NSA Agent’s Identity Exposed in Poorly-Redacted Snowden Document

[kpete]

NSA Agent’s Identity Exposed in Poorly-Redacted Snowden Document

It’s finally happened. The name of an NSA agent has been accidentally leaked to the public via an NSA document stolen by Edward Snowden.

On Monday, we covered one way in which the Snowden leaks have touched off observably negative international consequences. Specifically, we discussed how an article in The Guardian detailing how Australia spied on the president of Indonesia has exacerbated tensions between the two nations, potentially touching off a military conflict at sea. Hours later, another example of apparent irresponsible journalism came to light.

A pair of new Snowden revelations were published on Monday. First, an article was published by NBC News in association with Glenn Greenwald about an NSA operation codenamed “Squeaky Dolphin.” A second revelation was posted by The Guardian in partnership with The New York Times and ProPublica, which covered an NSA document that revealed how the NSA and the British GCHQ are able to collect information on various targets via “leaky” smartphone apps like Angry Birds.

As soon as the article was posted, someone from or associated with a popular cryptography website claims to have downloaded a pdf of the Snowden document from The New York Times and discovered that three of the redactions that were intended to obscure sensitive national security information were easily accessible by highlighting, copying and pasting the text. The poorly-redacted file was subsequently posted to the cryptography website, then promoted via Twitter. (We’re not going to post the name of the website that posted the file to protect the information contained within.)


more:
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/01/the-name-of-an-nsa-agent-exposed-in-poorly-redacted-snowden-document/

[randome]

1. But he only turned the stolen documents over to sources he trusted!

So it's not his fault!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[msanthrope]

15. What else he revealed is much, much worse.....he's scum

The exposed, poorly-redacted information included the following:

–A very specific and very dangerous group that’s been targeted by NSA using a free application known as Visual Communicator.

–Detailed information about what specifically can be gathered about the location of targets.

–On the cover-page of the document, the full name of the NSA agent who evidently composed the document in May of 2010.

Revealing to AlQaeda how we spy on them is treason.

Cryptome did a good job on this.

[KoKo]

2. NSA Agent? What is that?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

5. Does the NSA do field work?

[jsr]

6. No Such Agency

Clapper did not lie to Congress on NSA, says national intelligence counsel
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/04/clapper-lie-congress-nsa-national-intelligence-counsel

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. Oscar Goldman

[DetlefK]

3. Stupid rant.

"As for Snowden, rather than choosing very specific files which he deemed to be in the public interest, then carefully vetting every detail, he chose to indiscriminately dump the documents into the world, trusting that reporters will figure it all out and do the right thing."

To recap:
1. Snowden is on the run from the entire US intelligence apparatus.
2. He is in possession of sensitive information that the US intelligence apparatus would kill for to keep it secret.
3. The author recommends for Snowden to keep those documents, vet them by himself, release them piece by piece, wait for the media to verify this particular revelation, all the while he is running for his life on an international manhunt.

It also obviously never occured to the author that cherry-picking, which intelligence to leak to the press, would have subjected Snowden to even more calls that he is just out to harm the US?

[riderinthestorm]

4. Are NSA employees covert like a CIA spy? nt

[Distant Quasar]

13. Not normally

However... their precise job functions, I think, are generally kept under wraps, for obvious reasons. I think that would be the real damage from a leak of this kind.

Most CIA employees aren't covert, either, by the way. Just the people who actually go into the field and spy.

[grasswire]

84. when I lived in D.C. I knew half a dozen NSA employees.

They were jazz musicians in various bands there. And some members of the jazz club were also NSA. Everybody knew it. Nobody cared.

[KoKo]

8. "Daily Banter" should worry more about the Faked 665 Background Checks on NSA Contractors...

(They might be concerned about who else besides Snowden had access to all that info and what THEY might have done with that info. Snowden did the correct thing by exposing how vulnerable this information was to anyone talented enough to hack. With 665,000 Faked Background Checks....that's a lot of possibilities.

DOJ Says Company That Vetted Snowden Faked 665,000 Background Checks

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1269694

[Thinkingabout]

85. If any harm should come to any agent whose information then other charges should be added to

Snowden. He is not capable to properly handle the materials. He worries about someone trying to kill him, then he does not give a damn others he has or may be in harms way, scumball.

[LiberalEsto]

9. So? Dickhead Cheney did it. nt

[Cali_Democrat]

32. So I guess that makes it OK then. nt

[randome]

36. You calling Snowden a dickhead?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[LiberalEsto]

51. Absolutely not. I'm saying if @#$%$#! Cheney evaded responsibility for something like this

then they shouldn't blame Snowden.

After all, aren't our "selected leaders" supposed to set a moral example?


Also, I find it very very difficult to refer to Dickhead Cheney without profanity.

[randome]

65. I second that remark about Cheney.

It's still not cool for Snowden to be this careless.

I pointed out previously that by dispersing all these classified documents across the world, no one could be assured of their safety.

Corporate media offices are likely even LESS secure than the NSA. I didn't think of someone simply botching the redaction. Amateurs.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Rules are made to be broken. Including this one.[/center][/font][hr]

[Savannahmann]

10. But the NSA is prohibited from gathering Human Intelligence

Or are you saying all those ridicules Hollywood fantasies are actually true. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nsa

Unlike the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), both of which specialize primarily in foreign human espionage, the NSA has no authority to conduct human-source intelligence gathering, although it is often portrayed doing so in popular culture. Instead, the NSA is entrusted with coordination and deconfliction of SIGINT components of otherwise non-SIGINT government organizations, which are prevented by law from engaging in such activities without the approval of the NSA via the Defense Secretary.[15]

So how do you have a Covert Desk Jockey? Do the employees of the NSA sneak into work through a series of traps and tricks?

Is that what happens every day as employees go to work?

Or is the show Burn Notice accurate, where the Government is full of bad guys who are trying to make the one "good" guy do something really bad? Even in that show they had the heavy handed Fed be from the CSS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Security_Service or the CIA.

You aren't suggesting that the NSA has covert field agents are you? Because if that is true, that is really huge news. It means that all the limits on the various Intelligence Agencies have been blown completely out of the water, and reform is no longer possible, it has to be complete abolition.

[nilesobek]

11. I think that was his goal all along.

To release the names of rogue NSA agents who pissed him off.

[okaawhatever]

28. Wouldn't surprise me, but I think it's more general. He wrote some posts long ago where he was

very critical of the US. It was over his not graduating high school and what he deemed unfair treatment, so the spying had nothing to do with it. I think he's been harboring resentment towards the US for a while.

[1awake]

31. What would a rogue NSA agent look like...

Someone who has what... two staplers instead of one? There's no such thing.

[nilesobek]

124. I do appreciate the humor about the staples.

There is no foundation to what I said, it was just the first thought that popped into my mind, not a wise post but this is a discussion board.

If he had a whole list of agents names wouldn't that be a concern? On the one hand, the spying seems a little heavy these days, but on the other hand they are not loading the trains to camp just yet. Either way I have to trudge off to work tonight no matter what.

[1awake]

125. Hope your night goes smooth. n/t

[Sheepshank]

64. Not much different than the Plame outing

it was wrong then, it is wrong now.

[freshwest]

111. Except ES is not an elected official, outting Plame for political cover. He was a contractor.

Cheney endangered Plame to warn her husband who did not go along with the uranium claim. He had a war to sell. BushCo didn't care about the public or the government, it was all about their private interests.

That is the only thing, besides the RW philosophy of ES, that links him with Cheney's actions. ES, though, is part of the trendy new RW group. So he gets a pass from media, (AFAIK, as I don't watch their crap anymore, all I get is my news from DU) they have hyped him into more than he is.

Sheepshank:

Looking at the big picture, wasn't ES as much a spy as the person outted?

[Sheepshank]

127. In this context I don't really much care for the WHY's....

the end result is the same. Someone, who's identiy should have remained anon, could easily have been put in danger.

[freshwest]

128. I agree with that. But the consensus appears to be, that as the person outted is employed and thus

part of the BIG EVIL NSA, his safety deserves no consideration.

There is no gray area with the libertarian mindset. I find that anti-democratic. Some have said outright that democracy is a bad thing, that it is rule by the mob and should end. Democracy is not perfect, but it sure beats a plutocracy.

The real question is what is the proper scope of gathering information and by who?

The anarchic mindset says there is no reason and the island libertarian view says no to government regulation. Which leaves the private sector free to abuse people.

The other element to the hatred is the assertion that there is no such thing as a terrorism, no bad actors other than the USA. It's rather hard to discuss when that wall of belief in place.

[Distant Quasar]

12. "Agent" - yeah, right - the NSA doesn't have "agents"

The point of using the term "agent" is to fool the unwary into thinking there is some brave U.S. spy out there whose life is being put at risk, when the reality is some guy sitting behind a desk all day at NSA headquarters, hacking into Angela Merkel's microwave oven while stuffing his face on Cheetos.

That's if this report is even true. I'm withholding judgment until I see this story picked up somewhere besides the Daily Banter - whatever that is.

[grasswire]

39. the daily banter is a rumor monger

Full of conjecture.

[Jesus Malverde]

62. In a sense they do...

They deploy devices all around the world and it's likely NSA has its own astronauts, submarines and field agents. Imagine something like a UN meeting there are going to be hundreds of NSA minions running around bugging everyone.

These guys are more like copier repair men than cia field agents, they still have dangerous assignments and require anonymity.

[FarCenter]

14. Disclosed was the name of the NSA employee who composed the document

The exposed, poorly-redacted information included the following:

–A very specific and very dangerous group that’s been targeted by NSA using a free application known as Visual Communicator.

–Detailed information about what specifically can be gathered about the location of targets.

–On the cover-page of the document, the full name of the NSA agent who evidently composed the document in May of 2010.

Depending on the employee's role it may or may not be useful to the opposition and/or put the employee at risk. Some NSA employees appear to use pseudonyms when in public.

[msanthrope]

17. What is worse is revealing to AlQ in Iraq how they were being tracked....

Cryptome did.a good job showing what Assange and Snowden were up to.

[okaawhatever]

29. Yeah, the Snowden apologists are like Fox fans.They're only listening to what they want to hear nt

[msanthrope]

44. Apologists for nihilism generally find themselves devoured by the same maw they defend. nt

[G_j]

16. there is no such thing as an NSA agent

[FarCenter]

22. As far as you know

Onions.

[Jesus Malverde]

18. We won't tell you the name of the cryptography website.

We'll just give out a massive hint...

http://cryptome.org/

[msanthrope]

20. As I noted upthread, Cryptome just exposed how Snowden leaked to AlQaeda

how they were being tracked.....the NSA employee name is bad, but letting AQ know anything is worse.

[Jesus Malverde]

24. You mean NBC news leaked that AQI of Mosul was a target.

The documents were redacted and released by NBC.

[msanthrope]

35. Snowden leaked unredacted documents according to your scenario. NBC News

and the New York Times then reported on the leaked documents.... they are not responsible for redacting information that Mr Snowden leaked. This is why Mr Snowden is being prosecuted and journalists are not.... and why he is scum and they are not.

[Luminous Animal]

41. Actually they were released by the NY Times and Probublica

[Comrade Grumpy]

19. So what?

[msanthrope]

21. Telling alQaeda how we are spying on them is a bad thing...read the whole

article...releasing an employee name is bad enough, but this went farther.

[markpkessinger]

40. I'm sure it must have come as a huge shock to them! n/t

[msanthrope]

47. The nature and method apparently was.... but understand that you've already lost the argument...

you seem to be saying that yes, Snowden did tell al Qaeda how we were spying on them.... but that isn't a big deal.

[Jesus Malverde]

53. can write / run push polls together

I like your style

[pnwmom]

50. Oh right. They know all the identities of everyone who spies on them

and they just let them do it.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

106. I've always appreciated your posts so please do not take what I'm saying as adversarial.

When the NSA leak first came around one of the commonly heard defenses was, "C'mon, everybody already knew the government was doing this. It should come as a shock to no one. This is just so much phony outrage."

I'm not sure if you've ever offered such a defense but your post struck me a decidedly at odds with those earlier efforts.

[msanthrope]

110. That the NSA could and was spying is not surprising. That we were

spying on AlQ is no surprise to either them or us, and pretending we don't do it when we can is so much false outrage....but the operational details that allow AlQ to know how we are observing them? That is beyond the pale...it is nihilistic maliciousness. Who benefits from that public knowledge?

[VanillaRhapsody]

27. did you reply "so what?" when Valerie Plame was exposed?

do you know how many contacts burning this agent actually destroys? NO you don't...

[DesMoinesDem]

42. Contacts? This isn't the CIA.

The stupid, it burns.

[Luminous Animal]

46. Indeed it does.

[VanillaRhapsody]

54. Are you calling me stupid?

[Comrade Grumpy]

79. Yeah, as a matter of fact I did. I'm not a big fan of spooks.

I don't care which political party can score points from it.

[VanillaRhapsody]

81. Yes....but they are a necessary evil as they say...burning them is NOT beneficial to us...

So someone just had THEIR actual privacy violated BY Snowden....but that's okay by you....just so you can keep calling him your HERO!

[Comrade Grumpy]

95. Take a deep breath.

1. I have not been a big participant in Snowden threads and have never called him "a hero," although if I had to make a binary choice between hero and villain, I'd probably be closer to the former than the latter.

2. The US national security/intelligence apparatus has created a lot of unnecessary evil. I'm for it being substantially reined-in.

3. I seriously doubt the boogie man (Al Qaeda) is going to send a hit squad after this guy. Get back to me when that happens.

[VanillaRhapsody]

96. not anymore...

I don't care if it was Al Queda or not...it PROVES without a shadow of a doubt WHY you cannot do what Snowden did...

I have watched him be lionized by comparison to 3 Founding Fathers...Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks and even Jesus Christ...right here on DU.

Don't pretend that is NOT the case...

[riderinthestorm]

97. Nothing is proven in the OP. Nothing. In fact, its completely unsubstantiated

Here's the direct quote from the article linked in the OP:

As soon as the article was posted, someone from or associated with a popular cryptography website claims to have downloaded a pdf of the Snowden document from The New York Times and discovered that three of the redactions that were intended to obscure sensitive national security information were easily accessible by highlighting, copying and pasting the text. The poorly-redacted file was subsequently posted to the cryptography website, then promoted via Twitter. (We’re not going to post the name of the website that posted the file to protect the information contained within.)

An anonymous "someone claims"...
An anonymous "cryptography website" is referenced but then Cesca refuses to post the name of that website so no one can check (how conveeenient).

Its laughable and desperate that anyone is taking this seriously. Its worse than Drudge...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. Tsk. Tsk.

[Egnever]

25. My Hero!

More great stuff from the greatest freedom fighter of our times!

Cause nothing spells freedom like telling Alqueda how we track them. The Paul Revere of our time to be sure.

[VanillaRhapsody]

26. Whoops there goes that "hero" status...

that'll leave a mark!

Cannot wait to watch them twist themselves into knots to continue this farce!

[freshwest]

117. Those who are up to date on their CT (GOP, LP, TP, AJ) sources, believe Al Qaeda doesn't exist.

So they don't believe anyone can be harmed by a fictional organization, or better yet, they believe it is a creature of American intelligence. I've heard it many times online. That filters their incoming data.

[VanillaRhapsody]

118. Holy Cow!

okay then we really do have those that are as nutty as the Tea Party in our midst!

[freshwest]

119. Well, far be from me to say that. It appeals to many people looking for simplicity and big memes.

After a while, one just gives up.

[VanillaRhapsody]

121. you can't fix stupid...

[mike_c]

30. not sure I regard this as a problem....

You lie down with dogs, and you'll get up with fleas. The "agent" was conducting surveillance without probable cause. I think it's perfectly acceptable to name fascists if doing so helps deter fascism.

[villager]

34. There are many trained seals posting on this site who will gladly hate the 4th Amendment if a "Dem"

...tells them to.

[FiveGoodMen]

70. You can say that again!

[randome]

37. And you know all about that because...well, you don't, do you?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[VanillaRhapsody]

56. So how do you feel about the military?

He was doing his job....

[mike_c]

68. I don't see why being a tool of the surveillance state should convey special protection....

As for your other question, I would love to see military spending reduced to about 10 percent of current funding, and 90 percent of the current military scrapped.

[VanillaRhapsody]

71. Well as my grandmother said..

wish in one hand...

That is NOT going to happen...not now...not ever. I suwannee!

[Cali_Democrat]

33. All Snowden did was drag and drop files from one folder to another

A little kid could do it.

Snowden claims the Chinese and Russians did not access the information he stole from the NSA. Are we to believe him?

Ya...right....

[KoKo]

98. A Little Kid could do it? What does that say about their Security?

Huh? You might be but, do you truly understand the nonsense you just posted?

665,000 NSA Applicants were NOT VETTED!

I'd worry more about how many of THEM took Information and SOLD IT FOR MONEY or FAVORS...than WHISTLE BLOWER ...EDWARD SNOWDEN!

Have you even THOUGHT about that?

[Cali_Democrat]

99. Totally agree. The security was a joke

I don't think anyone is disputing that!

[KoKo]

100. YET! You blame the Whistleblower who Pointed this out to President Obama and

the American People?

[Cali_Democrat]

101. My post was specific to him copying files

What he did wasn't complicated. That was my point in my reply to the OP.

[KoKo]

102. What the Hell Else Was He Supposed to Do?

Sheesh....

Oh...I get it...Report it to his Superiors would have been "Your Choice"...

Sorry...I thought you were serious...

[Cali_Democrat]

103. He only worked there for a few months

He's a bit naive and now he finds himself stuck in Russia desperately trying to get out of there.

Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba and so many other countries have rejected his request for asylum.

He's now stuck in Russia.

Good luck, dude.

[KoKo]

107. You are Thrilled he's Stuck in Russia and refuse to Recognize WHY?

Seriously...I've seen you post statements like this before and when "real people with knowledge 9about the topic) answer" you post this kind of oddity....over and over.

Hey...Good Luck to You, Dude...Back Attacha!

[Cali_Democrat]

109. I really don't care where he is

But I do find his current circumstance to be rather amusing. Especially considering the recent revelations of Russian espionage against European countries and companies...as well as Russia's crackdown on gays.

That's the country he decided to flee to? Russia...the land of freedom!!!!!

Yikes! He certainly doesn't stand on principles.

What has he said about Russian espionage? Has he condemned it?

[riderinthestorm]

112. You know damn well he didn't flee to Russia. He got stuck there when the US revoked his passport

on the way to South America.

[Cali_Democrat]

113. You mean he stole loads of documents from the US, fled the country...

and the US revoked his passport?

No kidding?

Who could have seen that coming?

Surely Russia would never revoke the travel documentation of citizens that steal Russian documents.

[riderinthestorm]

115. Yup, and sparked a long overdue conversation about spying and Constitutional boundaries

plus ensuring he has a "dead man's insurance policy" if the US decides to drone him.

I know you don't understand this. I'm sorry for you.

[Cali_Democrat]

116. Oh no...an anonymous poster on the internet feels sorry for me

Oh how will I ever recover?

[riderinthestorm]

120. I know right? Weird how we can feel compassion over the internets

without even knowing each other?

[VanillaRhapsody]

122. not to mention he sought the job TO Do this spying of his own!

and now his incompetence has revealed the name of an operative....I hope he tries to return!

[grasswire]

38. ah, the "dailybanter" again.

"claims to have"

This blogger appears to be the Drudge of surveillance coverage.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

69. Exactly... Drudge. (n/t)

[baldguy]

43. Snowden gets more & more like Cheney each day.

Next, he'll be running Rand Paul's presidential campaign.

[riqster]

67. Well, the man's a Paulbot, so it would not be a surprise.

[freshwest]

114. G.A.S. says a 'Rand Paul presidency is our only hope.' To which I'd respond with a Lone Ranger joke:

Lone Ranger:

Look out, Tonto! We're surrounded!

Tonto:

What do you mean by 'we,' white man?

Yes, mocking the old west television fiction. But I never forgot that joke. If only Tonto had said it on the show, I guess he'd've been fired. I'll bet the actor playing Tonto wasn't even a native american, either. Lot of myths are promoted in media. And they are just myths for bucks, nothing to them.

[freshwest]

123. He and Putin have all the power! PP (Paul-Putin) 2016! Wait. Yeah, it'll work. n/t

Who's to say he's not doing it now from the sidelines?

Sure he's not going to be working for Sanders, Warren or Clinton in 2016.

They are all 'statists' who represent seniors who ought to 'get out of their hospiital beds and get to work,' as ES said earlier.

I think you got something there.

[JoeyT]

126. I'm afraid it isn't Snowden that's like Cheney.

ormer Vice President Dick Cheney called Edward Snowden a traitor for leaking top-secret documents from the National Security Agency, in an interview that aired Monday afternoon on CNN.

Cheney added that he hopes the U.S. is eventually able to catch Snowden who was granted a one-year asylum in Russia in August, and hopes he receives “the justice he deserves.”

http://swampland.time.com/2013/10/28/dick-cheney-calls-snowden-a-traitor-defends-nsa/

No, Cheney is right there with y'all calling for Snowden's head and screaming about how much he damage 'Murica.

[Vattel]

45. OMG!!! Now Al Qaeda knows the name of someone who works for the NSA!!! The horror!!

No doubt Al Qaeda is on the way to his neighborhood as we speak!!

[Whisp]

49. did you mock so well during the Valerie Plame outing too?

I don't think you even know what dangers NSA agents can be in.

Oh, right. That's okay, reveal them all because they are spying on our every move anyway.

lordy

[Vattel]

55. What dangers can this individual be in?

Most people that work in the NSA don't hide the fact that they do. Why is this guy so special?

[Whisp]

57. wow. you know All the people that work for the NSA and what their

responsibilities are...

who keeps you so informed?

[Vattel]

59. lol, way to miss the point

[VanillaRhapsody]

87. and what is YOUR point...Snowden just violated THAT person's privacy..

and some of us KNEW it was only a matter of time before that happened. Which is WHY we oppose HOW he did what he did...and what he did after (ran like a scalded dog).

He's now also a hypocrite along with all the rest!

[TroglodyteScholar]

94. It could be said that you're assuming the same knowledge for yourself

Is there any indication that anyone operating on a covert basis was outed?

I know you don't really care about that, though....

[pnwmom]

52. How would you feel if you were publicly named as someone working against Al Qaeda

and you were living in a vulnerable location?

If you had any sense you'd be very upset and concerned.

[Vattel]

58. There are zillions of people openly working against Al Qaeda.

Is this guy vulnerable to some sort of reprisal? Maybe, but I have seen no evidence of that.

[Whisp]

63. Aren't you worried that NSA knows who you are right now

and what you are saying?

If they are as snoopy and powerful as some claim here, don't you think they could be curious of someone who thinks giving info to Al Qaeda is no biggie, and kind of check out who you are?

Isn't that kind of a contradiction?

[Vattel]

74. Pssst, Al Qaeda. Did you know that Plato believed in the existence of universals?

Oh no, I gave info to Al Qaeda!!!

[Whisp]

76. Oh no, the huge NSA surveillance threat

is kind of maybe not so huge and threatening to us all.

maybe it's a way to just score points in the Outrage Theme of the Day.

[Whisp]

61. and seeing as the NSA knows when anyone is naughty or nice

at all times of the day and night and in all media...

don't you think some of these people here that are defending helping out Al Qeada, or minimizing the possible fallout, would be a little worried -- after all the NSA knows exactly who they are at any time even here on DU.

I find that really curious, don't you.

[Whisp]

48. Of course this Can't be fast Eddies fault, or gorging on cash GG's

fucking criminals.

[librechik]

60. oops--here's a quarter--go call Valerie Plame

oh wait, you're already monitoring all her communications.

[Whisp]

66. All here who think giving Al Qaeda information is no big deal, raise your hands

Either the NSA spies on everyone all the time, or maybe they don't.

Either they know who everyone here is, or maybe they don't.

Either you are afraid to speak on a public forum, or maybe you aren't.

which is it?
because I think minimizing Al Qaeda threats and mocking people who work to prevent attacks is sort of putting a huge bulls eye on yourself if you believe you are being watched, all the time, every day.

[grasswire]

72. this blogger has as much credibility as the one...

.....who wants to be a princess and have nothing else to do all day.

What I find curious is that some educated people on this thread (well, we must assume that professionals with advanced degrees are educated and are who they claim to be) are willing to believe a two-bit blogger who specializes in conjecture and weasel words.

Facts matter.

[Whisp]

73. so the OP is fabrication, this never happened?

is that what you are saying?

[riderinthestorm]

75. The daily banter author gives absolutely zero details. Posts no factual documentation

Won't link to the cryptologist who caught the screen capture...

Its all just a rumour as far as I can tell. There's absolutely no details, not even a name of who supposedly caught this.

Then he goes on to say this is an NSA "agent" when there's no such thing as that... trying to ramp up the drama factor.

Like Drudge. Ick

[Whisp]

77. Fair enough, I'll wait and see if others pick this up.

I find this OP very believable tho. I am actually surprised more of this kind of thing hasn't happened yet.

[grasswire]

80. you find it believable because of your prior held beliefs and assumptions.

There is no proof, no facts, no sources, no evidence in the article. And we know from other recent blog posts that conjecture and weasel words are the blogger's calling card.

[grasswire]

78. stop putting words in my mouth.

I am saying that this blogger is at best imprecise and an alarmist, and that educated people should see that and react accordingly.

At worst....well, we needn't go there right now.

[Whisp]

82. if you believe Almighty GG and think This blogger is imprecise and an alarmist...

well, have I got a Word to sell you!

[grasswire]

86. sorry, but this naivete says more about the statists than it does about the critics. nt

[Whisp]

88. We can bring the U.S. government down to it's knees!

says the non alarmist, GG the Fake.



Keep them coming, grass, this is better than the comedy channel.

[grasswire]

89. pathetic nt

[Whisp]

90. I am glad you finally agree.

How pathetic to call this OP alarmist and yet accept GG's 'precise' alarm with open, warm arms.

I know!

more, please. please can I have some more, sir?

[randome]

104. Carl Bernstein referred to Greenwald as 'that reporter'.

He could barely contain his distaste of him for that remark about the government should be on its knees.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[DisgustipatedinCA]

108. Carl Bernstein Praises Edward Snowden

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/carl-bernstein-edward-snowden-comments-93697.html

You were saying what?

[SidDithers]

83. Paul Revere would never do such a thing!!..

His thumb drive of freedom is only pure and good!!

Sid

[grasswire]

91. now I understand about the Daily Banter.

Pretty shameful cult stuff.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/10/1215058/-From-the-Isle-of-Denial-Bob-Cesca-of-The-Daily-Banter-Leads-the-Liberal-Crusade-Against-Greenwald#

In the comments section at the original article that was then posted at dailykos:

Ron Stouffer // June 10, 2013 at 5:06 pm // Reply

I know Bob slightly. This surprises me. I wonder if Bush were in office if Bob would be more concerned? Somehow, Obama lovers seem to have a double standard. Why they fear their government when Bush does this, but give Obama a “pass” is baffling. If people had a consistent philosophy and standards, they would not treat Obama differently. Same on droning the hell out of foreign countries—a war crime by the way. Big outrage when Bush waged unilateral, undeclared war–but not when Obama does it. It all comes down to hero worship and partisan blindness. I am disappointed in Bob, whose The War Effort was such a beautiful depiction of nationalistic chauvinism. Principles apply, whether—Obama, Hillary or Bush!!!!! Or else your argument lacks credibility.

[Dr. Strange]

92. It's okay: Snowden only released some metadata.

Nothing serious.

[FiveGoodMen]

93. !

[KoKo]

105. And our President Said...Metadata is Not Important?

I think that's what he said...he's said so much it's hard to keep up with it. He seems to have been left "out of the loop" of the NSA so...what does he know...he just reports what they tell him until another revelation comes out and his Aides Scramble to try to find what he should say to answer it.

I dunno...it just gets weirder and weirder. I just wish ONE Govt Agency could come out for WE, THE PEOPLE to set it all straight. But, then...I know after decades of Govt. Watch...it just isn't possible because its all so inter-twined.

YET we are supposed to BELIEVE! STARS IN OUR EYES....BELIEVE!

[Sheepshank]

129. Snowden stole a lot more from the NSA than just metadata

the collecting of metadata was disclosed on tens of thousands of documents and files he stole. Not sure if you realized this, judging by your comment.