Citing Snowden, the FISA court orders the government to declassify more of its secret opinions

[Catherina]

The FISA court will release more opinions because of Snowden

By Brian Fung, Published: September 13 at 2:49 pm

Call it the Edward Snowden effect: Citing the former NSA contractor, a federal judge has ordered the government to declassify more reports from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

In an opinion from the FISC itself, Judge F. Dennis Saylor on Friday told the White House to declassify all the legal opinions relating to Section 215 of the Patriot Act written after May 2011 that aren't already the subject of FOIA litigation.

The court ruled that the White House must identify the opinions in question by Oct. 4.

...

The ruling comes in response to a petition by the American Civil Liberties Union seeking greater government transparency. But because the ACLU already has a similar FOIA case pending in another court, Saylor wrote that the new FISC order can only cover documents that don't relate to that case. Depending on how the other case turns out, the ACLU could come back to the FISA court later and ask again.

Senior intelligence officials have voluntarily published some of its surveillance-related documents in recent weeks and vow to release more, but this marks the first time the FISA court has given a direct order to the administration on declassification.

...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/09/13/the-fisa-court-will-release-more-opinions-because-of-snowden/

[pscot]

1. K&R

[1awake]

2. K&R n/t

[dkf]

3. Snowden must feel quite vindicated, and there is still more to go.

To think we elected Obama to get rid of this sort of thing but instead it takes one individual, with a conscience, to attempt what Obama apparently couldn't.

[Th1onein]

53. You nailed it, dkf.

[gopiscrap]

4. Good

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Wait for it. Another glorious victory for Obama!!!

[NealK]

25. Lol!

Yeah, that's part of that 11 dimensional chess game sprinkled with dark mater.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. The only way he could get that stuff declassified

was to pretend to push for more extensive classification.

[frylock]

28. you guys just don't understand realpolitik..

or something.

[Jackpine Radical]

34. Leads to an intriguing question:

What's Ersatzpolitik?

[davidpdx]

46. ...

[grahamhgreen]

38. HAHAHA:))

[bvar22]

7. Tip of the Iceberg!

DURec for wider distribution!

[BelgianMadCow]

8. Guardian link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023663277

[Uncle Joe]

9. I do believe the dam is cracking on that one, I hope so.

We must remain tenacious on this subject.

Thanks for the thread, Catherina.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

10. K&R! See? Snowden's revelations were nothing we didn't already know and ...

... amount to nothing, will have no effect, blah blah blah...

[Katashi_itto]

11. Where's our Pro-Authoritarian crowd to slam this horror?

[backscatter712]

12. They usually don't come in to work until Monday morning. n/t

[Katashi_itto]

13. Oh damn

[ProSense]

16. Irony:

The same "crowd" that has been heaping praise on Putin is calling out others as "Pro-Authoritarian" in a thread about hyping Snowden (the guy stuck in Russia) and the authoritarian, fascist, lying, rubberstamp FISC that should be abolished because it can't be trusted.

Otherwise, transparency is good.

[Katashi_itto]

18. Oh listen to Prosense. Everything she says is quite...quite...umm credible.

Translation: lets talk about something else.

[ProSense]

19. You know the point was spot on.

Still, can't blame you for the lame comeback.

[Katashi_itto]

21. You hath wound me to the quick, with your "searing" riposte...!

One can tell there is a intellect at work in there....somewhere.

You had a point other than talk about something else?

[ProSense]

23. LOL!

"You had a point other than talk about something else?"

Why would you think anyone cares if you talk about the FISC ordering the declassification of information?

My point, which has led to your attempted deflection, is addressing the silly "pro-Authoritarian" comment.

[NealK]

30. I understand your indignation.

How dare they call you ProAuthoritarianCrowd? I would be pissed too if people misspelled my handle.

[ProSense]

31. LOL!

Lame!

[NealK]

35. Absolutely!

A lame reply to a lame post. And I'm glad to have been able to distract you from your obvious frustration even if only for a microsecond.

[ProSense]

36. The best part

"A lame reply to a lame post. And I'm glad to have been able to distract you from your obvious frustration even if only for a microsecond."

...of "lame" is having to make up your own claim to fame.

[NealK]

37. Oh boy, it's worse than I thought.

To quote someone else in this thread: "Can't blame you for the lame comeback."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum1002&pid=3668240

[Katashi_itto]

39. +1000

I don't think she can come up with anything original. Except to parrot talking points and repeat the same insults over and over, thinking shes dispensing biting pearls of pithy witticisms.

[AgingAmerican]

42. Thank you

For that searingly intellectual, snark free take on the subject at hand. True to form, thou art.

[Logical]

49. At what point do you tire of being on the wrong side of issues? I guess never. LOL! n-t

[Stupefacto]

24. How many of the people in this thread claimed the FISC is "fascist"...

and how many said it should be abolished?

[AgingAmerican]

43. It is fascistic

It is wholly controlled by and populated with Republicans. Republicans are fascists. Most likely they are trying to stave off being defunded. A broken clock is right twice a day.

[Logical]

48. LOL, you ripped Snowden daily for 2 months, 1000s of posts saying he made no difference and that....

the NSA was doing nothing wrong.

Now EVERYONE knows Snowden started a conversation that needed started and has exposed shit that needed exposed.

But you do not have the honor or the guts to admit you were wrong.

And you expect to be taken seriously on any other topic in the future?

[Fuddnik]

14. OMG!!!!!

Rand Paul and the Librarians have taken over the FISA Court!!!!

[Jackpine Radical]

27. That would be a great name for a garage band:

Rand Paul and the Librarians.

[NealK]

33. Lol!

[muriel_volestrangler]

52. The lead singer would have to constantly sack the backing group as moochers and looters

who are part of an overbearing public government taking hard-earned money from the proud individualist and nannying people who should buy their own books etc.

[xchrom]

15. du rec.

[KoKo]

17. Recommend!

[DirkGently]

20. Thus the continued panic over Snowden & Greenwald.

They (and by extension, we) are winning.

[AzDar]

22. K & R

[Solly Mack]

29. K&R

[RetroLounge]

32. Because Obama!

RL

[avaistheone1]

41. ...

[Blanks]

40. The 'Snowden component' to this story is opinion....

The ACLU is the one doing the fighting. Are they or the 'top secret court' giving credit to Snowden? No, the author of this article is giving him the credit.

If you search the court order itself for Snowden, it comes up empty. I expect this would have come about at around this same time (without Snowden's little globe trotting adventure) due to the hard work of the ACLU.

...but, sure lets give Snowden the credit.

[AgingAmerican]

44. Do you believe they would have done so irregardless?

Even if Snowden hadn't outed them? It's pretty obvious what precipitated this.

[Blanks]

45. Do you believe the ACLU is ineffective?

That's the question. Yes, I believe this comes as a result of their work.

Americans view things like this: even though there are 10 other guys out on the football field - the quarterback wins or loses the game ...and forget the defense, unless its an individual that we can point to. We just aren't 'complete' unless we can point to a hero.

Perhaps Snowden's actions contributed somehow, but the hard work was done by someone else, and the court document never mentioned him. The only thing obvious here is that Snowden worship is alive and well.

[Logical]

51. When a witness to a crime provides information the police still do all the work. But the witness....

is the one that made it happen.

Snowden was the witness. Without him MOST of the stuff people have found would not have been found.

[AgingAmerican]

55. I find it amusing

...that the 'You guys are libertarian Putin loving purists' crowd don't show up at all in threads like this one.

They are usually so loud in threads about Snowden. Not a peep.

[AgingAmerican]

54. Your question is irrelevent

nt

[Blanks]

58. You believe all of the credit should go to Snowden...

Even though the ACLU has been working on this for a decade.

I expect that they would have won out eventually - Snowden just happened to be the 'attention seeking' dude that came along.

I'm not sure why its so important that he be viewed as the hero. I specifically prefer that he not be viewed as a hero because he broke the law. I believe he could have accomplished the same thing and remained anonymous.

If people believe that they can break the law, become a household name, and be considered a hero - I'm concerned we will have copycats.

Why is it so important to you that he be viewed as 'the hero' in this - this is clearly a victory for the ACLU?

Certainly he helped their case, but it is still their case. Is it just because there has been so much disagreement between DU members? The ACLU has a long tradition of liberal activism, why are we giving all of the credit for this to Snowden?

[AgingAmerican]

60. Where have I ever said Snowden was a "Hero"?

It has nothing to do with heros. That is drama talk. Im saying that this would not have happened period except for what we found out via Snowden. You can spend all the energy you want talking about 'heros' and insulting Snowden on a personal level, but the end result is all I am interested in.

[Blanks]

61. I don't know that YOU called him a hero. There are those here who have.

I've never personally attacked Snowden. I don't agree with the way he handled it, and I think he gets too much credit for no more than he did (particularly compared to the ACLU), but I don't care what his personal habits are.

I think putting him on a pedestal sends the wrong message. I understand it is our tendency to give the field goal kicker the credit for winning the game at the last second (ignoring the good play during the rest of the game), but the headline would have been more fair if it said something to the effect of: ACLU finally makes progress in battle against government surveillance programs - some credit goes to whistle blowers.

As I said before, we don't want a bunch of young people thinking that they can break the law and become a household name, and be called a hero (not by you of course). I'd rather give credit where credit is due, and the ACLU (who I am not in any way affiliated with) takes donations to fight the good fight. They have other battles that they are fighting as well. If they were getting the credit for this, rather than Snowden, it might set the right-wing nut job detractors (that complain about the ACLU on their radio programs) back since EVERYONE is opposed to this surveillance, and it might help them with their funding.

Promoting one individual when the opportunity to elevate a long standing liberal organization doesn't make any sense.

I understand that there has been a lot of contention between the pro-Snowden and anti-Snowden 'groups' here, but this should be celebrated as a victory by the ACLU - at minimum in addition to giving some credit to the whistle-blowers.

This really isn't about Snowden.

[AgingAmerican]

62. I think the 'hero' nonsense is just a distraction

It's a way for people to avoid dealing with the issue at hand. It's a sideshow.

[Paulie]

56. Without the docs the ACLU and others have had their cases dismissed

For lack if standing because they can't "prove" harm or pretty much anything with a secret program. Now that its out they are winning. It really is Snowden cause Lawsuit win effect.

[Logical]

50. Snowden exposed shit that needed exposed. No one doubts that at this point. n-t

[ehcross]

63. Snowden exposed shit he should not have exposed. No one doubts that at this point.

After having witnessed the horrors of 9/11 the United States, more than ever should strengthen its security, as much as needed to respond effectively to new threats from Al-kaeda or other terrorist organizations.

Edward Snowden´s actions have effectively exposed America´s National Security´s secrets to its enemies. Such "shit" represents the ultimate tools that the country needs to effectively detect and deter its enemies from any threats to is security.

The unprecedented actions of Snowden have caused a major setback to the NSA´s capabilities, and is allowing Snowden to single handedly expose highly secret information on potential threats, extremely valuable information for the defense of the United States.

It is of very serious concern that Snowden might have already dared to transfer sensitive "shit",or american sensitive miltary technology, to Russia and/or China. Finally, this matter is an unprecedented blow to the United States of America. And one that should demand more tan words from Putin and Russia.

[Logical]

47. Where is the "Snowden made no Difference" crowd? Crickets? n-t

[Paulie]

57. Takes a bit for the pro's to make sense of this for us.

[RetroLounge]

59. +1000

RL