Glenn Greenwald pushes back hard on latest Edward Snowden “revelations”

[Luminous Animal]

Glenn Greenwald pushes back hard on latest Edward Snowden “revelations”

But Greenwald told me that when Snowden had initially contacted him, Snowden hadn’t even shared his name or where he worked — he’d simply said he had explosive documents that Greenwald (whose reporting on leak investigations and civil liberties abuses was already widely known) would want to see. At that stage, Greenwald said, their conversations only concerned how to set up an encryption system that Snowden wanted in order to facilitate private communication of documents with him. The system was not set up until several months later, Greenwald said.

It was only in May — and not before — that Snowden told him who he was, who he worked for (at that point he identified himself as affiliated with the NSA) and what sort of documents he had to share, Greenwald says. It wasn’t until June — when Greenwald visited Snowden in Hong Kong — that Snowden told him he worked specifically for Booz Allen, Greenwald adds.

“We had early conversations about setting up encryption, so we worked early on to set that up,” Greenwald says. “We didn’t work on any documents. I didn’t even know Edward Snowden’s name or where he worked until after he was in Hong Kong with the documents. Anyone who is claiming that somehow I worked with him to get those documents or helped him is just lying.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/24/glenn-greenwald-pushes-back-hard-on-latest-edward-snowden-revelations/

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. I bet Greenwald has more than a few boxes in his garage too!

Good post!

cheers!

[Luminous Animal]

2. Kick.

[MjolnirTime]

3. Liars are gonna lie when they get caught in a conspiracy. Greenwald has fucked himself.

It's going to be fun watching him twist in the wind.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Greenwald covers his ass would be a better header for that story

He (understandably) doesn't want to be seen as conspiring with someone who says he took a job just to steal info that he, Greenwald, would publish.

[Whisp]

11. Think he's worried about the phone calls he made to Snowden and whoever else

is involved?

After all, NSA can hear everything, everywhere! Isn't that what he claimed? I bet he didn't really believe it then, but he may believe it now.

sweaty Glenn.

[FarCenter]

5. Since Greenwald is in Brazil a lot, NSA has all their communications.

Wonder what key size they used?

[Whisp]

6. Glennie the liar sounds a bit nervous, doesn't he? eom

[DisgustipatedinCA]

9. Go ahead and document the lies. I'll leave you some space just below my post for your reply.

We don't want to be seen as a bunch of wild-eyed people who make things up to suit our own agendas. Kindly provide the details to back your claim, and thank you for your attention to this important matter.

[Luminous Animal]

17. Amazing isn't it? Lie after lie told about Snowden and Greenwald. If these people are Christians...

They are going to have some explaining to do at the pearly gates.

[Control-Z]

7. kind of hard to believe:

"I didn’t even know Edward Snowden’s name or where he worked until after he was in Hong Kong with the documents."

[Luminous Animal]

16. Why?

[GeorgeGist]

8. Sounds like bullshit to me.

Or Greenwald is incredibly naive.

[jeff47]

10. Translation: "Please don't arrest me for soliticting espionage!"

If Glen had just been the passive recipient of information, he'd be fine, legally.

It's starting to look like that wasn't the case. We'll have to see how this unfolds.

[flamingdem]

12. It gets more folded by the hour

so the unfolding should be spectacular

[Tx4obama]

13. Here's a link to Greenwald's tweet where he says he's worked with Snowden since February, below

Here: https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/344040301972815872

[Whisp]

14. That might lead one to believe that Glenn knew

Snowden was getting the Booz job just so he could steal classifieds.

Hmmm, I bet Glenn knew.

Glenn thinks he's too smart for the world.

He will find out soon he's not that sharp afterall.

[Luminous Animal]

15. So. He already has said, before today, that Snowden contact him in February....

That does not prove the Greenwald knew who he was or where he worked or what he had.

[Cali_Democrat]

18. So Snowden contacted Greenwald BEFORE he took the job at BAH

Very interesting indeed.

[frylock]

20. now go back and read the first paragraph of the OP

[Denzil_DC]

19. This doesn't really pass the smell test.

Somebody contacts a busy and somewhat notorious/renowned blogger/journalist anonymously, claiming they have "explosive documents."

That journalist then invests time and resources in setting up an encryption system for later use. The claim appears to be that Greenwald did this without asking for any verification of the informant's bona fides, nor seemingly any information about the nature or origin of the "explosive documents."

Hmmm.

[frylock]

21. what were "deep throat's" bona fides?

[Denzil_DC]

24. "All the President's Men" implies he was an "old friend and sometimes source" of Woodward's,

Woodward called an old friend and sometimes source who worked for the federal government and did not like to be called at his office. His friend said hurriedly that the break-in case was going to "heat up," but he couldn't explain and hung up.

http://books.simonandschuster.ca/All-the-President%27s-Men/Carl-Bernstein/9780671894412/excerpt_with_id/17414

[usGovOwesUs3Trillion]

22. Or that could explain why it took so long

Had he known exactly what he was getting into you would think that it would have been expedited.

[Denzil_DC]

23. So if somebody wants to waste Glenn Greenwald's time,

all they have to do is contact him anonymously, tell him they have "explosive documents" he simply HAS to see, he won't mind if they won't tell him what those documents are or who they are, but he'll spend time corresponding and setting up encryption codes etc. anyway.

If that's the way he works, he'd be WIDE open to being played, either by a timewaster or an entrapper.

Also, I don't think it could have been expedited much because according to Greenwald, Snowden hadn't filled up his USB drives until May.

[usGovOwesUs3Trillion]

25. Not really

You would have to convince him you actually knew what you were talking about, most people wouldn't even have a clue about PKI.

BTW: Reports are always dealing with kooks, or people out to get them, so they have some savvy, to say the least, when vetting a source... and these things take time.

but all that doesn't matter... what matters is that Snowden went to the press to report crimes being committed against the american people, not to mention the rest of the world, with documented evidence that can not be refuted.

To me, and many others, he is a modern day is Paul Revere with a thumb drive full of the news that Tyranny is coming!

[Denzil_DC]

27. "You would have to convince him you actually knew what you were talking about ...

... most people wouldn't even have a clue about PKI."

Encryption keys are something anyone with just a little tech knowledge could gen up on in no time. Heck, via email, you could just copy and paste the information from any number of sites.

Further about convincing him that "you actually knew what you were talking about," Greenwald's claim is that the source was very cagey, and they initially ONLY discussed the encryption system they'd use. From the article in the OP:

At that stage [Greenwald's tweet says this was in February], Greenwald said, their conversations only concerned how to set up an encryption system that Snowden wanted in order to facilitate private communication of documents with him. The system was not set up until several months later, Greenwald said.

It was only in May — and not before — that Snowden told him who he was, who he worked for (at that point he identified himself as affiliated with the NSA) and what sort of documents he had to share,

How could Snowden convince Greenwald he knew what he was talking about if they didn't talk about it?

[usGovOwesUs3Trillion]

29. Well, let's agree to disagree

besides, the story for me is not about the reporter and his source, it is about the suspicionless spying going on.

[Denzil_DC]

31. Sure, that's a civilized way to conclude a discussion.

But as you'll see, my smell test still isn't satisfied.

[gholtron]

26. Glen

You got some explaining to do. Ha Ha. I bet the next time he's on TV he'll be drawing maps on how to find Eddie.
Looks like David Gregory was trying to tell him something.

[WillyT]

28. K & R !!!

[Life Long Dem]

30. No surprise

Glenn Greenwald ?@ggreenwald

@TheStalwart The reality is that Laura Poitras and I have been working with him since February, long before anyone spoke to Bart Gellman

https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/344040301972815872