

You're a fool if you think otherwise.

[George II]

63. Then they snuck him to Roswell New Mexico to see if he had any data the Martians wanted!!!!

[cstanleytech]

56. Uh huh and Bush said "This government does not torture people."

but of course that is only because he doesnt consider waterboarding "torture" and the same could be said of Snowden really because while Russian authorities might not be "interrogating" him they could be having some nice pleasant conversations over tea.