Imperial Hubris

Russia defiant as U.S. raises pressure over Snowden

"The White House said it expected the Russian government to send Snowden back to the United States and lodged 'strong objections' to Hong Kong and China for letting him go. But the Russian government ignored the appeal and President Vladimir Putin's press secretary denied any knowledge of Snowden's movements. Asked if Snowden had spoken to the Russian authorities, Peskov said: 'Overall, we have no information about him.' Other Russian officials said Moscow had no obligation to cooperate with Washington, after it passed legislation to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Russians accused of violating human rights." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRussia defiant as U.S. raises pressure over Snowden

U.S. Seemingly Unaware Of Irony In Accusing Snowden Of Spying

"At a press conference to discuss the accusations, an N.S.A. spokesman surprised observers by announcing the spying charges against Mr. Snowden with a totally straight face. 'These charges send a clear message,' the spokesman said. 'In the United States, you can’t spy on people.' Seemingly not kidding, the spokesman went on: 'The American people have the right to assume that their private documents will remain private and won’t be collected by someone in the government for his own purposes.' 'Only by bringing Mr. Snowden to justice can we safeguard the most precious of American rights: privacy,' added the spokesman, apparently serious." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Seemingly Unaware Of Irony In Accusing Snowden Of Spying

State Department revokes NSA leaker Snowden’s passport

"The former National Security Agency contractor who disclosed a highly classified surveillance program has had his U.S. passport revoked. A U.S. official on Sunday said Edward Snowden's passport was annulled before he left Hong Kong for Russia. Snowden's travel plans could be complicated — but not thwarted — by a lack of passport. The U.S. official said that if a senior official in a country or airline ordered it, a country could overlook the withdrawn passport. The former contractor is said to be in Moscow and his allies at anti-secrecy WikiLeaks say Snowden is bound for Ecuador. The foreign minister there says he has requested asylum." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingState Department revokes NSA leaker Snowden’s passport

Glenn Greenwald: Snowden’s revelations ‘not espionage in any real sense of the word’

'I think it’s very surprising to accuse someone of espionage who hasn’t worked for a foreign government, who didn’t covertly pass information to an adversary [or] enemy of the United States, who didn’t sell any top secret information,' Greenwald told Hayes, arguing that Snowden 'asked newspapers to very carefully vet the information to make sure that the only thing being published are things that informed his fellow citizens but doesn’t harm national security.' 'This is a 1917 statute enacted under Woodrow Wilson to criminalize opposition to World War I. It has been used very, very sparingly throughout American history until the Obama administration.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGlenn Greenwald: Snowden’s revelations ‘not espionage in any real sense of the word’

CIA agents training Syrian rebels since late 2012

"The CIA and US special operations forces have been training Syrian rebels for months, since long before President Barack Obama announced plans to arm the opposition, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Training for rebel forces covers the use of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons and has been carried out at bases in Jordan and Turkey since late last year. The two-week courses, for about 20 to 45 fighters at a time, began last November at a new US base in the desert in southwest Jordan, it said. The report came days after the Obama administration announced it had approved the arming of Syrian rebels." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCIA agents training Syrian rebels since late 2012

Hong Kong says Snowden has left the country despite U.S. extradition request

"Hong Kong said in a statement that it allowed Snowden to leave despite an extradition request from the U.S. because documents provided by the U.S. government did not 'fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law.' It said there was no legal basis to stop Snowden from leaving, and the U.S. had been informed of his departure. Hong Kong also said it had asked the U.S. to clarify reports, based on interviews with Snowden, that the NSA had hacked into computers in Hong Kong and would follow up on the matter 'to protect the legal rights of the people of Hong Kong.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHong Kong says Snowden has left the country despite U.S. extradition request

US steps up efforts to break Guantánamo hunger strike

"Shaker Aamer claims that the US authorities are systematically making the regime more hardline to try to defuse the strike, which now involves almost two-thirds of the detainees. Techniques include making cells 'freezing cold' to accentuate the discomfort of those on hunger strike and the introduction of 'metal-tipped' feeding tubes, which Aamer said were forced into inmates' stomachs twice a day and caused detainees to vomit over themselves. The momentum behind efforts to release Aamer – who has spent more than 11 years without trial inside the camp – mounted sharply last week with David Cameron raising the issue directly with Barack Obama." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS steps up efforts to break Guantánamo hunger strike

Ted Cruz: Will Obama do background checks before giving arms to Syrian rebels?

"In a tweet called the 'zinger of the day' by Twitchy, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wondered Tuesday if President Obama would conduct background checks before giving arms to Syrian rebels. 'Anyone know if President Obama intends to perform background checks on the Syrian rebels before providing them weapons?' he asked. As of this writing, the short message has been retweeted 6,480 times. Polls released Monday show that an overwhelming majority of Americans do not support plans to arm the rebels, Breitbart.com said. Part of the problem, John Nolte said, is 'the fear that the new boss will be an awful lot like the old boss.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTed Cruz: Will Obama do background checks before giving arms to Syrian rebels?

Syrian rebels say they have received anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles

"Syrian rebels have received heavy weapons -- including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles -- from 'brotherly nations that support the Syrian revolution,' a rebel spokesman said Friday. Free Syrian Army political and media coordinator The White House has not publicly specified what steps it would take to support members of Syria's opposition, though sources have told CNN that small arms, ammunition and possibly anti-tank weapons would be part of the assistance package. The White House announcement this month that it was increasing the 'size and scope' of its material support to Syrian rebels came after months of political debate over the U.S. role in the conflict." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSyrian rebels say they have received anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles

National-Security State Toadies Are Guilty Of Hypocrisy On Snowden

"They say that Snowden should have stayed here in the United States instead of fleeing to Hong Kong. They say that if he were a genuine hero, as his supporters say he is, he would have remained in the United States, where the national-security state would have incarcerated him, tortured him, and executed him. Oh? Well, pray tell, national-security state toadies: Where were you all when those CIA agents skedaddled out of Italy after committing felonious offenses in that country? The problem with kidnapping and torture is that they’re criminal offenses under Italian law, which is precisely why those CIA agents got criminally indicted and later convicted and sentenced." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNational-Security State Toadies Are Guilty Of Hypocrisy On Snowden