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John Kiriakou: Obama's abuse of the Espionage Act is modern-day McCarthyism

24 points by detcader 13y ago

bostik 13y ago
It bears noting that the author is not just anybody. He's one of the people charged under Espionage Act, so he certainly should know what the process involves and how a whistleblower is treated in the current political climate. I would also like to point out the second-to-last paragraph. "The press also has a role to play, one that, so far, it has largely ignored. That role is to report on and investigate the whistleblower's revelations of illegality, not on the kind of car he drives, the brand of eyeglasses he wears, where he went to college, or what his nextdoor neighbor has to say about their childhood." That would be cynical, if it wasn't so horrifyingly accurate.
- griffordson 13y ago
  For anyone who doesn't know, he's the guy doing time for the CIA torture program. Not for torturing, of course, but for confirming the fact that it was happening. He was interviewed in January just after being sentenced: http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/30/ex_cia_agent_whistleblower_john_kiriakou http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/30/ex_cia_agent_whistlebl...
- twoodfin 13y ago
  It's also worth pointing out that while the Espionage Act charges were dropped as part of his plea bargain, he did plead guilty to a charge under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act[1]. The judge didn't buy that his prosecution was politically motivated: Kiriakou, who wrote a book detailing his CIA career, had tried to argue after the charges were filed that he was a victim of vindictive prosecution by government officials who believed he portrayed the CIA negatively, but the judge rejected those arguments as well. [1] http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/22/14626249-ex-cia-agent-pleads-guilty-to-leaking-identity-of-covert-operative?lite&ocid=msnhp http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/22/14626249-...
gregd 13y ago
I'm afraid that I know where American Apathy(tm) comes from. What can we do about this? I've written to my Senators, who, incidentally, are very critical of this NSA debacle and we've seen no change. I've donated money to EFF. I've told everyone I know that this is unacceptable. What next? Protest in the streets? What would that get us? I'm not sure what we can do collectively to affect change. I feel completely hamstrung by the setup.
- detcader 13y ago
  Maybe you'd be interested in trying to donate/find some way to support Rush Holt for Senate, who is very critical of the NSA programs and other similar abuse and is the only candidate Glenn Greenwald has really ever been behind (which is saying something given his skepticism of anyone connected to Washington) You could also use any expertise you have to get behind cryptography projects or at least learn enough crypto to be able to contribute to conversations about them. Or just learn some US history in general (the kind they don't spend too much time on in schools) to have a better assessment of the present situation
- tiles 13y ago
  Where does it come from?
walshemj 13y ago
To borrow a line from Christine Keeler well he woudl say that what he what does the Espionage Act (1917) have to do with the Intelligence Identities Protection Act which is what he was charged with? And BTW Libby should be doing 20-Life for burning a cia officer for petty party political gain I would agree that adding computer misuse charges against Bradly manning was pointless and stupid.
- twoodfin 13y ago
  Libby didn't "burn" Valerie Plame. Colin Powell's deputy Richard Armitage did.
  - walshemj 13y ago
    Ah I sit corrected - but Libby was the one that got the dodgy presidential pardon no?
detcader 13y ago
Well, it looks like this story is no longer on the front page, or the second page, or the third.. I guess the oppressive streak of the US government against those acting in gray areas for the common good is not germane to "hackers"

24 points by detcader 13y ago

It bears noting that the author is not just anybody. He's one of the people charged under Espionage Act, so he certainly should know what the process involves and how a whistleblower is treated in the current political climate. I would also like to point out the second-to-last paragraph. "The press also has a role to play, one that, so far, it has largely ignored. That role is to report on and investigate the whistleblower's revelations of illegality, not on the kind of car he drives, the brand of eyeglasses he wears, where he went to college, or what his nextdoor neighbor has to say about their childhood." That would be cynical, if it wasn't so horrifyingly accurate.

griffordson 13y ago
For anyone who doesn't know, he's the guy doing time for the CIA torture program. Not for torturing, of course, but for confirming the fact that it was happening. He was interviewed in January just after being sentenced: http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/30/ex_cia_agent_whistleblower_john_kiriakou http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/30/ex_cia_agent_whistlebl...
twoodfin 13y ago
It's also worth pointing out that while the Espionage Act charges were dropped as part of his plea bargain, he did plead guilty to a charge under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act[1]. The judge didn't buy that his prosecution was politically motivated: Kiriakou, who wrote a book detailing his CIA career, had tried to argue after the charges were filed that he was a victim of vindictive prosecution by government officials who believed he portrayed the CIA negatively, but the judge rejected those arguments as well. [1] http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/22/14626249-ex-cia-agent-pleads-guilty-to-leaking-identity-of-covert-operative?lite&ocid=msnhp http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/22/14626249-...

gregd 13y ago

I'm afraid that I know where American Apathy(tm) comes from. What can we do about this? I've written to my Senators, who, incidentally, are very critical of this NSA debacle and we've seen no change. I've donated money to EFF. I've told everyone I know that this is unacceptable. What next? Protest in the streets? What would that get us? I'm not sure what we can do collectively to affect change. I feel completely hamstrung by the setup.

detcader 13y ago
Maybe you'd be interested in trying to donate/find some way to support Rush Holt for Senate, who is very critical of the NSA programs and other similar abuse and is the only candidate Glenn Greenwald has really ever been behind (which is saying something given his skepticism of anyone connected to Washington) You could also use any expertise you have to get behind cryptography projects or at least learn enough crypto to be able to contribute to conversations about them. Or just learn some US history in general (the kind they don't spend too much time on in schools) to have a better assessment of the present situation
tiles 13y ago
Where does it come from?

walshemj 13y ago

To borrow a line from Christine Keeler well he woudl say that what he what does the Espionage Act (1917) have to do with the Intelligence Identities Protection Act which is what he was charged with? And BTW Libby should be doing 20-Life for burning a cia officer for petty party political gain I would agree that adding computer misuse charges against Bradly manning was pointless and stupid.

twoodfin 13y ago
Libby didn't "burn" Valerie Plame. Colin Powell's deputy Richard Armitage did.
- walshemj 13y ago
  Ah I sit corrected - but Libby was the one that got the dodgy presidential pardon no?

detcader 13y ago

Well, it looks like this story is no longer on the front page, or the second page, or the third.. I guess the oppressive streak of the US government against those acting in gray areas for the common good is not germane to "hackers"