Analysis by Kyle A. Lohmeier
A Congressional Intelligence Committee (I know, that sounds funny) issued a report yesterday that lauded Edward Snowden as a selfless hero who risked life and limb to expose the boundless evil of the federal government’s illegal and unconstitutional domestic spying program.
“…issued a scathing report accusing former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden of leaking information that ‘caused tremendous damage’ to U.S. national security, lying about his background and feuding with co-workers,” reads a portion of Mark Hosenball’s Reuter’s piece on the report, which was endorsed by both Republicrat and Demican leaders in the house, so you know it’s legit. The report specifically says he’s “not a whistleblower,” so, he must be.
The article goes on to question claims Snowden made about his background. Apparently Snowden said he left the Army due to “broken legs” when he really washed out of basic with shin splints. He also said he had earned a graduate equivalent certificate, but never did. The report also throws cold water on Snowden’s assertion that he was a high-level advisor to the CIA, saying he was just a low-level computer technician. The report doesn’t seem to indicate how an entry-level computer technician was able to access classified material, however.
Not all of the details contained in graphs two and three of this post seem to jibe with the assertion made in the lead; but that’s where analysis comes in, dear readers. If both Demicans and Republicrats got their messages coordinated, then whatever that message is must be about 180 degrees from the truth. The timing of the report seems to have more to do with hurting box office numbers, or perhaps helping them with free publicity, than it does with anything else; as pointed out by Ben Wizner, an ACLU attorney representing Snowden.
“Wizner said the report’s release a day before the Snowden film opens ‘is evidence that people in the intelligence community are taking us seriously, that they are concerned that Oliver Stone’s movie will help solidify Snowden’s image as a true patriot, which he is.’”
We don’t actually know much of what’s in the 36-page investigative report, because it’s top secret and Hillary’s server is down. Congress did release a four-page summary of the report, which was seemingly laser focused on discrediting Snowden at every turn and rewriting the entire narrative in a way that better suits the state. So, the report claims Snowden’s assertion that he made off with 1.5 million documents is a gross exaggeration and the real number is closer to 200-300,000 documents. The summary alleges the bulk of the documents Snowden stole weren’t related to domestic spying but to other operations and their exposure has “caused tremendous damage” to US national security, as evidenced by all the sophisticated terrorist attacks that have happened since. Oh, wait…
The summary even calls into question Snowden’s motivations for his actions; claiming that a workplace spat over how to best handle software updates was Snowden’s inspiration to commit what the state considers “treason.” Because quitting would have just been too hard compared to escaping to Hong Kong, then on to Moscow while facing extradition attempts and a possible death sentence at home.
The Reuters piece mentions that human rights activists on Wednesday urged President Obama to pardon Snowden before the end of his reign mercifully comes in January. The president has no such intentions, obviously; his “humanitarianism” has always been a false-face for his ruthless statism.
So, more so than Oliver Stone, a big budget, a doppelganger of an actor and the full Hollywood treatment ever could, the Congress of the United States just cemented Snowden’s legacy as a whistle-blowing patriotic hero.
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