Greenwald: Snowden’s Files Are Out There if “Anything Happens” To Him

[big_dog]

Source: Newsweek Magazine/The Daily Beast

As the U.S. government presses Moscow to extradite former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, America’s most wanted leaker has a plan B. The former NSA systems administrator has already given encoded files containing an archive of the secrets he lifted from his old employer to several people. If anything happens to Snowden, the files will be unlocked.

Glenn Greenwald, the Guardian Newspaper journalist Snowden first contacted in February, told the Daily Beast Tuesday that Snowden “has taken extreme precautions to make sure many different people around the world have these archives to insure the stories will inevitably be published.” Greenwald added that the people in possession of these files “cannot access them yet because they are highly encrypted and they do not have the passwords.” But, Greenwald said, “if anything happens at all to Edward Snowden, he told me he has arranged for them to get access to the full archives.”

A former U.S. counter-intelligence officer following the Snowden saga closely said his contacts inside the U.S. intelligence community “think Snowden has been planning this for years and has stashed files all over the internet.” This source added, “At this point there is very little anyone can do about this.”

The arrangement to entrust encrypted archives of his files with others also sheds light on a cryptic statement Snowden made on June 17 during a live chat with the Guardian. In the online session he said, “All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.”

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/25/greenwald-snowden-s-files-are-out-there-if-anything-happens-to-him.html

[lapfog_1]

1. arrested, tried, convicted of treason, sentenced to live in a prison cell without internet

does that count as "something happening to him"?

[MindMover]

50. Espionage maybe but not treason ...

[GeorgeGist]

2. Snowden is dead.

My prediction.

[dkf]

4. Then it all gets released.

If anyone was discounting torture, they may have to rethink.

[dkf]

3. GED indeed.

The US Government has so f'ed this up. You don't have a legit outlet, you create the potential for a huge problem.

They were lax and complacent and arrogant and it has blown up in their faces. Stupid.

[closeupready]

8. One of the Wall St. investment banks, years ago, was victimized by industrial spies.

I don't recall all the details, but I do recall that they were there as independent contractors. It was front-page news. I think even prior to 9/11/01.

Outsourcing sounds groovy and "why didn't anyone think of this marvelousness before?!", but LOL turns out, people DID think of it before, tried it, and discovered that while it has fiscal upsides, there are inherent risks with trusting outsiders.

I see this entire Snowden affair kind of in that light - maybe that's just me, but I do see it as one of the hazards of seeking highest possible profit by cutting too many corners and taking too many risks.

[dkf]

19. They get around whistleblower and union protections by going with contractors.

Don't pretend they aren't getting something out of using contractors. I'm sure it's planned.

[closeupready]

21. Yes, they get all that and don't have to offer health insurance,

nor paid vacation or sick time, etc.

[Major Hogwash]

11. Snowden was their "inside" man, a mole.

Most bank robberies of any size require an "inside" man.
Someone working from the inside, within the system itself, who can give the other members of their gang access to what they want to steal.

Snowden stole 4 laptop computers from the NSA.
That doesn't make him a genius of any kind.

He has obviously had a lot of help.
This has obviously been in the works for a long time, probably for many years.

Follow the money, and that will lead to who helped him.

[Jesus Malverde]

16. He did have a lot of money.

In case you missed it, working for the national security state pays handsomely. I think he was making 120K on his last gig.

Key to understanding Snowden is that he is a millennial. If you look at the core characteristics of the millennial generation he's classic.

[dkf]

20. Yes...idealistic, less materialistic, willing to sacrifice.

They really are messing with a generation.

[Kolesar]

28. idealistic ... sure ... eom

[bunnies]

5. Release the friggin files then!

If this is really all about the files, release them already! Stop with the Snowden drama and get to the damned files!

[Bodhi BloodWave]

12. Aaah, but if they actually released the files then it *TRULY* wouldn't be about Snowden anymore n/t

[bunnies]

14. As my mother used to say...

Its time to shit or get off the pot. This is turning out to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

[wtmusic]

47. That's right, and he would be dead.

You don't get it.

[warrior1]

6. it really is all about snowden

[Ash_F]

7. We are wasting our breath discussing this "cut of personailty"

We need to focus on discussing the quickest way to dismantle the PRISM program.

[Civilization2]

9. The corporate-military want to "destroy him", to show what happens to those that go against them!

It is trivial to have files released over time or if you do not hit a reset via email or whatever.

Sadly for them, as in other authoritarian regimes, when you crack down on those standing up for human rights and basic justice you make more people stand up for the same!

All we are asking for is a free and open society based on fairness, instead of a corporate-military police state based on greed.

[michigandem58]

10. He endangers himself by running

We'll see what happens next.

[struggle4progress]

13. Is he a whistleblower or a blackmailer?

[BehindTheCurtain76]

41. Wake Up

The whole purpose of the NSA system is to create files on politicians, bankers, lawyers and judges to BLACKMAIL them...the doublespeak here in unbelievable....HAS ANYONE BEEN FOLLOWING EX-NSA WHISTLEBLOWER, RUSS TICE??????? He said he was personally ordered to wiretap Obama, Feinstein, Alito, Petreus and hundreds of judges and lawyers to gain leverage on them...BLACKMAIL...that was in 2004. DU needs to feature his interview last week. RUSS TICE RUSS TICE RUSS TICE...jeez...so many opinionated commenters and so little awareness of what other NSA workers have been saying. What gives???

[SoapBox]

15. I have lost any respect I even had for you Greenwald.

...asshole.

Go continue your "work" for Murdoch.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. The "Assange Gambit" - not very original -

- and if I had the key to highly-encrypted secrets, I wouldn't brag about it while in Putin's bailiwick.

[Tobin S.]

18. I'm thinking Snowden doesn't have anything the Chinese or the Russians really need,

or don't already know.

[bemildred]

30. It's not really secret anymore. It is, therefore, useless as secret intelligence. nt

[Tobin S.]

36. Judging from the article, he is still in possession of some secret information

or at least has the ability to release it over the internet.

[bemildred]

52. Likely so, but we have lost control of it, and Pooty-Poot can't get it back either.

And as was pointed out elsewhere, this is propaganda gold, and everybody likes to laugh at the bully when he falls on his ass. Which is why people who have some brains don't make a habit of being bullies.

These are some pieces around here about Wikileaks claims about what's been done with the data.

[treestar]

25. Yep, Julian has files like that too.

Allegedly.

[sheshe2]

22. Greenwald said, “if anything happens at all to Edward Snowden, he told me he has arranged for them

to get access to the full archives.”

And...

“think Snowden has been planning this for years and has stashed files all over the internet.”

So now Greenwald and Snowden are making threats. They are threatening the safety and security of our country and her people. They are planning a mass dump of records. This is what some people feel are heroic actions!

Dear God!

[Cha]

26. "If anything happens to him"?! The Narcissistic

Asshole in safe in Russia now, isn't he?

GGreenwald should stop flattering himself.. he's not as important as he fooking thinks he is. Megalomanic.

for now..

Sorry, she

[sheshe2]

29. That's okay Cha!

I knew it wasn't meant to be aimed at me!

However if it had been. A bulls eye again. You do get to the heart of the matter

You are fearless!

[DeSwiss]

32. The threats are not coming from Snowden nor Greenwald.....

...but the Police State/Fascist government we're being forced to live under.

[sheshe2]

49. my mistake~

It is patriotic to sell out ones Country.

Then turn tail and run to China now Russia. Dumping secrets that can harm out Citizens.

[unhappycamper]

54. True

The only difference is these folks (sadly) are not going to China or Russia:

[wtmusic]

46. No! Not threatening the safety AND security of America's people??!

Buying into this big bad terrorist stuff is soooo 2003.

[Progressive dog]

23. Patriot Nathan Hale "I only regret that I have but one life

to lose for my country"
Patriot Edward Snowden (paraphrased) I only regret that I couldn't steal more secrets from my country.

Greenwald added that the people in possession of these files “cannot access them yet because they are highly encrypted and they do not have the passwords.

Who does have the passwords?

[cynzke]

45. Anyone

Who can pay?

[warrprayer]

24. "Why are we talking about Hong Kong...

...

[randome]

34. LOL! Wannabe spies and Ellsbergs. How exciting!

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[MjolnirTime]

27. Greenwald and Snowden have been a team since before he stole the data

Of course, Greenwald wants to milk this for for every last drop.

His ego is gargantuan. Looks like he found a soulmate in Snowden.

[Cha]

33. Two peas in a megalomaniacal

egopod. Snowden's safe in Russia but Greenwald's afraid of the USA.. big bad Obama's out to get him. Idiot.

[DeSwiss]

31. ''Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.''

- Indeed it is, brother.....

K&R

[Thinkingabout]

35. Greenwald is a piece of work, he gets uppity Sunday about David Gregory asking a valid

Question and then turns around and makes this kind of statement. It would be in order to charge him with aid and albeit Snowden. If his statements are lies then he needs to stop telling the lies.

[GliderGuider]

37. I do love watching the contingent on here chew their own livers over this.

Oh, the poutrage! This is the world's best spectator sport. Thanks, everyone!

[Mojorabbit]

38. En mass in almost every thread on this subject. It is a wonder to watch isn't it? nt

[Kablooie]

39. All this computer technology has enabled extreme release of national secrets.

If they want it to remain secret they should take it off the computers and go back to paper.

Before computers a spy could only photo a few documents at a time and sneak them out of the country.
Now, one guy has probably grabbed a major amount of secret data and has the ability to release it any time he wants.
Assange said the same thing, of course, but he didn't have much timely, sensitive information which I assume Snowden's info is.

Someday someone may knock out the US power grid and eliminate a huge amount of a bank's assets with the press of a button.

It's not exactly nuclear destruction physically but it might be informationally.

Makes one almost want to become an Allen Luddite and wear a Kurwood Derby.

[madrchsod]

42. wow rocky and bullwinkle!

i had to look up kurwood derby...never noticed this in the show.

[Kablooie]

43. Wouldn't Boris and Natasha have loved all this cyber spying stuff?

[madrchsod]

40. isn't his 15 minutes of fame just about up?

[6000eliot]

44. So much paranoid nonsense, so little time.

While people were so worried about this crap, the Supreme Court declared voting rights to be unconstitutional.

[SunSeeker]

48. Or the amazing old school filibuster by Wendy Davis in Texas.

I wish we would pay attention to real heroes.

[freshwest]

55. Please. The real hands on fascism forced on women doesn't get any attention. Or voting rights. Huh.

[David__77]

51. I have to be thankful for this Snowden character.

There's obviously much more dirty laundry to expose. Those who are mad at him remind me of those who were mad of the release of the Abu Ghraib photos.

[bemildred]

53. They are afraid. They have been publicly humiliated. They are not used to that.

They are used to being big shots and having everybody suck up to them.