US spy chief Clapper defends Prism and phone surveillance

[Peter Lemkin]

GCHQ has taken advantage of "an obscure clause" which allows the foreign secretary to sign a certificate for the interception of broad categories of material, as long as one end of the monitored communications is abroad.

These intelligence creeps, worldwide, and their masters know how to skirt the law's intentions, bend the rules, and make whatever they want to do appear legit. GCHQ spys on US Citizens for the NSA and vice-versa; so both can claim they don't spy on their own citizens - and both have law-twisting 'rationales' for their universal collection of data. . Along with, of course, just plain telling a Big Lie about it.

Yes, the issue of blackmail is a very important one, and may be the ultimate power the 'intelligence' agencies hold over all others. Dame Hoover set the example - but technology has really made electronic blackmail all too easy. The real question is who really has power over the intelligence agencies? Or if anyone really does......:mexican: Which reminds me, the poor GCHQ bloke who wound up in a locked Northface Sportsbag in his own bathtub - what did they know he knew and shouldn't? Could it have been related to this general issue of the universal vacuuming/hoovering of electronic data? The fact that that 'investigation' died as unnatural a death as he did, makes me very suspicious of what it was all really about.

[Magda Hassan]

Edward Snowden 'leaves Hong Kong on Moscow flight'

United States intelligence fugitive Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong on a flight bound for Moscow, reports say.
The South China Morning Post, quoting what it says are credible sources, said he was due to arrive in Moscow on Sunday evening.
It said Moscow would not be his final destination.
Snowden, an intelligence analyst, fled to Hong Kong in May after revealing details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by the US gencies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23019414

[Peter Lemkin]

Edward Snowden 'leaves Hong Kong on Moscow flight'



United States intelligence fugitive Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong on a flight bound for Moscow, reports say.
The South China Morning Post, quoting what it says are credible sources, said he was due to arrive in Moscow on Sunday evening.
It said Moscow would not be his final destination.
Snowden, an intelligence analyst, fled to Hong Kong in May after revealing details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by the US gencies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23019414

Interesting chess move by Snowden, if true. Will be a relatively safe place for him, but a huge propaganda coup for the USA. [Russian sleeper spy, all along...blah, blah, blah....]

Vladimir Putin's spokesman says any appeal for asylum from whistleblower who fled US will be looked at 'according to facts'

Will be interesting to see if it is his final destination...or just a stop-over on the way to Iceland or...?

[David Guyatt]

Edward Snowden 'leaves Hong Kong on Moscow flight'



United States intelligence fugitive Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong on a flight bound for Moscow, reports say.
The South China Morning Post, quoting what it says are credible sources, said he was due to arrive in Moscow on Sunday evening.
It said Moscow would not be his final destination.
Snowden, an intelligence analyst, fled to Hong Kong in May after revealing details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by the US gencies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-23019414

Interesting chess move by Snowden, if true. Will be a relatively safe place for him, but a huge propaganda coup for the USA. [Russian sleeper spy, all along...blah, blah, blah....]

Vladimir Putin's spokesman says any appeal for asylum from whistleblower who fled US will be looked at 'according to facts'

When I heard the report, I wondered if Snowden had been told by the HK authorities that they would've been legally compelled to hand him over and suggested he go to Moscow (I don't think the Iceland idea has materialized yet, has it?).

[Magda Hassan]

When I heard the report, I wondered if Snowden had been told by the HK authorities that they would've been legally compelled to hand him over and suggested he go to Moscow (I don't think the Iceland idea has materialized yet, has it?).

That's what I am assuming has happened too. At least it is warm there.

[Peter Lemkin]

The Icelandic government recently changed from a rather progressive one to a somewhat regressive one. By US standards it is still quite progressive. While we don't know what has been said privately, publicly, Iceland said they couldn't make any decision until Snowden first physically came there and applied and went through the process...and Snowden said he'd like to go to Iceland, but wouldn't until they promised him asylum...so, publicly, it was a stand-off that couldn't be resolved. My guess is that Snowden also knows which countries the NSA can easily monitor people in and which not...and is choosing his locations accordingly.

[Magda Hassan]

.... My guess is that Snowden also knows which countries the NSA can easily monitor people in and which not...and is choosing his locations accordingly.

Very likely I'd think.

[David Guyatt]

When I heard the report, I wondered if Snowden had been told by the HK authorities that they would've been legally compelled to hand him over and suggested he go to Moscow (I don't think the Iceland idea has materialized yet, has it?).

That's what I am assuming has happened too. At least it is warm there.

Seems he's en route to another destination - not Russia - a "democratic" country aboard an Aeroflot plane, all arranged by Assange and Wikileaks.

[Magda Hassan]

Cuba!?

[Peter Lemkin]

.... My guess is that Snowden also knows which countries the NSA can easily monitor people in and which not...and is choosing his locations accordingly.

Very likely I'd think.

Al Jazeera is reporting that Snowden will be travelling on [perhaps after a few days in Moscow] to Cuba and/or Venezuela!