U.S. files criminal charges against Snowden

Rain

http://news.yahoo.com/u-files-criminal-complaint-against-snowden-over-leaks-223839407.html WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The government has filed sealed criminal charges against former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who admitted leaking secrets about classified U.S. surveillance programs, U.S. sources said on Friday. A U.S. Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a criminal complaint had been filed against Snowden, who disclosed documents detailing U.S. telephone and internet surveillance efforts. Another U.S. source, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was preparing to seek Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong, where he is believed to be in hiding. Earlier, the Washington Post reported that U.S. prosecutors have filed a sealed criminal complaint charging Snowden with espionage, theft and conversion of government property. The Post also reported that the United States has asked Hong Kong to detain Snowden on a provisional arrest warrant. The criminal complaint was filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, where Snowden's former employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, is located, the Post reported. Documents leaked by Snowden revealed that U.S. security services had monitored data about phone calls from Verizon and Internet data from large companies such as Google and Facebook as part of counterterrorism efforts. U.S. federal prosecutors, by filing a criminal complaint, lay claim to a legal basis to make the request of the authorities in Hong Kong, the Post reported. The prosecutors now have 60 days to file an indictment and can then take steps to secure Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong for a criminal trial in the United States, the newspaper reported. Snowden would be able to challenge the U.S. request for his extradition in court in Hong Kong, the Post reported. The newspaper noted the U.S. extradition treaty with Hong Kong has an exception for political offenses, and that espionage has been viewed as a political offense. An Icelandic businessman linked to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said on Thursday he had readied a private plane in China to fly Snowden to Iceland if Iceland's government would grant asylum. Iceland refused on Friday to say whether it would grant asylum to Snowden.

beatnic

Do you think they want him to stand up in a court of law and tell the truth. Gov's in a tricky situation. They would rather he just disappear.

catfishbluezz

Funny...a whistleblower getting treason from the "most transparent" office that was supposed to protect them... Sick and tired of all the bastards tht have let this go on for a decade. This man is a hero, only after the fact is he considered a traitor. Best for him not to step on any helicopters, seems like all the important folks are having accidents and falling off them these days...

beatnic

pilgrimtex

phobicsquirrel

catfishbluezz:

Funny...a whistleblower getting treason from the "most transparent" office that was supposed to protect them... Sick and tired of all the bastards tht have let this go on for a decade. This man is a hero, only after the fact is he considered a traitor. Best for him not to step on any helicopters, seems like all the important folks are having accidents and falling off them these days...

Yep! Total bs! So even though what the govt is doing is ILLEGAL, let us just say it's classified and part of NS. That way it would be illegal to expose it. WTF! Where is the outrage over this? Where is the pressure on this stuff? I mean the news covered the teaparty protesting health insurance reform for weeks ... however where are these people that are all about freedom? NO WHERE! I know there are protests going on however the news is just not showing it. Freaking ridiculous. And what really pisses me off is not only do you have the gop out there blasting this guy, you have so called liberal democrats blasting him too. And all we hear is, oh this stuff has stopped terrorism. Well you know what, bring it on, if it means me losing all of my privacy I'd rather take a chance. Maybe if we stopped trying to piss off every country we'd be better off. Eh ... Man now I am fuming. This stuff just really pisses me off.

phobicsquirrel

If anyone should be charged with Treason it should be whoever is covering this up, started it, and enacted it. I don't care who it is, or how many people, ALL should be put in jail. But NOOOOOOO that won't happen. Cuz numerous senators, congress-people, cabinet people, CIA/NSA officers, DOD officers, and even ex POTUS's and VP's would be charged. Much easier to just push all them under the rug and go after people who really do want freedom to be prosecuted. It's like we don't burn woman for being witches anymore, we just moved on and started acting like the govt is immune and can do what ever they want while we just get thrown in jail or fined up the ass. I mean bring on the fucking camps already. I mean that's what is coming.

phobicsquirrel

Hell even judge Dredd isn't above the LAW!

catfishbluezz

Stuff like this is why I refuse to vote for either party. It's beyond party lines, this is a constitutional issue and any politician supporting it is a POS IMO. Obviously it's been going on and both parties have known. The fact we have people running our country who accepted this is ridiculous. How manat of our senators and congressmen have known for years?!?! I'm betting on a drone strike...

scarlin

pilgrimtex

Hey! No pic

webmost

webmost

Amos Umwhat

catfishbluezz:

Stuff like this is why I refuse to vote for either party. It's beyond party lines, this is a constitutional issue and any politician supporting it is a POS IMO. Obviously it's been going on and both parties have known. The fact we have people running our country who accepted this is ridiculous. How manat of our senators and congressmen have known for years?!?! I'm betting on a drone strike...

Bingo!

Amos Umwhat

pilgrimtex

men brother! Preach on!

raisindot

clearlysuspect

Very well said Raisin!!!! WE THE PEOPLE are responsible for so much more than we enjoy to admit. This is the main reason why most people who hate america hate americans. Because we almost always sit back and watch our leaders trample all over everyone else and don't raise hell as long as it doesn't effect our comfort.

Amos Umwhat

clearlysuspect:

Very well said Raisin!!!! WE THE PEOPLE are responsible for so much more than we enjoy to admit. This is the main reason why most people who hate america hate americans. Because we almost always sit back and watch our leaders trample all over everyone else and don't raise hell as long as it doesn't effect our comfort.

Which brings us again to studying the history of Germany during the 1930's. The German govt was trampling over it's neighbors, while the average German was comfortable and largely in the dark concerning so many things that were happening due to the Fatherlands interventions outside the borders.

Vulchor

Amos Umwhat:

clearlysuspect:

Very well said Raisin!!!! WE THE PEOPLE are responsible for so much more than we enjoy to admit. This is the main reason why most people who hate america hate americans. Because we almost always sit back and watch our leaders trample all over everyone else and don't raise hell as long as it doesn't effect our comfort.

Which brings us again to studying the history of Germany during the 1930's. The German govt was trampling over it's neighbors, while the average German was comfortable and largely in the dark concerning so many things that were happening due to the Fatherlands interventions outside the borders.

Dumb, fat, and happy? We are the country of Honey Boo Boo, Biggest Loser, and Jersey Shore........just sayin.

EHaddock

webmost

phobicsquirrel

Vulchor:

Amos Umwhat:

clearlysuspect:

Very well said Raisin!!!! WE THE PEOPLE are responsible for so much more than we enjoy to admit. This is the main reason why most people who hate america hate americans. Because we almost always sit back and watch our leaders trample all over everyone else and don't raise hell as long as it doesn't effect our comfort.

Which brings us again to studying the history of Germany during the 1930's. The German govt was trampling over it's neighbors, while the average German was comfortable and largely in the dark concerning so many things that were happening due to the Fatherlands interventions outside the borders.

Dumb, fat, and happy? We are the country of Honey Boo Boo, Biggest Loser, and Jersey Shore........just sayin.

so true. ....but from polls majority of people are fine with it. That "i'm not doing anything wrong" line is really pissing me off.

Amos Umwhat

pilgrimtex

webmost

phobicsquirrel

pilgrimtex

phobicsquirrel

phobicsquirrel

if people would get out of the mindset of a party or a group idea and focus on each subject we as a country would be much more united. Breaking down a lot of wedge issues re-enforces that the liberal, conservative meme is just making use divided. Hell, the current major parties are so far from these names it's pathetic. The GOP is only conservative when it doesn't help big business or themselves. The dems are only liberal when it comes to throwing scraps to the people of their party. The rest of the time they bow to their masters. The Clinton era dems helped kill the democratic party and nothing has changed since, in fact it has gotten worse. The GOP, well Reagan really pushed it away from reason but it was going on for some time. Either way both parties are old and need to be fixed or done away with. I really do support killing parties. They are a cancer on our govt and our nation. Sooner we as a country figure this out we will be better off. Sadly though it may be too late. Seems as though no matter what party is in control no change will happen, and by change I mean for the better.

pilgrimtex

Here Here. Encore.